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"Roger, roger."

- Typical response of a B1 battle droid

B1 battle droids, also referred to as standard battle droids or the B1-series, were the most widely used battle droids manufactured by Baktoid Combat Automata and Baktoid Armor Workshop and were the successor to the OOM-series battle droids. Even though they were widely produced and deployed, the B1 battle droid was flimsily designed and easy to destroy, and was only truly successful in large numbers. Early versions of the model also required the use of a Central Control Computer, but despite these weaknesses they saw extensive service as the mainlines soldier of the Trade Federation's mechanized droid army. The droid army was deployed during the Invasion of Naboo, and after landing B1 battle droids marched into the Naboo capital of Theed, and using the massive army the Trade Federation captured the city. The droids continued to keep the Trade Federation's grip on the planet throughout the occupation, and the majority of Federation droid troops were deployed to combat the Gungan Grand Army at the Great Grass Plains. In the ensuing battle many militiagungs were killed, but the entire droid army was defeated because it shut down when the control computer was destroyed with the Federation’s Droid Control Ship by the young Force-sensitive pilot, Anakin Skywalker during the portion of the battle that was in space.

During the Separatist Crisis, the Trade Federation leadership met with other commerce guilds on the planet Geonosis, and the Federation had given its droid army, including the B1 battle droid, to the growing Confederacy of Independent Systems. The droids became the main soldier of the new Separatist Droid Army. The forces of the army used newer reworked B1s. These newer B1 battle droids did not have the reliance on a central command signal and were capable of independent thought; however, it was limited. On Geonosis the droid army clashed with the Galactic Republic's new army of clone troopers for the first time. This battle launched the galactic conflict known as the Clone Wars. The B1 battle droids and the other models of combat droids used by the Confederacy fought the forces of the Republic on countless worlds for the duration of the three-year-long conflict.

Throughout the droids' history, it was evident that the B1 was dim-witted. Programming glitches manifested as the B1 battle droids developing personality quirks, and they were known to make commentary on what occurred around them. The B1s were outmatched by the clone troopers of the Republic, but massive numbers of B1s could gain victory over the more experienced clone troopers, and even members of the Jedi Order. The B1 battle droids, nicknamed "clankers" along with other Separatist droids by the Republic, were manufactured in countless numbers for the Separatists, but military officers, like the Supreme Commander of the Droid Army, General Grievous, grew angry at the failings of the B1. Following the defeat of the Confederacy, B1 battle droids were deactivated by the Galactic Empire along with the rest of the droid army. Despite this, and battle droids becoming outlawed under the Empire, B1 battle droids continued to see use through Separatist holdouts and the black market during the Imperial Era.

Design
"A battle droid? You wanted to show us&hellip; a battle droid? The most incompetent droid soldier in the history of both the Republic and Empire. A mechanical comedy of errors."

- Makarial Gravin, to Temmin Wexley upon seeing the B1 battle droid Mister Bones

Part of the B-series battle droid line, B1 battle droids were humanoid fourth class battle droids measuring 1.93 meters, or 6 feet and 4 inches, tall. In addition to the Geonosians designing the B1 in their image, the B1 possessed a skeletal shape, which made them resemble animated skeletons. B1 battle droids were the successors to similar looking the OOM-series battle droid. These droids could preform more functions when compared to a B1, due to the level of independent reasoning in their programming. While Count Dooku once stated that B1s were expensive, B1 battle droids were mass-produced quickly and cheaply. The B1 itself was a small, flimsy, and not truly designed for warfare. However, despite their limited capabilities, the B1 battle droid would be used as shock troops and the primary frontline soldiers of mechanized armies.

The need for, and later removal of, Central Control Computers
"Look, it's RB-551.''" "No wonder he got blasted. He's one of those older models programmed by a central computer." "Not us, we're independent thinkers." "Roger Roger." "''Roger Roger."

- Several B1s discussing how they were upgraded models from the older RB-551

B1s could be could be programmed for independent action or controlled by a centralized and networked command center /mainframe. However, B1 battle droids originally required a connection to this command mainframe, which was known as a Central Control Computer. These computers were located in an orbiting Droid Control Ship, which transmitted instructions, computer-automated commands, and orders from Trade Federation leadership. These early B1s were incapable of independent thinking, and all B1 battle droids obeyed the central master command signal transmitted by the control ship. The B1 forces of the Federation needed this signal to operate. Central Control Computers saved costs in the already inexpensive droids, as the Trade Federation saved the production costs on what would have been thousands of individual droid brains, and the computers were an outgrowth of Neimoidian society's hierarchical structure. The control battleships that the computers were housed in constantly tracked the movement of every droid's position, and, to receive signals from the control ship, the comlink booster packs worn by B1 battle droids had command ship signal receivers. Instead of a droid brain, the cylindrical head of each B1 contained a receiver for their orders from the control ship. B1s themselves possessed small processors, which would collect limited sensory data and movement to transmit back to the Droid Control Ship, and&mdash;located within the head of a B1 unit&mdash;signal transmission lines, the dephasing anticode sieve, the signal receiver, the override signal receptor, and the signal confirmation module.

However, while the use of Central Control Computer could save on costs, the B1's need for a central command signal to operate proved to be shortsighted because every B1 battle droid would switch off and enter a stand by hibernation mode once a Droid Control Ship was destroyed. By the time B1s were being used by the Confederacy of Independent Systems, newer models of B1 battle droid were fitted with individual independent intelligence centers which let B1s operate without a master signal. Autonomous thinking was introduced to battle droids, although the B1 was not programmed with a particularity robust artificial intelligence, and networked control centers were seen as too large of a vulnerability by Separatist leadership. The newer models of B1 were capable of prolonged independent action, limited independent thought, and making their own independent tactical decisions. New B1s did not need a control ship to operate or program them, and the newer B1s saw themselves as "independent thinkers." At least some of the new B1s believed themselves to be superior to their predecessors. However, within the Separatist Droid Army, some older B1 models were still used, but the older B1s were largely phased out. Central Control Computers still remained in some use because of the battle droids that required them, as was on the Subjugator-class heavy cruiser, Malevolence. These units were given commands from the computer to preform complicated technical duties. In addition, the newer B1 model was able to have its programming overridden by a control ship's signal.

