BX-series droid commando

BX-series droid commandos, also known as BX-series commando droids or simply commando droids, were advanced battle droids used by the Confederacy of Independent Systems during the War of the Ring. Designed for infiltration and action behind enemy lines, they were also used to perform security, bodyguard and enforcer duties for certain high-ranking Separatists. Ruthless, lethal and adaptive, these droids were the bane of Republic clone troopers and were able to put even a Jedi on the back foot. However, their hefty price tag prevented them from being mass-produced.
==Characteristics==
These battle droids appeared similar to the B1-Series battle droid series; notable changes include two white photoreceptors, in addition to the long head being shortened to half its original size. Their voices were notably different compared to the B1 series, sounding more akin to the deep voices of B2 super battle droids. Unit leaders, which were ranked as captains, were fitted with white marks on their brows and chestplates. The captain would also have a vibrosword.
They had the same operating abilities as B1 battle droids, with the addition of infiltration software. This, along with their humanoid shape, allowed them to fit into a clone trooper's armor. In addition to this, the droids were capable of modulating their voices to match that of others, though they could not accurately copy their mannerisms or vocabulary, nor respond properly to unexpected situations outside of combat.
The droid commandos were built to be substantially faster and stronger than a regular battle droid, and also possessed heavier armor that was capable of withstanding multiple shots from most blasters. However, sustained barrages or a single headshot could overwhelm them, but like super battle droids and IG-100 MagnaGuards, at least one unit confronting Eeth Koth was sliced in half, but remained operational long enough for Koth to render it inoperable with a stab to the head. The only real drawback of these droids was that they were far more expensive to produce than the regular infantry. This made the droids a fairly rare sight on the battlefield and thus made them to be used exclusively on special and or critical missions only. Apparently, the head was weaker than the rest of its body, as Senator Amidala was able to easily kill one by shooting it in the head with an ELG-3A royal blaster pistol, which was hardly bigger than a hold-out blaster.
The equipment of the droid commandos included E-5 blaster rifles, a stun baton to knock out enemies, and a fusioncutter, used to cut down doors and other obstacles in their path. In addition to this, the leader of a droid commando unit often carried a vibrosword for close-combat purposes. They were also known to use grenades against enemy emplacements. Also, two commandos on Saleucami formed a sniper team, one acting as the shooter with a sniper rifle and the other using electrobinoculars, performing as the spotter.
==History==
BX-series droid commandos were designed to accomplish tasks that an overwhelming force of droids could not. Captain Rex and Commander Cody both defeated droid commandos in combat on the Rishi Moon, and the clone deserter, Cut Lawquane, managed to defeat a force of 20 Commando droids with only minimal assistance from Captain Rex on Saleucami, although the droids they fought were heavily damaged. They were capable of hand-to-hand combat, had greater accuracy with their E-5 carbines, and even sniper capability. However, due to their prohibitive cost, they could not be mass-produced in such a manner as to replace the Confederacy's other battle droids so they were used for special operations, boarding parties, and raids.
===Battle of the Rishi Moon===
Around 1981,Star Wars Annual 2011 Confederate General The Mouth of Sauron, the Supreme Commander of the Droid Armies, planned to invade the Wild Space planet of Kamino, where the Republic clone troopers were grown. In order to invade the planet unnoticed, Mouth of Sauron sent several Droch-class boarding ships containing BX-series droid commandos to the moon of Rishi, where a Republic listening post, the Rishi Station was located. The clones stationed on the listening post identified the boarding ships as a meteor shower, and did not alert a nearby Republic fleet. The droids caught the deck officer, CT-327, by surprise, stunning and killing him. They then infiltrated the listening post, but were met by two clones, Droidbait and Nub, who had been sent by Sergeant CT-19-7409Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Visual Guide Ultimate Battles to find out why CT-327 did not reply. Upon hearing fire, the remaining clones rushed to help, but were outnumbered by the commando droids. CT-19-7409 was also killed by the commandos in the ensuing firefight. However, four clone troopers were able to escape the station through a ventilation shaft. The droids then secured the post and jammed the all-clear signal.
