Battle Droid Army

In the Star Wars universe, battle droids are droids designed for combat, especially the ones used by the Trade Federation and Confederacy of Independent Systems in the prequel trilogy.

Battle droids are designed to win through numbers, even though a swarm of battle droids can be cut down by only two Jedi Knights. Battle droids are relatively mindless and, while apparently capable of some independent behaviour, are usually slaved to a central control mainframe, disallowing them to think on their own. This removes practically any ability to question orders or rise up against their masters, a very useful attribute for the monopolistic Trade Federation and other rich people whose motives for combat are not exactly pure.

Battle droids, as heretofore mentioned, are frequently controlled by outside devices, which can be located on starships or in other well-defended facilities. This means that if a control system is destroyed, the battle droids it controls become inactive. This occurred during the Battle of Naboo, in which Anakin Skywalker destroyed the Droid Control Ship. The monumental defeat spurred interest in independent droids, and this technique gained ground following the battle.

Droid Types
There are several battle droid types for different tasks, mostly of which are characterized by a color worn on the droid's head, shoulders and/or chest or by other differences from others in physical apearance:
 * Standard Infantry Battle Droids - (no markings) tall, skeletal droids armed with blasters
 * Pilot Battle Droids - (blue shoulders) droids that operate in the controlships
 * Security Battle Droids- (magenta shoulders) battle droids that patrol areas in squads within Trade Federation territories to eliminate intruders or to look over captives
 * Battle Droid Commanders - (yellow forehead, shoulders and circular symbol on chest) droid officers that receive orders from the controlships and in turn give out the commands to the standard infantry or security battle droids
 * Super Battle Droids - (broad-chested, silver, metallic bodies) enormous advancements for the Seperatist Droid Army which are larger and more lethal than regular battle droids
 * Geonosis Battle Droids - (reddish bodies) specially made in the Geonosian Droid Factories to fight on the planet's desert terrain and used only during the Battle of Geonosis
 * Droidekas - (insect-like, metallic bodies which resemble no other battle droid) killing machines which roll into large wheels for swift travel and uncoil to attack with twin-cannons on each arm -- each droid carries an individual deflector shield which makes it nearly impenetrable and deadlier than all other battle droids

There are battle droid foundries on the planet Geonosis, which Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala got caught in during Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. It is possible that the Battle Droids are modeled after the Geonosians, although other sources state they are based on Neimoidian skeletons.

Super battle droids were created for the Battle of Geonosis. Droidekas are another type of battle droid seen in the films. In Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, all battle droid units were ordered deactivated by Emperor Palpatine, to be replaced by his army of clone troopers, who in turn are replaced by Stormtroopers.

Battle droids have speech abilities and their genders are either male or female depending on their programings.

Battle droids always acknowledge their orders with the words "Roger, roger," as part of a running gag.

Due to their apparent ineptness, the battle droids are also said to be suffering from the stormtrooper syndrome.