Other design elements
"Interesting design. Small and only moderately armored, but narrow and therefore difficult to target."

- Commander Thrawn, upon seeing B1 battle droids

A humanoid design allowed for a degree of versatility in battle droids, which was a fact that the B1 showcased by operating different weapons, vehicles, and machinery. The B1 also possessed a narrow design, which made it more difficult to target. Components of a B1 included their pistons, which functioned like muscles, and the B1 possessed balance stabilizers, which battle droids could supposedly quake in, motivators, a key component of droids, and knobby exposed motorized joints. Contained within the B1's head was a processor, but a hit with a blaster bolt would cause it to short-circuit. Once this occurred, the short-circuited processor could cause the B1 to develop a conscience. Supposedly, restoring a B1 to their base programming with a memory wipe would undo this. If a B1's circuits became loose, then a unit's mental state would be affected, as the B1 would begin to say things that did not make sense. The body of the B1 battle droid was also designed so the unit could be able to fold into a compact stowed configuration for transportation in Multi-Troop Transports. In this configuration one hundred and twelve B1 battle droids could be stored into the troop transport, and, when B1s were activated from this folded position, it only took seconds for them to deploy. Their limbs deployed first from being folded, resulting in the droid standing up, and their long neck was the last part to unfold. After their neck was unfolded, the droids could reach back to claim their blaster rifle. B1 battle droids would also fold into this configuration when their power cells were low, so the unit needed to close down and recharge. A way a B1 could have drained their power cells was a prolonged march and operating on low power impaired a B1's functionality, as the unit would be slower, less reliable, and have an impaired speech.

The B1 battle droid possessed several servomotors, devices used for movement in droids and cybernetics, with at least one located in its skull, but exposure to moisture could corrode a B1's servos. The B1's beaked head also held the unit's simple vocabulator, which allowed the droid to speak, with sound coming out of the speaker under the B1's "beak." A B1's voice ranged from a rather high-pitched voice to a lower and more monotone voice. To receive orders and send messages, B1 units had an integrated comlink located at their head. When faced with darkness, a B1's photoreceptors could switch to an infrared mode, and it was also possible for a B1's photoreceptors to light up upon activation. B1 battle droids also had the ability to pick up electromagnetic fields, such as the fields generated from holoprojectors. As droids, B1s did not need to drink, eat, or breathe, and units could operate underwater or in a vacuum, such as space. As they were also unaffected by poisons and toxins, B1s could continue to operate if a form of biological warfare had been deployed.

While an inexpensive yet durable metal protected the droid's signal-receiver assembly, the B1 was only moderately armored. The armor itself was thin and did not protect B1 battle droids against blaster fire or lightsabers well, as these weapons could easily defeat a B1. Other weak points in the B1 were to hit between a unit's legs and body, as a blast here could break the B1 in half, and the B1's capacitors, as hitting between the capacitors could take out the unit. However, while tactics like these could defeat a B1, the only true way to kill a battle droid was to aim for their head. This was because the droids did not require their limbs or bodies to report intel back to central command, but a head-shot would be successful. However, if the head of a B1 was physically removed from its body, the droid's body could still function and move, but it had no form of sight. Towards the end of the Clone Wars, the Separatists operated a droid factory on the planet Mokivj, which was used to create B1 battle droids and B2 super battle droids made from cortosis. This metal made the droids more resistant to blaster bolts and lightsabers, but this factory was ultimately destroyed in the Mokivj catastrophe.

Tactics, battlefield roles, and countertactics
"Droids were a bit dim. More so than I imagined.''" "They make up for it in numbers. They're designed to overwhelm." "''But they're not designed to deal with our approach."

- Saw Gerrera, Ahsoka Tano, and Anakin Skywalker

While individual B1 battle droids were not effective soldiers against enemies like clone troopers in combat, the B1 battle droids could be relentless and were meant to be deployed in mass-assault tactics. Deploying a massive force of droids off-set the model's weaknesses, could effectively overtake civilians, and overwhelming forces of droids were the answer to clone troopers and Jedi, as a battle droid horde could overpower their more skilled opponents. The cheap cost of the B1 battle droid made deploying swarms of droids a viable tactic for military use. Entire battalions could be sacrificed for victory without concern, and, in line with how every B1 was built to sacrifice itself, when one wave of B1s was taken down, another would take its place. While B1s could be classified as blaster fodder and did not have a high battle prowess, a horde of B1s under the command of a competent officer could be a massive threat because an opponent had to overcome their high amount of blaster fire and the coordination of B1s operating under a clear plan.

While B1 battle droid was originally only used to protect transports, the B1 was the main soldier in the Trade Federation Droid Army and later the Separatist Droid Army. In the Separatist Army, the order of battle centered on the B1 and the vehicles used to deploy them. The army also tended to field B1s on Single Trooper Aerial Platforms as cavalry, and, in addition to the B1 seeing heavy use on the front lines, the droid was also used as security on worlds and military locations such as warships and bases. The Confederacy could also use B1s to lift crates aboard DH-Omni Support Vessels, but preforming taxing work meant that B1s would a break time. B1 battle droids were above the astromech droids used by the Confederacy. and B1s were able to hold military ranks such as sergeant and lieutenant. While OOM command battle droids were part of the B1's predecessor line, the OOM-series, B1 battle droids could be specially programmed and modified to serve as OOM command units. In the Separatist Droid Army, these B1 commanders lead forces below the strength of a regiment. B1 battle droids could also serve as scouts and gunners.