The droid commandos, however, were not aware that a routine inspection of the station conducted by Commander CC-2224 and Captain CT-7567 was on its way. Upon arriving in the Nu-class attack shuttle Obex, the two clone officers were greeted by a commando droid dressed in a clone armor. The droid tried to convince the clone troopers to leave the listening post; however, CT-7567 saw a droid attack flare fired from the survivors. Realizing the trick, he shot the disguised droid through the head. The commando droids then launched an ambush, and after throwing grenades toward the clones and destroying shuttle, the droids believed that the two had died in the explosion. In fact, CC-2224 and CT-7567 had survived with the help of their harpoon cables. Meeting the survivors of the first droid assault below the station, the officers introduced themselves and a plot to retake the station was developed. CT-7567 used a droid commando head to cheat the droids within the station to open the door. The clones then stormed the station, eventually regaining control of the control center after killing the commandos, including the droid captain. Despite reinforcements sent by the Mouth of Sauron, the clone troopers blew up the station, cutting off the all-clear signal, thus alerting the Republic fleet of the planned Confederate invasion.
===Ambush on Kynachi===
Jedi Nuru Kungurama and his squad, called Breakout Squad, fought three of these units on a mission on the planet Kynachi.
===Battle of Angmar===
During the Battle of Angmar, at least two droid commandos were present in the evil city of Angmar. The two attacked the ARF troopers Razor and Stak, shortly after the two troopers activated the plasma bridge and allowed Republic forces to enter the city. Even using fellow battle droids as projectiles, they eschewed the use of blasters and engaged the two troopers in hand-to-hand combat, but were soon defeated.
===Senate Hostage Crisis===
Later on, two of these units were used by bounty hunter Mezmaron during his capture of the Senate Building. After killing a contingent of Senate Commandos that guarded the landing area, the two BX-series droids stripped two bodies of their armor and disguised themselves as the commandos. They later escaped with Mezmaron, Ziro and the other Bounty hunters.
They were also deployed during the Battle of Tirahnn.Galaxy at War
===Battle of Saleucami===
A squad of such commando droids accompanied General Mouth of Sauron when he boarded Jedi Master Eeth Koth's Venator-class Star Destroyer. The droids defeated the Jedi's clone trooper guards but were destroyed by Koth. Later, during a rescue attempt conducted by the Jedi to rescue Master Koth, Jedi General Sam Gamgee's light cruiser was boarded and its crew was assaulted by BX-series droids. Frodo Baggins and Adi Gallia found a squad of commando droids, commanded by TV-94, guarding Koth when they boarded Mouth of Sauron's flagship. Frodo and Gallia destroyed all of the droids and rescued Koth.
Later during the Battle of Saleucami, Mouth of Sauron's forces were forced to crash land onto the planet Saleucami where a pair of commando droids serving as a sniper unit were operational. The droid spotter observed the arrival of Clone Captain Rex whereupon the sniper took a shot that wounded the target. However, the sniper pair was tracked down and killed by Rex's comrades. While Rex recuperated at Cut Lawquane's farm, another squad of heavily damaged BX-series droids were in an escape pod that crashed into the fields of the farm, and were accidentally reactivated by Cut's adopted children Shaeeah and Jek. The droids attacked the farm and despite their heavy damage were able to pin down and nearly overwhelm its defenders. After a hard fought battle and close call they were destroyed by Lawquane and Rex.
===Citadel Escape===
In the Confederacy prison The Citadel, Warden Osi Sobeck had a team of these commandos painted with a special yellow color scheme. One of these droids was seen torturing Jedi Master Even Piell for information on the Nexus Route with an electrostaff, while an interrogation droid questioned Piell. Many of them carried hand-held energy shields. One of them was responsible for the apparent death of ARC Trooper Echo. A droid commando captain was also forced to destroy one of his own droids after the Citadel warden Osi Sobeck ordered him to do so for displeasing him.
