NR-N99 Persuader-class droid enforcer/Legends

"These are automated agents of evil!"

- Plo Koon rallying clone troopers on Geonosis

The NR-N99 Persuader-class droid enforcer, colloquially known as the Corporate Alliance tank droid, CAD and the snail tank, was a tank droid constructed by the Corporate Alliance at first to silence its opposers and later to combat the Grand Army of the Republic.

Characteristics


The tank droid was a six-meter tall automaton with a huge, central drive motor for locomotion supported by four small outrigger wheels. It could also roll on its single traction drive tread. The tank droid was also equipped with a pair of large outrigger arms connected to either side of the drive motor which could be armed with almost any weapon. The Persuader-class's front featured several sensors above its twin photoreceptor eyes. Because of its forward drive motor, the tank droid was not an especially maneuverable vehicle and was very easy to engage when being flanked. To compensate for this, the tanks deployed in tightly packed waves, forming a wall of armor. At a speed of 60 kilometers per hour, the tank had no trouble ramming through walls and mowing down obstacles in its way. Civilians particularly feared the NR-N99 because unlike the IG-227 Hailfire-class droid tank and OG-9 homing spider droid, which would generally avoid civilian targets, the tank droid would simply crush everything in its path with merciless precision.

History
Before the Clone Wars, the tank droid was deployed by the Corporate Alliance against Outer Rim worlds that opposed its development plans or protested against its unfair business practices. It was one of the contributions of the Corporate Alliance to the droid armies of the Confederacy of Independent Systems.

During the Clone Wars, the droid enforcers were equipped with conventional ion cannons and heavy rapid fire laser cannons. For special missions, these could be replaced by concussion missile launchers, homing missiles, dumbfire torpedoes, and thermal grenade launchers.

The tank droids were used to accompany larger vehicles such as the Hailfire-class droid tank or OG-9 homing spider droid. In most battles, a pair of NR-N99s would work together to protect a homing spider droid, though three droid tanks were required to adequately defend a Hailfire-class droid tank. The droid enforcer, with its huge central wheel, could also crush to death any unfortunate enemy soldier that got into its path. The Corporate Alliance installed voice modulators into the Persuader-class late in the Clone Wars. A few variants were lucky enough to have passenger space replaced with defensive laser cannon turrets to help destroy enemies if it should be flanked.

The Corporate Alliance tank droids participated in the Battle of Geonosis, and many other battles during the Clone Wars, such as the Battle of Thule in the Dark Reaper Crisis, although they were lesser used than other Separatist armor. NR-N99s also participated in the Battle of Malastare, but, like every other droid alongside them, were neutralized by the Republic's Electro-proton bomb, the Battle of Kashyyyk, where, in the role of spearheading an armored assault, they formed the bulk of the Separatist mechanized forces, and the battle at Cato Neimoidia.

The tanks were deployed during a Trandoshan/Confederacy of Independent Systems attack on Kashyyyk and participated in the Rebellion on Felucia.

Following the execution of the Separatist Council by Darth Sidious's new apprentice, Darth Vader, all NR-N99 droid enforcers were de-activated.

Behind the scenes


The NR-N99 Persuader-class droid enforcer was originally designed to appear in Attack of the Clones.

In the game Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds: Clone Campaigns, this droid is featured as the Confederacy assault mechanism and is larger, slower, and more powerful than how it is seen elsewhere. This may be due to the fact it hadn't appeared in a movie yet, and its design was adopted for the game from concept art for Attack of the Clones. Alternatively, this may have been a larger design of the same basic chassis, much as the HAV/w A6 Juggernaut could be seen as a larger model of the A5.

In the game Star Wars: Battlefront II, the NR-N99's heavy rapid fire laser cannons are replaced with shock rifles that can shoot up to ten explosive shells at once and it is called an Armoured Tank Droid.

LEGO produced three sets depicting the Corporate Alliance Tank Droid; the first in 2005 (as part of a set named "Wookiee Attack"), the second in 2009, and a remake of the 2009 one in June 2013.

Appearances

 * Kinect Star Wars
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
 * Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds: Clone Campaigns
 * Star Wars: Battlefront II
 * Star Wars: The Clone Wars video game
 * Jedi Trial
 * Star Wars: The Clone Wars film
 * Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes
 * The Clone Wars: Decide Your Destiny: The Lost Legion
 * LEGO Star Wars: The Yoda Chronicles video game
 * Star Wars: Republic: The Hidden Enemy
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
 * Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader
 * Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
 * Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader
 * Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron
 * Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron