XR-85 tank droid

Manufactured by Arakyd Industries, the XR-85 Tank Droid is a threaded, automated tank, armed with a heavy particle cannon, two forward light turbolasers, four twin heavy repeating blasters (two at the front, two at the back) and one aft Golan Arms DF.9 cannon (for anti-personnel duty).

The first models were small enough to allow multiple units to be carried aboard a Sentinel-class landing craft. They were used to protect bases, attack Rebel uprisings and keep the peace on Imperial worlds.

Later models, produced right after Grand Admiral Thrawn´s return and subsequent campaign, were more inexpensive and practical to mass-produce. They utilized pirated R7 Droid Brain Pathway Matrix designs, which made each droid far more independent and intuitive than earlier generations of combat droids.

Cost-cutting by the crumbling Empire, made the XR-85s a good alternative to other assault vehicles, which were running short on crews, so the tank droids were increased in number to bolster ground forces where ever they could.