OOM-series battle droid

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The OOM-series battle droid was an advanced version of the B1-series battle droid. While physically identical to the standard infantry model, the OOM-series possessed a more powerful processor and expanded programming that allowed it to act in specialist roles.^[2]

Description

OOM droids could be programmed for a number of functions, each with a matching color painted on its body:

History

The OOM-series was manufactured by Baktoid Combat Automata.^[2] They were already a common sight in the galaxy before the Invasion of Naboo, serving as security and crew for the Trade Defense Force.

They later served in the Clone Wars, being deployed in campaigns such as the Battle of Tirahnn.^[3]

Behind the scenes

The OOM-series battle droid was first identified in the Star Wars Roleplaying Game, as an advanced version of the standard trooper model,^[2] following the designation of commanders OOM-9 and OOM-14 from Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace and Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds, respectively.

Originally, reference materials described all battle droids as being based on the same model, with ranks and functions determined by specialized programming and physically identified by color highlights.^[4] Later, security and pilot droids were described as having the same processor as the OOM commander,^[2] then identified as OOM-series droids themselves.^[5] All droids, including standard infantry, have also been described with the B1 designation,^[6]^[7] created around the release of Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones.^[8]

However, The Clone Wars Campaign Guide distinguishes the B1 and OOM droids from one another, by describing the former as largely replacing the latter by the time of the Clone Wars, due to the failure of the Naboo Invasion,^[5] and remains the only source to treat them as such. It is possible that OOM droids are being confused with those droids used at Naboo, and B1 droids with those used at Geonosis. Later sources, such as Star Wars: The Phantom Menace: The Expanded Visual Dictionary, ignore this distinction.^[9] The short story "End Game" sees the Sith Lord Darth Maul identify OOM-9 as part of the predecessor line to the B1-series, to which Rune Haako instead declares OOM-9 a "superior droid."^[10] Indeed, a predecessor to the finalized B1-series had already been introduced via the Battle Droid Beta Version seen in Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds.^[11]

While the terms "OOM" or "B1" are not used in the text of the novel Cloak of Deception, the description of the units provided clearly identifies them as such. At the start of the novel, the Trade Federation's forces are limited to security-tasked B1 units, including OOM command battle droid. However, an upgraded, combat-model of B1 is introduced later and based on that security design. Later in the text, an OOM command battle droid of this updated combat-design is featured.^[12] It is unclear if the pre-combat status security units were meant to represent a pre-combat-design of the OOM-series security droid as no description is provided for a possible red coloration.