Early B1 models that required a master signal would mainly swarm and parade into a battlefield, did not possess combat proficiency, and would fail to use basic combat strategies like seeking cover, but B1s located in Theed Royal Palace during the Battle of Naboo did hide behind cover. In addition, the later control ship independent B1 models used by the Confederacy of Independent Systems could still be easily defeated by superior foes. However, B1 battle droids proved to be goofy, single-minded, and dim-witted. However, the B1 was not designed to be smart, and instead the model was meant to provide abundant firepower in their large numbers as opposed to clever tactics. While these factors meant a leading officer would keep B1s in as tight of a rein as they could, advanced programming was not required for the B1's swarm tactics, so their limited intelligence never needed to be fixed. However, this still meant B1s had a limited intelligence compared to other soldiers. Opponents could use this to outsmart a B1, but the units could still fall back on their numbers. However, one model of B1, the 631, was a notably dim-witted model, with its intelligence being even less than other models of B1s. Motion-capture data from highly trained organic soldiers allowed for B1s to demonstrate an array of combat stances, positions, and maneuvers. However, while the B1 was programmed with moves from highly trained soldiers, B1s were mostly inaccurate shots with a blaster. B1 battle droids could also be unaware of proper military protocols, as one B1 needed to ask if they took prisoners during the Battle of the Rishi moon, but B1s taking prisoners was uncommon. While B1s did not seem dangerous at first glance and were viewed as an inept fighting force, B1 battle droids could be frightening in their uniformity, with the droids only being individually distinguished by their numbers found on their comlink booster packs.

When confronting a horde of B1 battle droids, opponents could try to gain victory by scattering their robotic enemies. To scatter B1s, a useful tactic was the Sword and Shield maneuver, in which a clone trooper would throw grenades into the droid ranks as Jedi blocked incoming fire. Once a multiple of B1s were taken out, and their ranks were successfully scattered, the opponents would form up and push forward. Alternatively, opponents could find cover and hold their position as a force of B1s attacked, but an alternative tactic, one that was unorthodox for Republic clone troopers, was to rush B1s head-on. An example of this rarer tactic came from the Republic special forces squad known as Clone Force 99. These clone commandos had their own way to deal with a wave of B1s, as seen through plan 82. This tactic was where the squad would push towards the droid ranks, as "Wrecker" would use his strength to bring a form of cover to block incoming blaster fire, while the squad fired at the droids. Once they got closer, Wrecker would stop, and, as the squad was safe behind their cover, "Tech" reported a position in the droid ranks for "Hunter" to throw an Electro Magnetic Pulse grenade into. Once the grenade was at a desirable location, "Crosshair" fired his sniper rifle at it, and the resulting electromagnetic pulse would take out a large number of B1s.

Plan 82 was also an example of how B1 battle droids were just as vulnerable to EMP weapons as other droids because electromagnetic energy would shock droids into deactivating. The Gungan Grand Army used boomas, balls of explosive plasma, against B1 battle droids, and clone troopers used Electro Magnetic Pulse grenades, which were nicknamed "droid poppers", against B1s and other battle droids. The Republic would also develop the electro-proton bomb, which could short-circuit an entire droid army. As they were droids, B1s could be reprogrammed, and their opponents could perform a robolobotomy on a B1&mdash;provided a unit was not heavily damaged&mdash;to gain information from the droid. While one needed to pass through the B1's access codes, information from the droid's memory logs and guidance system were available. In addition, B1s were not designed to deal with the special tactics used by the Onderon rebels. The rebels would hit the Separatists were it was least expected, and, before their enemies figured out what had happened, the rebels would fade into the rest of Onderon's population. Their tactics proved to be effected and helped to turn the tide against the CIS on Onderon.

Programming and the B1's glitch
As opposed to more peaceful droid models like 3PO units, B1 battle droids were soldiers programmed for destruction and violence. However, the programming of the B1 was limited. This fault could make them unfit for advanced jobs and other positions. During the mission to Rugosa, a B1 battle droid at the controls of laser cannons missed every shot he fired at Republic escape pods. When confronted about this, the B1 blamed the poor aim on his flawed programming. Another fault was that B1 battle droids often suffered programming glitches. These glitches would manifest in units as "personality quirks." When displaying their quirks, B1 battle droids could exhibit various tones of voice, such as fear, flirtatiousness, sadness, confusion, and joy.

While B1 battle droids were programmed to never surrender, their glitches could instead make a unit have a fearful and cowardly personalty. A B1 might have then focused more on self-preservation and escape instead of remaining in a fight, with a droid possibly wanting to physically run away. However, at least one B1 battle droid, R0-GR, lacked "running way" as part of his original programming directives. Before reprogramming, R0-GR's only programming directive was field combat. B1s were also designed to be easily controlled and unquestioningly obedient, there were instances where B1s displayed they could have enough of a personality to question and disagree with their orders. In addition, a B1's personalty quirks often caused them to have "banter" and other comments, with some B1s even making comments because of the fighting they were in the midst of. Their comments also displayed that B1s could hold opinions. B1s could believe they were superior to other droid models, and even other models of B1. B1s could also insult their enemies, but at least one B1 was able to enjoy nature, and this unit was disappointed he had no one to share it with. Several B1 battle droids showed the ability to dislike their job. While at least R0-GR lacked friendship in his original programming directives, with it being added when he was reprogrammed, other B1 battle droids showed they could care about their fellow droids, and B1s often spoke with each other.

