Imperial Battle Droid Procurement (Legends Scenario)

[NecronLord]

Congratulations on your new posting, War Minister, I am IMP-22, your personal political droid. May I say that it is a pleasure to be welcoming the third minister this year. Perhaps it would be wise not to attempt to question Lord Vader's movements as your predecessors did.

After the recent destruction of our Death Star by terrorists, the first order of business is the procurement of a new standard infantry droid unit. Now that the original anti-droid hysteria of the Clone Wars has faded, the Emperor has instructed you to procure a new standard-model infantry droid to supplement stormtrooper legions and increase Imperial effectiveness, at the best possible price.

It is suggested that the droids chosen have minimal resemblance to those of the secessionists during the Clone Wars, but this is an optional criteria.

Please advise me of your selection criteria, and any models you wish us to acquire for field testing, and the reasons why you deem them suitable; any models or companies you specifically wish us not to approach, should also be specified.

[Galvatron]

Can't we just mass produce HK-47?

[Elheru Aran]

While HK-47's may be useful, they're an Old Republic model, millennia old and almost certainly outdated by the Imperial era.

Using assassin droids as military units, while perhaps useful in certain applications, has drawbacks-- it can be spun for propaganda purposes all too easily. Better to retain them for special purposes such as commando roles. Speaking of which, while the OP suggests avoiding Separatist droids, the commando droids from the Clone Wars were extremely good and efficient at their jobs... good enough that I was a bit surprised the Separatists didn't use them more often, which suggests that they're either expensive or difficult, possibly both. This is potentially another argument against assassin droids as well. IG-100 MagnaGuards also have this problem-- they're very good, but expensive.

Essentially you want something that fits the rough galactic standard-- bipedal, between 1.5-2m tall, two arms-- so that you don't have to extensively redesign your ships and vehicles. Frankly the B1 and its variations were quite well designed as far as that went. I wouldn't be opposed to simply utilizing basic B1's and dressing them up with some armour plating to change their outline, and of course avoiding the problems that plagued the original B1 line of having to rely upon central control or droids becoming erratic due to issues with their self-controlling programming.

An army of mind-wiped 3PO units has a certain chilling dread (or perhaps a simply absurd note?) to it... but realistically, it's more likely that you end up with something in between the YVH droids and the B-1 or B-2.

[Galvatron]

As the pinnacle of the old EU, I do believe that Dark Empire II presented us with the ultimate bipedal battle droid in the form of the venerable Balmorran Arms SD-10.

[Elheru Aran]

Little bit oversize though aren't they? That would make them stand out like crazy on your typical battlefield and make them nice juicy targets for heavy weapons. Not to mention issues with transportation; they can't use galactic-norm spaces.

I'm sure they're useful, and if you want them to be your primary military unit, feel free. I just don't think they're the most effective design. Even the Separatists didn't venture very far from galactic norm except with their heavy units.

[Eternal_Freedom]

IG-88? I know he was intended as an assassin droid, but he certainly does well enough in combat situations. Perhaps something based on the design, just got to eliminate that pesky "becoming sentient" problem.

[biostem]

I am partial to the commando droids from the clone wars. I'd order an updated version of it, with a different head design, (I'm imagining styled more closely like a stormtrooper's). I'd outfit one hand with a rapid double blaster, like the heavy battle droids had, and the other with something similar to one of those Gungan personal shields. I'd also specify that they should include a universal magnetic mount on their back, which can be used to attach backpacks to carry supplies, additional ordinance, extra power cells, or simply to be used as a way of attaching them to quick-deployment racks.

Further, I'd request their software include the use of breaching, flanking, starship piloting, and various squad tactics - no standing in massed formations out in the open and dumbly firing.

Finally, I'd field-test a droid loyalty program, where droids that routinely get results and demonstrate their loyalty to the empire will not have their memories wiped, and may even get promoted, (this would be a very limited trial, under heavy supervision).

[Pelranius]

What about those battle droid schematics that Gizor Dellso had on Mustafar (Battlefront)? Though I can't recall if we have enough info about them to judge their possible performance.

