Separatist Droid Army

"With these new battle droids we've built for you, you'll have the finest army in the galaxy."

- Wat Tambor, to Count Dooku

The Separatist Droid Army was the ground army force of the Confederacy of Independent Systems during the Clone Wars, part of the Confederacy military. The army was mostly built by Baktoid Combat Automata and led by the Kaleesh cyborg General Grievous. The Separatists continued to produce droids throughout the war, a notable example being in 21 BBY when they ordered more than three million battle droids with the InterGalactic Banking Clan helping to finance this order. The army was deactivated after the Clone Wars, when Darth Sidious rose to power as emperor.

Origins
During the Separatist Crisis, Count Dooku's emerging Separatist movement secretly manufactured a droid army in the droid factories of the planet Geonosis. The Separatist movement was supported by the Trade Federation, the Commerce Guild, the Techno Union, the InterGalactic Banking Clan, and the Corporate Alliance. The secret droid army was discovered by Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, whose capture triggered an attack by the Jedi Order and the Galactic Republic's secret Grand Army of the Republic, which had been commissioned by Master Sifo-Dyas. The outbreak of the Clone Wars played into the hands of Darth Sidious, who masterminded the conflict while simultaneously serving as Supreme Chancellor of the Republic.

22 BBY
Following the Battle of Geonosis in 22 BBY, the Separatist Droid Army saw action against the Jedi and the Grand Army of the Republic on numerous fronts and worlds across the galaxy including Hissrich, Christophsis, Ryloth, Maridun, and Felucia. On Maridun, Separatist droid forces led by Lok Durd attempted to test the Defoliator weapon on Lurmen migrants but were repelled by the Republic and Jedi led by Jedi General Aayla Secura, General Anakin Skywalker, Commander Ahsoka Tano, and Commander Bly, and Captain Rex.

Later, General Grievous, the Supreme Commander of the Droid Army, was ambushed by Jedi and Republic forces led by General Kit Fisto. Grievous survived the attack and Fisto was forced to flee. The ambush was a test engineered by Dooku to test Grievous' worthiness to lead the Droid Army. Elements of the Droid Army also guarded Separatist scientist Nuvo Vindi's secret laboratory on Naboo, which manufactured stockpiles of the deadly Blue Shadow Virus. On Ryloth, Separatist droid occupation forces faced resistance from Cham Syndulla's Twi'lek Resistance, who were backed by the Jedi and Republic.

21 BBY
By 21 BBY, the Separatists had recaptured Geonosis and begun producing more battle droids for their Droid Army. In response, the Republic sent a Clone army led by Jedi Generals Ki-Adi-Mundi, Kenobi, Luminara Unduli, and Skywalker to retake the planet, culminating in the Second Battle of Geonosis. Following fierce fighting, the Republic succeeded in destroying the Geonosis primary droid foundry, killing Karina the Great, and capturing Poggle the Lesser, dealing a major blow to the Separatist war effort.

After General Grievous kidnapped Jedi Master Eeth Koth, the Jedi and Clone troopers pursued the Supreme Commander and his contingent of battle droids to Saleucami. Despite sustaining heavy casualties to his forces, the droid general eluded capture. The Droid Army later invaded the Dug homeworld of Malastare in an attempt to cut off the Republic's supply of fuel. Separatist droid forces were disabled by the detonation of an Electro-proton bomb, which awoke a powerful prehistoric creature known as the Zillo Beast.

Separatist forces under General Grievous and Sith assassin Asajj Ventress later attacked the cloning facilities on Kamino in an attempt to disrupt the production of Clone troopers. During the battle, the Droid Army's forces included Aqua droids and aquatic Trident-class assault ships. Despite a vigorous attack, the Separatist were repelled by Clone and Jedi defenders.

As part of a conspiracy to derail Separatist Senator Mina Bonteri and Republic Senator Padmé Amidala's efforts to forge a peace agreement between the two states, Count Dooku and General Grievous dispatched Demolition droids to bomb Coruscant's Central power distribution grid; undermining Bonteri and Amidala's efforts to seek a diplomatic solution to the Clone Wars.

20 BBY
In 20 BBY, Separatist Droid Army forces under the Karkarodon Commander Riff Tamson joined forces with the Quarren Isolation League to oppose the succession of the Mon Calamari Prince Lee-Char, who was backed by the Republic and Jedi. During the Battle of Mon Cala, the Separatists deployed Aqua droids and Hydroid Medusas against the Mon Calamari and Republic, who were forced to retreat from Mon Cala city. Tamson's Trident assault ships later neutralized Gungan reinforcements led by Jar Jar Binks. Despite capturing most of the opposing Republic and Mon Calamari forces including Prince Lee-Char, the Separatist forces were defeated when the Quarren leader Nossor Ri convinced his people to unite with the Mon Calamari and Republic to expel Tamson's droid forces.

