Droideka / Legends The droideka ( a compound word combining the Basic word " droid " with the Colicoid suffix " eka " , meaning " hireling " or " drone " ) , also called the destroyer droid ( destroyers for short ) , wheel droid , roller , or rollies in clone trooper slang , was a type of heavy battle droid used by the Trade Federation and the Confederacy of Independent Systems . It gained a reputation for deadliness over the course of the Clone Wars . Droid commanders such as General Grievous favored the droideka for its resilience and firepower , as well as the fear it could instill in even the most powerful Jedi . They were also used for executions . They were deployed in many battles over the course of the Clone Wars , such as Muunilinst , usually in moderate numbers due to their cost , and were also used as guards in various Confederate installations . Trade Federation and Confederate Navy also utilized droidekas as security droids aboard their ships . After the Clone Wars , remaining droidekas fell into the hands of a variety of factions such as smugglers and criminals . Description . The droideka was designed by the carnivorous Colicoids of Colla IV , who were displeased by the limitations of Baktoid Combat Automata ' s basic B1 battle droids , and chiefly manufactured on their homeworld . The Trade Federation traded rare meats to the Colicoids as a way to ease bargaining with the ravenous insectoids , and were able to enjoy special rates on these normally very costly droids . So by cutting down the costs of these battle machines , the Confederacy of Independent Systems ( CIS ) was able to get shipments of them by the hundreds . Before the Federation ' s defeat following their Invasion of Naboo , these droids were usually slaved to a central control computer . This technique fell out of favor in the aftermath of said battle , however , and they later functioned independently like the B2 super battle droids did . Even before that time , the droidekas on Colla IV were not slaved to a central computer , this independence rendering them both much more expensive and much more lethal . What also made them unique to battle droids was that they could roll into position on the battle field and act as a turret . Due to their construction and design , they were over 200 times the cost of a regular B1 battle droid . They were more formidable than the Federation ' s more numerous battle droids for several reasons . They were able to transform into a " wheel " configuration , allowing rapid movement and compact storage . When they encountered their targets , each of the bronzium - armored droidekas would unfold into a tripodal weapons platform , armed with a set of two twin blaster cannons which could unleash a withering torrent of firepower , though some were equipped with a blade weapon on one of the arms , such as a buzzsaw or a vibroblade . Often , they were also equipped with deflector shield generators . These personal energy shields projected could endure much punishment , capable of deflecting or absorbing virtually any manner of energy or projectile fire up to the level of a light artillery bolt , as well as rebuffing lightsaber blades and physical attacks . The shields were powered by a starship - class fusion generator housed in a bulb at the junction of the droideka ' s legs . However , there was a weak point at the very top of the shield , a point where lightsabers would be able to penetrate . Many Jedi took advantage of this weak point , and it was the most commonly used method of dispatching them in the Clone Wars . Additionally , the effectiveness of these droids was bolstered by their lack of the usual requirement for photoreceptors ; instead , droidekas utilized non - visual composite radiation sensors , less likely to be distracted by light - based effects . Droideka dispenser s were sometimes used to transport and deploy these droids even in the middle of intense combat zones , proving a serious nuisance to enemy troops . History . Pre - Clone Wars . Droidekas were used before Naboo in the Trade Federation ' s attempt to annex Alaris Prime and expel the Wookiees attempting to colonize it , but the Wookiees , with the intervention of Jedi , were able to repulse the Trade Federation forces . The Trade Federation utilized large numbers of droidekas during the Invasion of Naboo , where they proved highly effective against Naboo forces . They were used to great effect against two Jedi — Qui - Gon Jinn and Obi - Wan Kenobi — on the flagship " Saak ' ak " , where just two of them forced the Jedi to flee . They were also used during the Battle of Grassy Plains , where they massacred Gungan warriors and were responsible for destroying the Fambaa shield generators . However , they were disabled when Anakin Skywalker took out the Droid Control Ship . After the crisis , the Galactic Republic obtained some droidekas from the reparations given to the Trade Federation , and used them onboard " Outbound Flight " as security enforcement , and would be obtained by the Vaagari by this way . Clone Wars . After the Trade Federation joined the Confederacy of Independent Systems , droidekas became mass - produced in Separatist droid foundries and were a common element of the Confederacy armies . They were used in the initial Battle of Geonosis , where most of them were stored aboard core ships which were hence unavailable for the battle , although they were used heavily in the arena stage of the battle . Over the course of the war , they proved extremely effective against enemy clone troopers and Jedi Knights , with even Obi - Wan Kenobi bearing scars from them ; they posed a challenge even to elite Republic soldiers such as Delta Squad , as proved aboard " Prosecutor " . They were also sometimes used as bodyguards for high - ranking Separatist figures such as San Hill . However , they met their match in the JK - 13 , which was not brought into mass production as the Jedi feared it would be . Indeed , the mere presence of droidekas was enough to make Jedi or other enemy forces retreat or surrender . During the Battle of Cato Neimoidia near the end of the war , squads of droids pinned down a group lead by Anakin Skywalker and Obi - Wan Kenobi , and were only destroyed by an artillery strike . An unusually large concentration of droidekas were used in the assault on Coruscant , where they were repulsed by Yoda . In the same battle , droidekas also formed part of the team that captured Anakin Skywalker and Kenobi aboard " Invisible Hand " , although the Jedi exploited a weakness in their shields during the firefight on the bridge . Unarmed droidekas were used as shooting range targets as part of the training of clone sharpshooters . At the end of the Clone Wars , the droidekas were de - activated after Darth Vader ' s execution of the Separatist Council under Emperor Palpatine ' s orders . Aftermath . The remaining droidekas were purchased by the Corporate Sector and other organizations , such as the Galactic Empire . By the time of the Yuuzhan Vong War , a few system security forces still utilized droidekas . Droidekas were also used by colonies on undeveloped worlds in Wild Space as perimeter guards at night to guard against native predators . In 19 BBY , Droideka ' s were used by stormtroopers against Jedi Fy - tor Anna . Some fell into the hands of smugglers and criminals , and the Vagaari managed to obtain at least one unit . During the early years of the Galactic Empire , many droidekas were used by Gizor Dellso in the Battle of Mustafar . All were destroyed when the Empire bombarded the planet . One was repaired by Osaji Uhares during the Galactic Civil War . Around this time , six modified Droidekas were used as the leaders of security squads in Aucellis Park , an entertainment park that was located on the moon Keriba VI . In about 12 ABY , the renegade Jedi Dal Konur obtained some droidekas from a warehouse on Wayland and he deployed them on Bilbringi . Tyber Zann and Urai Fen managed to capture an abandoned clone war era droid factory on Hypori from the automated security droids protecting it . A large Hutt Cartel force including Jabba Desilijic Tiure and Bossk ( who was quickly bribed into defecting , ) had set a trap for the two crime lords , but Urai was quickly able to reprogram the Destroyer Droid MKII security force to respond to Tyber , and managed to force Jabba to retreat . After taking Hypori Zann established many facilities devoted to the manufactore of the these droids to be used as heavy support units for the disruptor - armed infantry of the Zann Consortium . Due to the strength of their blasters and their built - in shields , droidekas proved to be a serious threat to Jedi , especially when in groups . A few years before the Yuuzhan Vong War , Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker encountered a droideka aboard the remains of the " Outbound Flight " " Dreadnaught " - class cruisers . Even though it was decades old and not operating at its best , the two still had a difficult time defeating it . However , this version had some interesting additions , one of which was the ability to fire its blasters while in rolling configuration . Design flaws . Despite being a formidable droid , the droideka had one major design flaw . Its shield was designed to enclose the droideka in a standing position , but if the droid was knocked on its side or against a wall , the shield had no way of distinguishing the wall or floor from a blaster bolt or lightsaber . This meant that the shield generator had to continue supplying energy to the shield , resulting in an overload , as demonstrated during the rescue on the " Invisible Hand " . The shorted - out shield generator would leave the droideka vulnerable . Also , in the rolling position , the droideka ' s shield could not be activated , leaving it vulnerable while rolling from place to place . This technique was