Origin
"Some of you gathered here today are old enough to remember when Baktoid Armor Workshop came to Geonosis and struck a deal with us to build foundries and produce battle droids and other automata for which we were handsomely rewarded."

- Archduke Poggle the Lesser to the Geonosians

In the early days of the B1 battle droid, the model would see use due to the interplanetary corporation known as the Trade Federation. Notoriously ran by the normally cowardly Neimoidian species, the Federation held a monopoly on Outer Rim trade routes and, despite the galaxy ostensibly being in a era of peace, was allowed to use a private automated defense force to keep its forces safe from pirates and to protect its valuable shipments. The defense force would be made up of battle droids due to the Trade Federation leaders not trusting forces it could not control, and the B1 battle droid would be the main soldier of this army. B1 battle droids would be manufactured by Baktoid Combat Automata and Baktoid Armor Workshop, and Baktoid Armor would approach the Geonosians the qausi-insectoid species of the planet Geonosis, to design droid foundries for the Trade Federation. The Geonosians would be rewarded for their deal to built battle droids and other weapons, and, while Archduke Poggle the Lesser later claimed they did not know they were working for a trade cartel, the Geonosians were the ones who designed the B1 battle droid for the Trade Federation, doing so in their own image. The Trade Federation had also commissioned for the B1 to have humanoid physiques, so that way the units could operate pre-existing equipment originally designed for organics. By using existing technology, the Federation could cut costs by avoiding production costs and retrofitting. Baktoid Combat Automata was contracted to produce the B1s within these foundries-turned-factories on Geonosis, with the B1 being quick to assemble and cheap to produce. On Geonosis, Poggle the Lesser, who was also backed by the shadowy Trade Federation benefactor, Darth Sidious, had millions of B1 battle droids manufactured for the Trade Federation. However, due to the colossal cost that each B1 receiving a droid brain would be, and as an outgrowth of Neimoidian society's hierarchical structure, the budget-minded Federation chose to have numerous B1 battle droids be controlled simultaneously by Central Control Computers.

Prior to the secret construction of the army of B1 battle droids, the Trade Federation used small numbers of the B1's predecessor, the OOM-series battle droid, on the starships of the Federation fleet. While the OOM-series could preform more functions than B1s, B1 battle droids were the unit that served as main infantry force in the Federation's Droid Army. OOM-series units did continue to see use, however, and OOM-series battle droids would even be deployed alongside their B1 successors. While the Federation mainly used B1s to protect its transports, they were front line soldiers in the army that was used to back the Federation's economic might, give the Federation the opportunity to influence local politics, and easily target planets that lacked a military force. The Federation's Droid Army made it so there was little to stand between it and galactic supremacy, and the true power of the Federation's "defense" force was hidden from most in the Galactic Senate, while others were paid to look the other way. However, Republic leaders would be alerted to the new status quo because of the first battle droid deployment, the Invasion of Naboo.

The Invasion of Naboo
In 32 BBY, the Galactic Senate passed Prop 31-814D, which made Free Trade Zones eligible for taxation. The Trade Federation, angered over the idea of needing to relinquish profits, protested by initiating a blockade of the peaceful Mid Rim world of Naboo. While the Federation itself was not interested in warfare, instead somewhat viewing the blockade as a test for the Republic, more was at play with the blockade than it seemed. The Viceroy of the Trade Federation, Nute Gunray, picked Naboo at the suggestion of Darth Sidious, as the Sith Lord planned to use the invasion for political sympathy and to become the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic. The Lucrehulk-class Battleships that made up the blockade were also filled with B1 battle droids and the C-9969 landing craft needed to take them to the planet's surface.

The current chancellor, Finis Valorum

appear weak,

The Battle of Naboo
"Finally the mackineeks gottin us surround, but mesa and the rest, we just looked at each other smiling. We was going to rush them. We didn't care about their flashers. We just had a feeling that we'd like seeing what we could be doing. And that's when the mackineeks switched off."

- The Gungan militiagung Oma Prumba's account on the end of the Battle of Naboo

initiated a blockade of the planet Naboo. The Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn were sent to negotiate with the Federation, but the negotiations were thwarted when Darth Sidious contacted Neimoidian Viceroy Nute Gunray and ordered him to kill the Jedi. Although the two Jedi were able to escape, the Trade Federation sent an invasion force to Naboo in hopes of forcing Queen Padmé Amidala to sign a treaty which would legitimize the occupation. At the end of the occupation B1s fought against the Gungan Grand Army at the Great Grass Plains during the Battle of Naboo, and did gain the upper hand. This was truly a distraction to draw the main droid forces away from Naboo’s capital city of Theed, which had been occupied since its capture by the Federation. In Theed they fought against the Royal Naboo Security Forces under the command of the Queen of Naboo, Padmé Amidala. The droids were ultimately shut down at the end of the occupation during the Battle of Naboo when the Trade Federation's orbiting Droid Control Ship was destroyed by the young Force-sensitive pilot Anakin Skywalker.

However, Gunray was able to stall his four trials in the Supreme Court, avoid prison, and remain the Federation's viceroy. However, the Neimoidian now wanted his to have his revenge on Padmé Amidala and the Republic, and his plan for revenge shape the future of the B1 battle droid because of its coming role in war.

The invasion had also sparked a new era of warfare, as battle droid armies became a common sight throughout the galaxy.

The Trade Federation had ultimately lost thousands of B1 battle droids in the Battle of Naboo, and the defeat showed the faults of the B1. While the invasion made it clear B1s could effectively bully civilians, the B1 was not a match for trained soldiers. At some point, the Techno Union was able to take the so-called "lessons" learned from Naboo to develop the B2 super battle droid. This new unit was a heavy infantry model of droid that was designed solely for combat &mdash;although it would see some other uses&mdash;and equipped with aggressive programming.