Count Dooku later attempted to forge an alliance with the Gungans using his local collaborator Rish Loo, who bewitched Boss Lyonie. This Separatist plot was foiled by Binks and Roos Tarpals, who succeeded in capturing General Grievous. However, the Gungans and Naboo were forced to release the Separatist Droid General when Dooku threatened to execute General Skywalker. Later, the Droid Army invaded the Togruta colony of Kiros and sold the colonists as slaves to the Zygerrian Slave Empire. General Grievous subsequently commanded the Droid Army's attack against the Nightsisters of Dathomir, whom Count Dooku regarded as a growing threat to the Sith. During the assault, Grievous slew Mother Talzin while the droids killed many Nightsisters.

During the Onderonian Civil War, Separatist droid forces under the Super tactical droid General Kalani later propped up the pro-Separatist regime of King Sanjay Rash of Onderon in the Inner Rim. King Rash and his Separatist backers were opposed by the insurgent Onderon rebels led by Saw Gerrera and his sister Steela, who were aided by the Jedi and the Republic. After winning the support of the rightful King Ramsis Dendup and General Tandin, the Onderon rebels succeeded in expelling Separatist forces from Onderon. Separatist droid forces were also attacked by the local population in the capital Iziz. General Kalani and the surviving droids retreated to the Outer Rim planet Agamar.

In retaliation for the Ohnaka Gang's mistreatment of Count Dooku years earlier, Separatist droid forces under General Grievous attacked Hondo Ohnaka's pirate base on Florrum and laid waste to it. Tano and six Jedi younglings fought against Grievous and his forces but were forced to retreat.

19 BBY
In 19 BBY, elements of the Droid Army under Admiral Trench and Commander Kraken were engaged in the Battle of Ringo Vinda Under orders from Dooku they attempted to kidnap Clone trooper "Tup", whose inhibitor chip had malfunctioned and caused him to kill Jedi Master Tiplar. They were foiled by General Skywalker, "Rex", and "Fives". After Count Dooku pressured Rush Clovis, the new head of the InterGalactic Banking Clan, to raise interest rates on the Republic, Separatist droid forces attacked Clone Commander Thorn's forces on Scipio. When the Galactic Senate voted to invade Scipio, Dooku promptly withdrew Separatist forces from the planet. The capture of Scipio gave the Supreme Chancellor control over the banks; placing the galactic economy under the control of the Sith.

Later, two of Grievous' IG-100 MagnaGuards assassinated Jedi Master Tu-Anh on the neutral world of Utapau. While investigating Tu-Anh's death, Master Kenobi and Jedi Knight Skywalker fought the two MagnaGuards and discovered that the Separatists were interested in acquiring a large kyber crystal through several Sugi mercenaries led by Endente. After Kenobi and Skywalker stole the crystal, General Grievous brought several droid forces including B1 battle droids and MagnaGuards to recover the crystal. Despite Grievous evacuating the kyber crystal offworld, the Jedi managed to destroy the crystal and a Separatist supply ship.

The Separatist Droid Army also fought an extended campaign against the Republic on the Core World of Anaxes. Admiral Trench was aided by the Techno Union's Foreman Wat Tambor who used an unconscious Clone trooper "Echo" to provide the Separatists with an algorithm on the Republic's strategies. Echo was rescued by Clone Force 99, General Skywalker, and Rex who fought Tambor's D-wing droids and Octuptarra tri-droids with the help of the Poletecs of Skako Minor. With the help of Echo, Skywalker and the Clones infiltrated Trench's flagship and disabled his droid army on Anaxes, turning the tide of the battle in favor of the Republic.

After escaping from the Spire prison, Darth Maul's Shadow Collective inflicted heavy casualties on the Droid Army at the Battle of Zanbar before retreating. The Shadow Collective later lured Count Dooku and General Grievous into a trap on Ord Mantell. Separatist ground and space forces were decimated during the battle and the two Separatist leaders were captured by Maul and his allies. Maul's Shadow Collective was later defeated by Separatist forces with the help of Darth Sidious at Dathomir.

