E4 baron droid

"Excellent. Send two more baron droids to kill Shu Mai, and order a dozen to work as my bodyguards. At last we are getting results."

- Trade Federation Viceroy Nute Gunray

A step up from the standard B1 battle droid, E4 baron droids were battle droids used by the Trade Federation. Baktoid Combat Automata developed the baron droid as an experimental unit for limited use at the Battle of Naboo. They were equipped with dual repeating cannons and heavy armor plating. It was believed that they were the basis for B2 super battle droids produced for the Separatist Droid Army, as they shared many similar features such as arm mounted blasters and an armored head.

The droid itself could track an opponent with motion, heat, sonic, and visual detectors. Their single photoreceptor could also produce a blinding spotlight to identify and track its targets. Nute Gunray planed to use a pair of these droids as his personal assassin corps, but they were called up for use in the Battle of Naboo instead. Many of the droids remained on that world, where they were eventually hunted down by soldiers of the Royal Naboo Security Force. Eventually, a squad of baron droids took over the planet of Arzid, where they ruled by "the law of the blaster".

There was another type of baron battle droid that was known only by that designation; it too was used by the Trade Federation. It was quite different in appearance, but may have been of the E-line.

Behind the scenes
The baron droids encountered in the video game Star Wars: Obi-Wan are noticeably different from the illustration in The New Essential Guide to Droids, most notably the appearance of the outer plating, as well as the one from the game being bulkier.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Obi-Wan