After the Invasion of Naboo and the Separatist Crisis
"Our friends from the Trade Federation have pledged their support, and when their battle droids are combined with yours, we shall have an army greater than any in the galaxy. The Jedi will be overwhelmed, and the Republic will agree to any demands we make."

- Count Dooku, to the members of the Separatist Council prior to the Battle of Geonosis

The Federation was among the groups that started building up their military forces, and further problems arose for the Republic when, Two years before the coming Clone Wars, Count Dooku of Serenno, a former Jedi Master and the new apprentice of Darth Sidious, founded the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Also called the Separatist Alliance, Dooku claimed his government would be fairer than the Republic. Thousands of star systems went on to secede to the CIS, and the galaxy was now faced with the Separatist Crisis. While the Separatists originally lacked a standing military, the Separatist planets used their wealth to purchase vast droid armies. Corporations like the Federation had already allied with Dooku, and the Separatists funded the Techno Union and Federation to build up their droid armies. The Federation agreed to pledge its droid forces to the Confederacy, so the B1 battle droid could now serve as a soldier for the Separatists. Dooku himself went to renew Baktoid Armor Workshop's contract with the Geonosians, and they were offered lucrative deals to sell battle droids to the Separatists. The Geonosians ultimately became extremely loyal to Dooku, and the Geonosian factories producing hundreds of thousands of battle droids for the CIS, including B1 battle droids. The largest Geonosian factory was able to churn out B1s and B1 super battle droids with minimal supervision from organics. While the Geonosian factories were not the only factories used by the Confederacy, Geonosis served as the primary producer of the growing Separatist Droid Army, and the planet's history of building droid armies for nongovernmental organisations, such as the Trade Federation, helped to cover up the Separatist Army. However, Separatist leadership believed that using networked control centers for their B1s was a vulnerability. So the B1's need for a central command signal, the tactic that had cost the Federation the Battle of Naboo, was eventually removed from the B1 battle droids, and the Geonosians were able to give autonomous thinking to battle droid models.

The Confederacy saw no need to comprise with the Republic, and their droid forces continued to be constructed in secret and far from the Republic. However, the turmoil was truly all part of the Sith plan to take control of the galaxy. To continue their plans, the Republic debated creating an army to confront the Separatists through the Military Creation Act. On Geonosis in the year 22 BBY, ten years after the Battle of Naboo, leaders of major corporations gave their droid armies to Dooku to combine them with the Federation's battle droids, formally creating the Separatist Droid Army. However, their meeting had secretly been seen by Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi. Kenobi had arrived on the planet tracking bounty hunter Jango Fett, as he had been hired to assassinate Padmé Amidala, now a Republic senator. When Kenobi had first arrived in the building, he had also seen one of the factories and saw it producing a large number of B1s. After witnessing the meeting, Kenobi sent a message back to the Republic, reporting about the assembled Droid Army, but he was soon captured by security. Junior Representative Jar Jar Binks would soon recommend for Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine to gain the power needed to create a Grand Army of the Republic, allowing for the beginning of the Clone Wars.

[anakin and padme in the factory has to be added]

Jedi Padawan Anakin Skywalker and Senator Amidala

that the Republic did not have enough Jedi to protect in

as a founding corporation and

the Federation provided B1 battle droid forces to the Confederacy of Independent Systems, a secessionist movement composed of wealthy industrialists and disgruntled citizens of the Outer Systems, and the Confederacy's Droid Army. The Separatist Crisis soon broke into full war.

The war begins
While the Republic had managed to decimate the droid armies and factories on Geonosis, Republic engineers announced they were unable to reconfigure the factories to meet the needs of the Republic. After this news, the Republic believed Geonosis held little strategic value, and the government did not assign many resources to their occupation on Geonosis

Ultimately, the Republic did not

The Clone Wars spread
The Clone Wars, named after the Republic's clone troopers, engulfed the galaxy for three years, with the Jedi Order leading their clone soldiers against the Separatist Droid Army. However, the Droid Army greatly outnumbered the Republic's clones, with Dooku once going as far as to claim that the clone troopers were outnumbered by a margin of one hundred to one. When it came to the Separatist's soldiers, the B1 battle droid dominated the Droid Army's ranks as its main infantry. The B1 saw use for the entirety of the Clone Wars, as the B1's cheap price tag allowed it to stay mass-produced over other units that could have taken its place in the army. Their price made it so there were often one hundred B1 battle droids on a battlefield for every one B2 super battle droid, while BX-series droid commandos, a droid unit superior to the B1, were regulated to small numbers due to their price tag.

The Droid Army mainly served at the command of Count Dooku and Darth Sidious, no matter the cost their orders inflicted, although the public strategy was for the droids to defend planets which declared their independence and cut off the Core Worlds from trade. To serve in the army, countless B-series droids were built daily for the CIS, with the B1 being produced in great numbers as the bulk of the Army infantry corps. However, battle droids were not as versatile as their clone trooper adversaries. Battle droids were single minded, as opposed to the independent and creative clone troopers. Clones could easily blast through dozens of enemy droids. However, newer clone troopers could underestimate the B1 after they had destroyed isolated patrols of B1s, but this opinion was quickly weeded out of these new troopers. B1s were still dangerous, but they needed the large numbers they were made for. The B1 battle droid managed to kill numerous clone troopers throughout the Clone Wars. Still, an experienced clone trooper could take out a number of B1s, with some clones even keeping count of the number of droids they blasted, and one Clone Officer, Captain CT-7567, also know by his nickname "Rex," later recounted he may have blasted thousands or tens of thousands of B1s. During the war, clone troopers, and even some of the Jedi, referred to B1s and other Separatist droids as "clankers." The wide-scale use of droids in combat caused droids to be seen as a symbol of terror throughout the galaxy. Republic propaganda also pushed this image, and the B1 became seen as an intergalactic symbol of evil. Ultimately, the Separatist Droid Army caused for the Clone Wars to be an era full of droidophobia.

