B1 battle droid

"Roger, roger."

- Typical response of a B1 battle droid

B1 battle droids, also referred to as standard battle droids, were the most widely-used battle droids manufactured by Baktoid Combat Automata and Baktoid Armor Workshop. The B1 battle droid saw extensive service as the mainlines soldier of the Trade Federation's mechanized armies during the Clone Wars, where it served in the Separatist Droid Army of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Following the defeat of the Confederacy, B1 battle droids were deactivated by the Galactic Empire along with the rest of the droid army, although they continued to see use on the black market during the Imperial Era.

Design
B1 battle droids were humanoid fourth class battle droids measuring 1.93 meters tall. They were the direct successor to the OOM-series battle droid. Unlike the OOM-series, latter models were able to operate without requiring a Droid Control Ship or Central Control Computer. In choosing to rely on Central Control Computers, the budget-minded Trade Federation saved the production costs of thousands of individual droid brains, this move was avoided by the Confederacy of Independent Systems, and the droids received the brains.

The humanoid physiques of the B1 model were specifically commissioned by the Trade Federation for practical reasons. The humanoid form allowed B1's to operate existing machinery, vehicles, and weapons originally designed for organic operators and pilots, saving the Federation unnecessary production costs and retrofitting. B1's could pilot STAPs, AATs, MTTs, and Federation battleships, among other vessels. B1 battle droids were designed to resemble their Geonosian creators.

For protection, inexpensive yet durable metal protected the droid's signal receiver assembly.

Performance
The B1 was designed to be easily controlled, unquestioningly obedient, and inexpensive to mass-produce. They primarily relied on mass-assault tactics to achieve victory. Although later models were capable of independent thought, they had a limited intelligence compared to other soldiers and required a superior commander to lead them effectively in battle. Motion-capture data from highly trained organic soldiers allowed the B1 to demonstrate an array of combat stances, positions, and maneuvers. Despite their advantages, B1's were just as vulnerable to EMP weapons as other droids. The electro-proton bomb could short-circuit an entire droid army.

In the field, B1 droids utilized E-5 blaster rifles and wore Comlink booster packs. They were programmed to never surrender.

Invasion of Naboo
In 32 BBY, after Prop 31-814D made the Trade Federation eligible for taxation by the Galactic Senate, the Federation 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. However, the droids were shut down when the Trade Federation's orbiting Droid Control Ship was destroyed.

Clone Wars
In 22 BBY, ten years after the Battle of Naboo, B1 battle droids were manufactured by Baktoid Combat Automata and Baktoid Armor Workshop under contract from the Trade Federation. Based on the OOM-series battle droid, the first iterations of B1 battle droids were constructed in droid foundries on Geonosis, allowing millions of droids to be produced at one time. 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, who waged war against the clone army of the Galactic Republic in a conflict known as the Clone Wars. During the Clone Wars, B1 battle droids were the most common form of battle droid.

Age of the Empire
"Send a message to the ships of the Trade Federation. All droid units must shut down immediately."

- Darth Sidious to Darth Vader

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. Orders were given to stormtroopers to shoot and destroy "clankers" on sight. By 2 BBY, the super tactical droid Kalani continued to command several battle droids and droidekas at a wrecked Separatist supply ship on Agamar. These droids had not received the shut-down code issued several years prior. After the rebel group known as the Spectres made contact with the Separatist remnant, the two forces joined to fight off an Imperial attack. With the aid of two Jedi, Kalani and his B1 battle droids were allowed to escape the planet.

Legacy
The wide-scale use of the B1 battle droid and its variants in combat led to an increase in anti-droid propaganda and rhetoric following the Clone Wars. When several thugs saw the modified battle droid Mister Bones deployed by Temmin Wexley in the last months of the Galactic Civil War, they laughed at the droid, due to the model's history of failures. However this droid was modified, and proved to be very effective.

Notable Individuals
Some notable B1 battle droids included the OOM command battle droids OOM-9 and B1-268. During the Galactic Civil War, the modified battle droid Mister Bones served as a companion to Temmin Wexley. Following the Rebellion on Akiva, Mister Bones along with Temmin and his mother Norra Wexley joined the New Republic.

Specialized B1 battle droids
Fighting in uniformity, the B1 was only distinguished by numerical markings on the back of their comlink booster packs. Command structure and function was designated by distinct, colored markings on their armor. Blue denoted pilot droids, red denoted security droids, and yellow denoted command droids.


 * B1-series rocket battle droid&mdash;B1s that were deployed to hunt down and destroy escape pods. They donned rocket packs and were distinguished by their orange and black colored bodies.
 * B1 grapple droid&mdash;B1s that were specialized in hand-to-hand combat and had white and green plating.
 * Firefighter battle droid&mdash;B1s designed 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;B1s 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.
 * Specialist droid&mdash;B1s designed for security and were nicknamed Specialist Droids. These B1s were identifiable by the distinctive red markings on the back of the head and body. They were used in the Invasion of Naboo by the Trade Federation and were incorporated into the Separatist Droid Army, tasked to patrol prisons like the Citadel, guard the hangar bays and command bridge of the Invisible Hand and act as snipers and heavy infantry for assaults on Republic worlds.

Behind the scenes
B1 battle droids appeared in several pieces of canon media, including the Prequel trilogy, The Clone Wars movie, The Clone Wars television series, Star Wars Rebels, and Chuck Wendig's Aftermath trilogy. In addition, they have also appeared in several Legends media and literature including Genndy Tartakovsky's Star Wars: Clone Wars television series and the Dark Horse Comics Star Wars: Republic series. The battle droid Roger also serves as one of the protagonists of the non-canon Disney XD television series LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures.

The earliest designs of the battle droid were clearly inspired by the stormtroopers of the original trilogy, suggesting the evolution of large-scale combat in the Star Wars galaxy. 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.

Non-canon appearances

 * William Shakespeare's The Phantom of Menace: Star Wars Part the First
 * Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes
 * LEGO Star Wars: Droid Tales Episodes I-III
 * LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures
 * LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens (DLC)