demonstrated by Republic Commandos infiltrating a Separatist core ship during the Battle of Geonosis and later by Anakin Skywalker and his padawan during the Battle of Christophsis . Also their shields were substantially weaker behind the droid , making them relatively easy to take out from that position . They also apparently seemed to be vulnerable to Force techniques , as Obi - Wan Kenobi used several to knock out approaching droids ( and even slow down General Grievous ) on board the CIS superbattleship " Malevolence " . Droideka shields were ineffective against slow rolling objects , such as thermal detonators which could be rolled in and detonated . This was taught to the Onderon rebels by Captain Rex during the Clone Wars . During the Ringo Vinda campaign they were manipulated by the force and taken down with shields up by an Electro Magnetic Pulse grenade . They also showed little , if any , ability to stop strong explosions as demonstrated when CC - 5576 - 39 encountered them and targeted various barrels of rhydonium in order to destroy them . At the Geonosis arena they were destroyed by Low Altitude Assault Transports with little to no shield resistance . Droidekas were known to have a hard time maneuvering on downward slopes and climbing up stairs . In their rolling configuration , they would have to go back quite a bit and then speed up , launching themselves up the stairs . They could also try to traverse stairs in walking configuration , although it was extremely hard for them to coordinate their three legs on stairs . In their standing position , they could not move very fast , forcing them to roll over long distances . Additionally , there were limits when a droideka could fire at a target . If the target got very close to it , the droideka would miss its shots because its blaster arms were spread out . This also enabled an enemy to run around it while attacking . Droideka series and variants . There were three known series of droidekas . They were outwardly similar ; the differences were mostly internal . The first , the P - series droideka , was used in the Invasion of Naboo in 32 BBY . The W - series droideka was used in the Battle of Geonosis in 22 BBY . Later , the Q - series droideka was used aboard the " Invisible Hand " to capture and trap Jedi master Obi - Wan Kenobi and Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker in 19 BBY . Five known variants of droideka existed . The first was the grapple droideka , used around the time of the Invasion of Naboo . It was equipped with electronic grapples and was designed for melee combat , and lacked blasters . It also seemed to possess weaker shields than average . A second variant was the Ultra Droideka . These were larger than standard droidekas and saw use during the Clone Wars . A third , the droideka Mark II , saw action on the battlefields of the Galactic Civil War . This model had four stubby legs and an ion cannon , and was larger than the Separatist models . Since the plans for it were discovered on the old Separatist droid - producing world of Hypori , it may have been a dropped CIS project . It was employed by the Hutt Cartel briefly , then quite extensively by the Zann Consortium . A fourth droideka variant was the K3 - I Buzzer Droid used also during the Galactic Civil War . This variant was used on Station Gamma above Ord Mantell . It was weaker than an average droideka and lacked shields . A fifth droideka was the sniper droideka , which was used by the CIS during the Clone Wars . It included a sniper rifle in its head , in addition to the rest of its weapons . The CIS deployed at least two sniper droideka during its invasion of Kiros . Behind the scenes . According to the DVD commentary of " " , a droideka ' s blaster is meant to sound similar to those of an All Terrain Armored Transport . This is adhered to in the and " " games . In the 2001 video game " " and its 2002 , destroyer droids are the Trade Federation special unit . They are produced at Trade Federation fortress es for a cost of 50 units of carbon and 150 units of nova crystals . Only the upgraded heavy destroyer droid uses shield generators . Droidekas do not seem to ever use their shields in " " or " " , and only briefly in " " . This made them more open to attacks , which was exploited by clone troopers and Obi - Wan Kenobi . This is because these are W - series droideka , which have more powerful blasters , at the cost of less energy to operate the shields , resulting in the shield being rarely used . This weakness was resolved in the Q - series droideka , which had both powerful blasters and plenty of energy for the shields . The original model , the P - series droideka , had weaker blasters and a slightly less efficient shield than the Q - series . Early droideka concept art was later used as a basis for the LR - 57 combat droid seen in " " animation . Other concept art had an " alternate take " on the droid with a unicycle mechanism .