Battle droid assassin

This article is about the battle droid sniper. You may be looking for the cortosis wielding Trade Federation assassin droid.

"Sniper, sniper!"

―A clone trooper under attack by battle droid assassins^[4]

The battle droid assassin was a variation of the B1-series battle droid used by the Trade Federation and the Confederacy of Independent Systems over the course of the the Clone Wars. Their gyroscopic stabilizers and detailed target-selection programs made them very effective snipers, which proved lethal to the Galactic Republic's clone troopers. They were not, however, as common as the regular B1 battle droids, because it was costly to make a droid as accurate as an organic sniper could be.

History

A battle droid assassin aiming at a team of ARC troopers

During the Clone Wars, battle droid assassins were deployed at the Battle of Geonosis in defense of the most important units waiting to be loaded onto transports^[5] and at the Battle of Muunilinst against Advanced Recon Commandos.^[7] Battle droid assassins were also used during the Battle of Tirahnn,^[8] and appeared on a number of battlefronts throughout the Clone Wars. Following the end of the conflict and the shutdown of the Separatist Droid Army, battle droids were reactivated and used by the rogue Geonosian Gizor Dellso in his army up until the Battle of Mustafar.^[4]

Characteristics

Battle droid assassins were B-series battle droids produced by Baktoid Armor Workshop. They stood 1.91 meters tall and featured tan plating and black sensors on their cranial units.^[1] The droids were equipped with a Baktoid Armor E-5s sniper rifle as well as a standard blaster pistol, V-1 thermal detonators, and a Mark IV recon droid.^[3] Certain models were equipped with an autoturret. While the units wore no special markings, some were painted with camouflage patterns to help them remain hidden from enemy forces.^[4] They were programmed with advanced targeting capabilities and to utilize their E-5s rifles to the utmost against enemy soldiers.^[3]

Behind the scenes

Battle droid assassins have appeared in several Clone Wars-era sources. In the Star Wars: Battlefront video game series, they serve as the Confederacy of Independent Systems sniper class.

In Star Wars: Battlefront, the battle droid assassins (known as droid snipers in-game) had red markings resembling those of the security battle droids,^[5] but in Star Wars: Battlefront II they were given a camo pattern.^[4]