During the war, despite Dooku deciding overall strategy, the Droid Army was managed and lead by the Supreme Commander of the Droid Army, General Grievous. Grievous, known as a feared Jedi hunter and brilliant strategist, lead his army across the galaxy, but Grievous was one of many commanders who became frustrated by the limitations of the B1 battle droid. While he was forced to command the B1s throughout the war, Grievous hardly hid his disdain for the B1s, with the General going as far as to view the B1s as stupid and insulted his droids. Many B1s became victims of the General's temper, with Grievous sometimes even destroying his own battle droids in his fits of anger. Grievous also blamed the droid forces under his command for losses against the Jedi Order. Another major Separatist commander was Asajj Ventress, Count Dooku's apprentice and assassin, but she too could be angered by her B1s and destroy them. On one occasion, Ventress cut down a B1 and an OOM command droid, and she proclaimed that their weakness would not be her downfall.

B1 battle droids throughout the galaxy
"Droids like me became cogs in the Separatist Army, and half the galaxy began to hate and fear us even though we were just doing what we were programmed to do. Jedi Knights&mdash;the supposed protectors of all life&mdash;seemed perfectly happy using their lightsabers to slice any droid who opposed them in half. And then into quarters. And sometimes into even smaller chunks, just for good measure."

- R0-GR, in his book "droidography"

At one point during the war, Jedi General Plo Koon was surrounded by a group of four B1 battle droids. Two Jedi, a human and a Rodian, and clone troopers once fought against B1s and other battle droids in a damaged city, and a Mirialan armed with a lightsaber once fought against two B1s and a B2 super battle droid. Also during the war, Jedi, clone troopers, and at least two All Terrain Tactical Enforcers scaled several skyscrapers while under fire from B1s and DSD1 dwarf spider droids. At another point, a large number of B1 battle droids and at least three homing spider droids were together on terrain near mountains. B1 battle droids also served as part of the Separatist unit under the command of a T-series tactical droid, and B1s were under the command of TX-532, a tactical droid and commander of a Separatist operation to recruit Gungans. B1 battle droids were also built in the droid factory on the Outer Rim planet of Akiva.

One of the many B1s deployed for the Confederacy was R0-GR, who had been manufactured on Geonosis and served in the Battle of Naboo. R0-GR served in the Battle of Geonosis, later recalling Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu, and the pain he received in the battle. During the war, R0-GR would go onto serve in a Battle of Saleucami, which he later stated was an agonizing five months, and the Battle of Nal Kapok, which he considered to be the worst battle he fought in. R0-GR also disliked the Droid Army's T-series tactical droids. R0-GR believed they had little care for the droids they commanded and were safe in command centers drinking oil as battle droids like him died under the tactical droid's "half-baked" strategy. R0-GR also found it hypocritical that the Jedi Order, who were meant to be the guardians of all life forms, cut down so many battle droids during the war.

Kudo III's droid foundry
"Hey! You aren't supposed to be here!''" "''But here I am. Too bad for you."

- A B1 battle droid and Anakin Skywalker, directly before the Jedi Knight attacked

During the war, the Separatists launched a plan involving the Kudon on the moon of Kudo III. After gassing their village, these Kudon woke up in a droid foundry as slaves, and they were told the Republic was coming to kill them. In this foundry, the Kudons were forced to help build Separatist droids, with B1s being one of the droid models built. The Confederacy then leaked intelligence about the foundry, hoping that the Republic would attack it, thus killing the innocent Kudons inside. The Separatists could then use their deaths to sway neutral planets to join them against the Republic. Following a battle against a contingent of vulture droids produced in the foundry, Anakin Skywalker, now a Jedi Knight and General, learned of the facility from Admiral Wullf Yularen. Yularen believed the Republic needed to attack quickly, but Skywalker disagreed with his battle plan after learning it would kill the Kudon working inside. Skywalker eventually left to infiltrate the foundry on his own. Once he was inside, Skywalker looked into a room that contained a B1 battle droid conveyor belt, but it also contained several Kudon forced to work in binders. This caused Skywalker to realize that the Kudon were not workers and instead were slaves, reminding the Jedi of his own past. Skywalker was angered by this revelation and jumped down to the foundry floor. One of the B1 guards told Skywalker that he was not allowed to be inside, but Skywalker only responded by saying that he was inside and that it was bad for the droids. Skywalker jumped at the battle droids, and, despite them firing at the Jedi Knight, he was able to cut down all of the B1 guards. He then freed the Kudon slaves, who explained what had happened to them, but another group of B1 battle droids arrived. Skywalker called for the Kudon to pick up the blaster rifles from the already destroyed B1s, and the freed slaves began to fight their robotic oppressors. After his mission, Skywalker returned to his flagship, the Resolute. On the ship's bridge, he asked if their Separatist enslavement could make the Kudon to join the Republic, and Obi-Wan Kenobi, who had become a Jedi Master and General, responded that it was a decision for politicians, but they were free to choose because of his efforts.

The Battle of Christophsis
Swiftly after the Battle of Geonosis, the Droid Army managed to take control of major hyperspace lanes. While the Republic clones still confronted the battle droids under their Jedi Generals, but, due to the loss of their hyperspace lanes, the Republic was separated from the majority of its Grand Army, so the Jedi now lacked the needed soldiers to gain a foothold in the Outer Rim.