Following the death of Count Dooku at the Battle of Coruscant, the Separatist Droid Army battled the Grand Army of the Republic on numerous fronts including Kashyyyk, Utapau, Saleucami, Mygeeto, Felucia, Cato Neimoidia, Mandalore , and Kaller. These battles coincided with Palpatine's initiation of Order 66, which led to the Jedi Purge. Palpatine than transformed the Galactic Republic into the Galactic Empire. Palpatine then sent his new apprentice Anakin Skywalker, who had assumed the persona of Darth Vader, to execute the Separatist Council on Mustafar. Vader also transmitted a signal deactivating the battle droids of the Droid Army, ending the Clone Wars.

Legacy
"As Governor Tarkin can attest, our navy was still chasing Separatist holdouts as late as a year ago."

- Vice Admiral Dodd Rancit, five years after the Clone Wars

Despite the deactivation of the Separatist Droid Army, its legacy still lived on in battle droids that survived the Clone Wars. After the Clones Wars various Separatist holdouts survived and attempted to fight the Empire. During the Imperial Era, group of battle droids under the leadership of General Kalani inhabited the wreckage of a Separatist cargo ship on the planet Agamar. Believing the deactivation signal was a Republic trick, Kalani had overrode the command signal on Agamar. In 2 BBY, he encountered the former Clone Captain Rex, the Jedi Purge survivor Kanan Jarrus, and his Padawan Ezra Bridger. Still believing that the Clone Wars had not ended, Kalani organized a final battle with his prisoners. The rebels managed to break through Kalani's lines and Ezra managed to convince Kalani and Rex to put aside their differences in order to escape Imperial forces. This cooperation informally ended the Clone Wars and allowed Rex and Kalani and his droids to make peace with the past.

Groups

 * Asajj Ventress' battalion
 * Patrol 118
 * Squad One
 * Squad Two
 * Squad Three
 * Techno Union Droid Army
 * Trade Federation Droid Army

Range weapons

 * E-5 blaster rifle
 * E-5C
 * E-5s sniper rifle
 * RG-4D
 * Double-barrel repeating blaster
 * Geonosian sonic blaster
 * Umbaran blaster pistol
 * Precision laser dart
 * RPS-6 rocket launcher
 * Wrist blaster
 * Z-6 rotary blaster cannon

Melee weapons

 * Vibroblade
 * Electrostaff
 * Stun baton
 * Droid commando personal shield

Explosives

 * Thermal detonator
 * Mines

Equipment

 * Comlink booster pack
 * Rocket pack
 * Fire hose
 * Holoprojector
 * Deflector shield

Infantry

 * Aqua droid
 * B1 battle droid
 * 631
 * B1 grapple droid
 * B1-series rocket battle droid
 * Firefighter battle droid
 * Heavy battle droid
 * B1 recon droid
 * B1 rocket launcher droid
 * OOM-series battle droid
 * OOM command battle droid
 * OOM pilot battle droid
 * Security Battle Droid
 * B2 super battle droid
 * B2-HA super battle droid
 * B2-RP battle droid
 * B2 grapple droid
 * Super battle droid rocket trooper
 * B3
 * BX-series droid commando
 * Droideka
 * Sharpshooter droideka
 * D-wing droid
 * Demolition droid
 * IG-100 MagnaGuard
 * LR-57 combat droid
 * Organic decimator
 * Pistoeka sabotage droid
 * Viper recon droid
 * SD-K4 assassin droid
 * Probe killers
 * Tactical droid
 * T-series tactical droid
 * Super tactical droid
 * Millicreep droid

Vehicles, Droid Vehicles, and Artillery

 * 1.4 FD P-Tower
 * Armored Assault Tank
 * Defoliator Deployment Tank
 * DSD1 dwarf spider droid
 * IG-227 Hailfire-class droid tank
 * Super tank
 * J-1 proton cannon
 * LR1K sonic cannon
 * LM-432 crab droid
 * Multi-Troop Transport
 * NR-N99 Persuader-class droid enforcer
 * Octuptarra tri-droid
 * OG-9 homing spider droid
 * Single Trooper Aerial Platform
 * Combat speeder
 * Flitknot Speeder Bike
 * XT Beetle Transport
 * Umbaran mobile heavy cannon
 * Impeding Assault Tank
 * Umbaran hover tank

Behind the scenes
The Separatist Droid Army first appeared in the 2002 feature film Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones, where they served as the forces of the antagonistic Confederacy of Independent Systems. The Droid Army later appeared in several Legends media and literature including the Cartoon Network television series Star Wars: Clone Wars, Dark Horse Comics' Star Wars: Republic, and the Republic Commando multimedia series. The Droid Army also appeared in the 2005 feature film Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith and the Canon Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series, which ran from 2008 to 2013. The Droid Army has also appeared in Canon literature and media such as Marvel Comics' Star Wars: Kanan series and the 2016 Star Wars Rebels episode "The Last Battle".