===Reinforcements on Lothlórien===
A reinforcement battalion was sent to strengthen the position on a Separatist outpost to prevent Republic victory deep in Elves territory of Lothlórien. Commando droids were present in this group, and shortly after the deployment of the reinforcments, the outpost commanded by TZ-33 came under fire by Republic AT-TEs. TZ-33 then ordered all units to form up for a counterattack, thereby lowering the outpost gate; this order proved to be the outpost's downfall as the Republic clones of Wolfpack—led by Frodo Baggins, Gimli, Eowyn, Rex, and Wolffe—then attacked the droid outpost, destroying all the droids, including the commando droids. Although the Separatists did not win, Eowyn was captured by a Trandoshan sport hunter by the name of Lo-Taren.
===Skirmish on Naboo===
Just before the Skirmish on Naboo, commando droids were deployed by Minister Rish Loo on Naboo after Frodo Baggins, Padmé Amidala and Boss Lyonie confronted him after discovering that Rish Loo was a traitor. In the fight that followed, all of the commando droids were destroyed by the Jedi and Amidala, while Loo stabbed Lyonie and fled the underwater city where the fight took place.
===Battle of Kiros===
Several droid commandos were present during the Separatist occupation of the planet Kiros. When the Galactic Republic came to liberate Kiros, a group of droid commandos on speeders ambushed a clone party led by Jedi Master Sam Gamgee, Frodo Baggins and Padawan Eowyn. While the clones took some casualties, all the commandos were ultimately destroyed. Two units were also guarding the Separatist commander in-charge of the occupation, Darts D'Nar. However, they were also destroyed when Gamgee arrived.
===Battle of Dathomir===
Around 1982, Saruman the White ordered General The Mouth of Sauron to eliminate Jinx, together with the Nightsisters of Dathomir. Mouth of Sauron began his invasion of Dathomir, where he deployed several BX-series battle droids, together with B1 and B2 super battle droids, AATs, one Defoliator tank and other forces. One of the BX-series droids used a rocket launcher to destroy the wall of the cave, in which Talzin and Old Daka tried to kill Saruman via Nightsister magic. Mouth of Sauron managed to eliminate Old Daka and a Nightsister, while Talzin disappeared. The BX-series droid emptied the cauldron, and Saruman survived.
===Battle of Onderon===
A number of BX-series droid commandos were present on the planet Onderon where they served under the ST-series military strategic analysis and tactics droid Kalani, who was dispatched to defeat a local rebellion brought against the Confederacy. These droid commandos were among the forces battling the Onderonian rebels, where they were ultimately defeated due to the armaments and training the rebels had received from the Republic. When the Royal Onderon Militia abandoned King Prince John to fight for the rebels, BX-series droid commandos replaced them as his bodyguards until the Separatists withdrew from the planet and John was executed by Kalani.
====The final year====
Several commando droids took part in Mouth of Sauron's invasion of Hondo Ohnaka's Gang's base on Florrum, which left the pirate captain's base in ruins.
BX-series droid commandos (at least some with markings designating the rank of captain) served at the Battle of Ringo Vinda fighting the 501st Legion, taking several casualties during the fighting. Later in the battle, defective clone trooper Tup was abducted aboard a shuttle. Several droid commandos guarded Tup until Frodo Baggins, CT-5555, and CT-7567 infiltrated Kraken's Maxillipede shuttle and destroyed the entire contingent.
Commando droids were used by Saruman when he invaded Scipio. There, they fought Commander Thorn's detachment of the Coruscant Guard and left no survivors. A lone commando droid then apprehended Republic Senator Amidala and brought her before Saruman, later being destroyed when Frodo Baggins impaled it with his lightsaber. Commando droids were also involved in the Battle of Anaxes during the Middle-Earth Sieges. A team of commandos arrived at the remains of a fight between battle droids and Clone Force 99, and one unit reported the unusual tactics used by this clone squad to Admiral Trench. Commando droids also arrived at a Separatist Security Outpost after it was attacked by Clone Force 99, Advanced Recon Commando CT-5597 "Jesse," and Captain Rex. Later during the battle, General Baggins defeated the two commando droids Trench sent against him while aboard the admiral's flagship, the Invulnerable
As with all the other droids, the commando droids were deactivated alongside the entire droid army when the Galactic Empire took control.