[opening to Christophsis]

B1s also served aboard the Separatist starship that Count Dooku, General Grievous, Viceroy Gunray, and Wat Tambor all stood together on.

[then Ventress kidnaps Rotta and Jabba calls for help]

[end of Christophsis,

The Battle of Teth
[Teth, and Zrio's palace here]

Trials on Kamino
Kamino had been using combat droids as training units for clone troopers before the war broke out, and the planet continued to do so as the conflict raged on. B1 battle droids, as well as B2 super battle droids and BX-series droid commandos, were battle droid models used to train clone cadets on the planet, with all three droid models seeing use in the difficult Citadel Challenge training course. The training droids were given a light coloration and had orange targets on them, with real droids being used to showcase a realistic sense of enemy fire. The B1s and other droids used orange blaster fire, which was able to injure the cadets, and the defeated droids were cleaned up by a maintenance crew after the course had finished. In addition, if a training course needed to end prematurely, the training droids could be deactivated by those overseeing training. At one point during the history of the clone army, a group of cadets trained against B1s in the Citadel Challenge while also under fire from the gun towers.

Further combat for the Separatists
"685 to Command: There's too many of them. They've overrun the base. We need reinforcements!"

- B1 battle droid 685, during the skirmish on Orto Plutonia



The war's second year
Battle of Murkhana

The Blue Shadow Virus
"All the doors are locked. How are we gonna get out?''" "It's not our problem." "''Boy, that's a relief."

- Two B1 battle droids in the laboratory after the virus was released

Republic victory on Geonosis
"That looks like a lot of droids.''" "Well, it is a droid factory." "As long as we can destroy 'em faster than they can make 'em, we'll come out on top." "''I love your simple logic, Skywalker."

- Jedi Generals Anakin Skywalker and Luminara Unduli

The Battle of Saleucami to the blockade of Pantora
"Get back in the pod and send out a distress signal to what's left of our fleet. We need to get a shuttle down here immediately.''" "Roger, roger. But I must inform you, sir, there are multiple life-forms approaching from the east and west." "''Battle positions!"

- General Grievous and a B1 battle droid

Battles for the CIS and more
"A battle droid with a conscience. Now, I've seen everything.''" "So, my frazzled friend&mdash;you're ready to switch sides, are you?" "''You bet! Battle droid B1-0516 at your service."

- Clone Captain Rex, Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi, and B1-0516 during the Battle of Horain

Attack on the Nightsisters
"Fire the Defoliator.''" "''Roger, roger."

- Two B1 battle droids during the Battle of Dathomir

Battle of Ringo Vinda to the invasion of Scipio
"There must be a hundred droids in that hangar, not to mention the starfighters. This is stretching it, even for you, sir.''" "Rex, you're beginning to sound like Obi-Wan. You got a better idea?" "''Look, I don't doubt you could pull it off, but I'm just not sure Fives and I would be around to see it happen."

- General Anakin Skywalker and Clone Captain Rex

The mission to Utapau
"The crystal is overheating. There's no stopping–"

- A B1 battle droid as it was struck by the crystal's beam

The fight for Anaxes
(Bring up Kix post Anaxes)

The death of the Separatist Alliance
"Send a message to the ships of the Trade Federation. All droid units must shut down immediately."

- Darth Sidious to Darth Vader

Age of the Empire
"I thought everything was being dismantled or torched in one star or another. What does anyone need with battle droids when the Empire has Star Destroyers?"

- Has Obitt, upon hearing that Separatist supplies were being kept

Battle droids were outlawed by the Galactic Empire, the totalitarian state that replaced the Republic, in the wake of the destructive conflict in 19 BBY.

Has Obitt, a smuggler who had worked in the Clone Wars, believed that the Confederacy's materials, including their battle droids, were going to be dismantled or destroyed in a star. However,

Anti-droid sentiment continued into the Galactic Empire, with the Empire

an increase in anti-droid propaganda and rhetoric following the Clone Wars.

While some Separatist holdouts remained in the galaxy and attempted to fight back against the new galactic government, the Empire's stormtroopers were deployed to bring remaining Separatist planets into line. Although CIS holdouts retained a presence in the galaxy for sometime, the remaining B1s and other droids began to lose their battery life and to grow old, with Separatist battle droids becoming a rare sight in the galaxy. If Imperial stormtroopers did confront surviving droids, they were to follow their marching orders: destroy the battle droids on sight. Ironically however, despite being enemies, most stormtroopers were only dangerous in large numbers, like the B1 battle droids before them.

The unofficial end to the Clone Wars
By the time of the early rebellion against the Galactic Empire, the super tactical droid General Kalani continued to command some remaining battle droids and droidekas at a wrecked Separatist supply ship on Agamar. These droids had not been given the shut-down code issued years prior, as Kalani had believed it was a Republic trick. After the rebel group known as the Spectres&mdash;joined by Rex&mdash;made contact with the Separatist remnant, the two forces joined to fight off an Imperial attack. With the aid of two Jedi, Kalani and several of his B1 battle droids were able to escape the planet in a Sheathipede-class transport shuttle. Due to this mission, Kalani and Rex came to an unofficial end to the Clone Wars, which they both accepted as the war's end.