[LastShadow]

What about the Dark Trooper 1 and 2's from Legends? http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Dark_trooper, the Phase 3's could even be used as Exo suits. With proper programmin you could even easily disguise some of them as normal troopers.

[Purple]

So what we need is something that's going to be cheap, reasonably effective and not freak people out too much. Also, noting that this is supposed to supplement the stormtroopers rather than replacing them. I thus propose we fall back on tried and proven CIS designs with a visual rework and simple fixes of some of their more glaring flaws.

For this purpose I propose we take as a starting point the B2 super battle droid. Simple, elegant, efficient and presumably cheap enough to be fielded as infantry. To make them less CIS like I propose we cut the height of their legs so as to bring the body to just about 1.7m and than add a proper fully articulated rotating head that looks like a stormtrooper helmet. Also, paint them white. The end result is something that should look like a 1.85-1.9 or so meters tall robotic stormtrooper.

To further ensure people don't get the wrong vibe I propose fielding them in mixed units with living stormtroopers which would act as commanders. Also to make it much cheaper to field than if we were actually going to invest money into making them smarter.

[The Romulan Republic]

Like Elheru Aran said, the standard separatist battle droid was entirely adequate physically, and obviously mass produceable (i.e. reasonably cheap). Its main deficiency was in programming (the goofy battle droid antics).

However, that design might be politically unpalatable for the Empire. Or the Rebellion/Republic, for that matter.

Something similar, maybe an up-armoured version along the lines of the super battle droid, seems good. Wrist-mounted blasters so they can fire and keep their hands free. Going to second biostem's suggestion of giving them magnetic mounts/backpacks on their backs, and basic squad tactics.

Jetpack and personal shield equipped variants could be made, but probably reserved for "special forces" due to cost.

A melee equipped version with special programming for engaging Force users might be useful as well.

Probably give each squad an organic officer or two, with a kill switch for his squad's droids as a control in case of droid revolt. Though of course this gets even more into all the ethical issues of weather droids are sentient and using them is slavery, not that the Empire would be likely to care.

Edit: The above would also be a countermeasure for droids being hacked/malfunctioning.

[The Romulan Republic]

To add to that, I could see several different sub-models, something like this:

Basic Infantry Moddel: See above. Different gear could be carried depending on the environment.
Medic Moddel: Sort of programmed like a more basic medical droid that also has some combat skills. Used as a field medic.
Special Forces Moddel: Carries either a jet-pack, personal shield, or both and has additional tactical programming.
Anti-Jedi Moddel: Carries something capable of blocking a lightsaber and an area-effect ranged weapon (so it can't be blocked by a lightsaber), and is programmed with advanced hand to hand techniques.

[bilateralrope]

What can we get that could be modified to look like a stormtrooper ?

[Balrog]

IIRC there was an actual Imperial battle droid which was used by Storm Commandos for their raiding, it wasn't much bigger than the commandos themselves, floated on repulsors and had shields and a variety of powerful weapons. Would probably be a good candidate.

[The Romulan Republic]

Wonder why it wasn't used more.

The answer to that is important. If it was just political reasons, no problem, it could be used if Palpatine approved it.

If it was that it was too expensive, or had technical issues... might not be so viable.

[Balrog]

Ah, found it, ZQ infantry droid. Doesn't seem to be any real technical difficulties in mass-producing it if the Empire wanted, after all it's new mission would not be to replace the trillions of ground troops but supplement them.

[NecronLord]

Huh, looked up the ZQ Infantry Support Droid, that thing's ace. Repulsor engine, grasper arm, heavy and light blasters, miniature concussion missile system, cost 8,350 credits (WEG) and nothing in the backstory to suggest they had any problems. The WotC RPG gives the cost of Stormtrooper armour at 8,000 and a Droideka (without indepenent brain) as 9,000, and a B1 at 800 credits.

But this thing has to be cheaper than a stormtrooper, and its description is even for a 'support droid' so... yeah.