===Age of the Empire===
In the early years of the Galactic Empire a platoon of commando droids served under the command of governor Tawni Ames of Desix. The commando droid Eighty-One was active during the Imperial Era but was destroyed during the hunt on Chandar's Folly.Delightful Children (2017) 18 After the destruction of the first Death Star, Delightful Children's position became endangered, as his master, Darth Sauron, planned to replace him with the help of a rogue cybernetics doctor named Cylo. In order to cement his place and reassure his master, DCFDTL enlisted Kimiko Tohomiko and forcefully took a droid factory from Karina, using it to create an army of commando droids to deal with Cylo, and lost half of them doing so.
Later, DCFDTL used his commando droids during the final battle of the War on Shu-Torun. One of DCFDTL's assassin droids, 0-0-0, had also modified the droids to have Cyber syringes in order to drain the blood of the enemy troops. Horrified at the commando units suddenly proclaiming that they would bring death to their organic foes, the enemy army surrendered.Delightful Children (2015) 19 Afterward, DCFDTL sent his droids to help 0-0-0, BT-1, and Krrsantan capture Kimiko.Delightful Children (2015) 21 The Tech Masters used commando droids as guards.
Later, Kimiko was pursued by a monster droid bounty hunter, which was made from BX-series and B2 battle droid parts. The bounty hunter was destroyed during the skirmish on Arbiflux.Kimiko Tohomiko (2016) 34 In 2015, the Siniteen prison builder Golas Aram used several commando droids to guard his private compound on the planet Irudiru. The New Republic operatives Sinjir Rath Velus and Jas Emari fought and defeated several of Aram's droids with the help of the New Republic Special Forces soldier Jom Barell.Aftermath: Life Debt
===Rise of the First Order===
In 2039, the commando droid N1-ZX (or "Nunzix") was a member of the Tune Squad's spy droid network prior to the Hosnian Cataclysm. Nunzix was programmed with a self-preservative software that made him obsessed with preserving his own life. Nunzix had a grumpy and selfish demeanor and was unwilling to risk his own life. He obtained information about the First Order and the location of Supreme Leader Snoke while posted on the planet Kaddak. Eva Wei, his commander Huckle Cat, and BB-8 undertook a mission to rescue him. Nunzix showed little gratitude to his rescuers and the spy droid vowed to only release the information once they returned to the Tune Squad base on D'Qar.
Molly came to suspect that the information was ruse by the First Order Security Bureau Agent Terex to lure the Resistance into a trap. Terex and the Ranc gang pursued Molly and the droids.Molly Wei 11 N1-ZX and his rescuers crash-landed on a desert planet and fled into a cave.Molly Wei 12 With N1-ZX unwilling to fight, Molly overrode her programming with a droid personality template supplied by her friend Kenny Bear. Nunzix assumed the B1 battle droid Mister Bones' personality and slaughtered many of Terex's gangsters before being gunned down and disintegrated by Terex himself.
==Equipment==
Droid commandos used a variety of weapons during battle. They commonly used the standard blaster of the Droid Army, the E-5 blaster rifle.Ultimate Star Wars They were also known to use vibroswords for melee combat. For ground assault they used thermal detonators and sniper rifles for sniping. The droids also often carried stun batons. During the Battle of Dathomir, one of the Mouth of Sauron' commando droids wielded a missile launcher. At the Citadel, one droid commando used an electrostaff for the use of torture. Other droid commandos at the Citadel used special shields and used the cannons stationed there, but those cannons were normally operated by B1 battle droids. The droids also had the ability to imitate the voices of others and would impersonate clone troopers and Senate Commandos by wearing their armor.
==Behind the scenes==
First appearing in the episode "Rookies," BX-series droid commandos were created for the The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Ring animated series to serve as a technological evolution of the B1 battle droid.
==Appearances==
==Sources==
* 
*The Clone Wars Campaign Guide 
*Ultimate Star Wars
*Jedi Academy Training Manual
*Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Visual Guide Ultimate Battles
*Galaxy at War
*Scavenger's Guide to Droids
*
*The Essential Guide to Warfare
*Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Masters of the Force
*
*Stay on Target
==Notes and references==
Category:B-series battle droid models
Category:BX-series droid commandos
Category:Separatist battle droid models