Ruen's workshop
During the Galactic Civil War, several B1 battle droids were among the rebuilt battle droids in the workshop owned by Ruen on the Wreck Belt. Ruen did not treat his droids well, but he kept them controlled through ethical programming and control loops. Ruen activated his battle droids, including B1 battle droids and B2 super battle droids, to apprehend the assassin droids 0-0-0 and BT-1 while the two were there for business. BT-1 quickly destroyed all of the droids Ruen had activated, and Ruen was forced to help the two assassin droids. After this was done however, BT-1 was able to hack into the remaining droids and remove the restraints Ruen had placed, which 0-0-0 viewed as an act of emancipation. Ruen tried to contact Quarantine World III to report about 0-0-0, but the remaining now-freed B1s and other battle droids turned on him. The droids killed Ruen and destroyed the workshop as BT-1 and 0-0-0 watched from a distance. As the two left the Wreck Belt they discussed how they believed that if organics treated droids better, violence between droids and organics wouldn't be necessary.

Rebellion on Akiva
"A battle droid? You wanted to show us&hellip; a battle droid? The most incompetent droid soldier in the history of both the Republic and Empire. A mechanical comedy of errors. And you believe that Surat Nuat wants a meager, worthless B1 droid?"

- Makarial Gravin, to Temmin Wexley upon seeing Mister Bones

Equipment
"With our trusty E-5 blasters in our hands and Comlink booster strapped to our backs, B1 battle droids were ready for anything the Republic could throw at us. Until things were actually thrown at us."

- R0-GR

In the field, the Baktoid Armor Workshop's E-5 blaster rifle was the standard issue blaster for the B1 battle droid. The lightweight blasters were ideally suited for the B1's never-surrender programming. The E-5's trigger allowed for a continuous amount of blaster fire, and, while an organic using the blaster would feel the excessive heat generated, battle droids were free to unleash this continuous volume of blaster bolts. During the assault on Mygeeto, at least one B1 fired a different blaster rifle model at Jedi General Ki-Adi-Mundi. B1 battle droids could also use scatter guns on the battlefield and operate double-barrel repeating blasters.

While it was also heavily used by the Republic during the Clone Wars, B1s could also be equipped with the Sienar Fleet Systems RPS-6 rocket launcher. B1s were also often equipped with comlink booster packs, which listed a B1's designation on its back; however, in the early control ship dependent models of B1, listing the designation was only for organic commanders, as the control ships tracked every B1. The droids were also able to use macrobinoculars, so they could see what was far away, and B1's used thermal detonators in the field. During the Battle of Ryloth, two B1s in Nabat used electropoles on the captured Gutkurrs, so that way the beasts would be forced in the direction of Ghost Company.

Vehicles
"Those things were floating death traps! I'm still convinced more battle droids were destroyed by STAPs than by Jedi during the Clone Wars&mdash;and we were the ones flying the darn things"

- R0-GR, on STAPs

While at least one B1, R0-GR, originally lacked the programming needed to serve as a pilot, B1 battle droids were often used as the pilots for a number of vehicles.

served as pilots for vehicles like the STAP or the Sheathipede-class transport shuttle.

gunners for Armored Assault Tank

pilots for STAPs, AATs?, MTTs?, Federation ships?

Notable individuals
"I PERFORMED VIOLENCE. ROGER-ROGER."

- Mister Bones, to Temmin Wexley

Some notable B1 battle droids included the OOM command battle droid OOM-9. During the Galactic Civil War, the modified battle droid Mister Bones served as a companion to Temmin Wexley. Following the Rebellion on Akiva, Bones along with Temmin joined the New Republic. Another notable B1 battle droid was R0-GR, a B1 veteran of the Clone Wars who later served the Freemaker family.

Specialized B1 battle droids



 * B1-series rocket battle droid&mdash;Standard B1 droids that were specifically modified to hunt down escape pods in space. They donned rocket packs and were distinguished by their orange and black colored bodies.
 * B1 grapple droid&mdash;A B1 variant that were specialized in hand-to-hand combat and had white and green plating.
 * B1 recon droid&mdash;A variant of the B1 that was specifically designed and used for reconnaissance.
 * B1 repeater blaster droid&mdash;A B1 variant that utilized a repeating blaster. The droid had the same markings as the standard B1 battle droid.
 * B1 rocket launcher droid&mdash;A variant of the B1 that used a missile launcher, and this variant had the same markings as the standard B1 battle droid.
 * Droid worker&mdash;Modified B1 battle droids that were created by and served Karina.
 * Firefighter battle droid&mdash;battle droids tasked to suppress and extinguish fires. Firefighter droids were positioned aboard the Malevolence during the Republic's assault on the vessel. Their bodies were mostly colored black with yellow stripes, and a single red spot could be found on their heads.
 * Heavy battle droid&mdash;battle droids designed to support heavy fire in battle. Armed with repeating blasters, these battle droids were capable of wielding heavy weaponry such as Z-6 rotary blaster cannons. They were identifiable by the overall gray body and dark red paintings.

Behind the scenes
"This is one of our battle droids, actually&hellip; This is our new stormtrooper."

- George Lucas, to his friend Steven Spielberg, on the set of The Phantom Menace

B1 battle droids first appeared in the 1999 film Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace.

In the mid-1990s, Doug Chiang's earliest designs of the battle droids were a nod to the helmets worn by the stormtroopers of the original trilogy. The finished droid's proportions are reminiscent of African sculpture. Early design had towering droids twice the height of humans, but subsequent iterations brought their height down to human size.

Possible other appearances
In the opening to The Clone Wars film, Jedi Generals Kit Fisto and Plo Koon are seen together fighting battle droids. However, while this brief sequence clearly shows B2 super battle droids, the first droid Koon cuts down is not fully shown, so the scene does not clarify whether this droid is a B1 or part of the OOM-series. Similarly, in The Clone Wars episode The Deserter, a battle droid's voice is heard on General Grievous's Recusant-class warship, ordering all droids forces to enter the C-9969 landing craft. However, as only the droid's voice is heard, it is not clear wether this is a B1 or a droid in the OOM-series.