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I recently reinstalled Star Wars: Republic Commando on my PC after picking it up fairly cheaply from Steam. Despite the years, the game was everything I remember: an immersive and gritty Star Wars soldier experience, fun squad-based game play, and full of super-tough Super Battle Droids! When I started searching the internet to see if anyone has taken a crack at stats for the B2, I noticed on the Fantasy Flight Games forums that there were two camps. On one side were the B2s-as-Rivals crowd, who pointed to sources like Republic Commando for how tough these droids should be against a group of squaddies. The other side were the B2s-as-Minions crowd, which instead looked to sources like the movies and The Clone Wars to show how our heroes effortlessly cut down swathes of the droids.
I thought about this for some time, trying to decide which side I was on. Ultimately, I came to the conclusion that the B2 Super Battle Droid must be portrayed based on the feel of the campaign being run. A grittier or more “realistic” game where the PCs are clone troopers or a group of salvagers needs tougher B2s. But equally, a game with a more action-movie feel with heroic Jedi Knights and amazingly skilled commandos is better served with wave after wave of minion-level B2s. With respect to those who have tried their hand at putting together stats for these droids, I did not find a take on them I found perfect. I hope my take on stats for both Rival and Minion B2s adds to the discussion and is useful on a gaming table somewhere and sometime.
B2 Super Battle Droid (Rival)
Created by Baktoid Combat Automata to serve as front line heavy infantry, the B2 Super Battle Droid is superior to its predecessor the B1 in all respects. Boasting reinforced armor, integrated anti-personnel weaponry, and programming capable of operation without a command signal, this hulking battle droid is a formidable foe on or off the battlefield. Before the introduction of the IG-100 MagnaGuard, B2s were seen serving as bodyguards to Separatist leaders such as Count Dooku. With the end of the Clone Wars, B2s are a rare sight. Some scavenged models serve crime lords or private militias; others have been re-purposed for use in gladiator arenas. Some abandoned B2s were never shut down, and still carry out their last orders, defending forgotten Separatist ships and installations awaiting unsuspected salvagers.
Characteristics
Br 3, Ag 2, Int 1, Cun 1, WP 2, Pres 1
Soak 6, W. Threshold 18, M/R Def 0/0
Skills: Brawl 1, Gunnery 2, Perception 1, Ranged (Light) 2, Vigilance 1
Talents: Adversary 1
Abilities: Droid (does not need to breathe, eat, or drink and can survive in vacuum or underwater; immune to poisons and toxins)
Equipment: Integrated wrist blaster (Ranged [Light]; Damage 8, Critical 3, Range [Medium]; Cumbersome 3, Autofire), rocket launcher arm (Gunnery; Damage 12, Crit 3, Range [Medium]; Blast 8, Limited Ammo 4), mechanical slam (Brawl; Damage 6; Critical 5; Range [Engaged]; Knockdown)
B2 Super Battle Droid (Minion)
During the Clone Wars, B2 Super Battle Droids were deployed in massive heavy infantry formations. While their limited programming prohibited all but the most basic of tactics, their sheer numbers and heavy armor made up for this shortcoming. Heavily armed, utterly fearless, and totally expendable, wave after wave of B2s were sent to grind the Confederacy’s enemies into dust. Nowadays, squads of B2s are rarely seen outside of Separatist holdouts, private armies, or abandoned Separatist installations and ships.
Characteristics
Br 3, Ag 2, Int 1, Cun 1, WP 2, Pres 1
Soak 6, W. Threshold 8, M/R Def 0/0
Skills (group only): Brawl, Gunnery, Ranged (Light)
Talents: none
Abilities: Droid (does not need to breathe, eat, or drink and can survive in vacuum or underwater; immune to poisons and toxins)
Equipment: Integrated wrist blaster (Ranged [Light]; Damage 9, Critical 3, Range [Medium]; Cumbersome 3, Autofire), rocket launcher arm (Gunnery; Damage 12, Crit 3, Range [Medium]; Blast 8, Limited Ammo 4), mechanical slam (Brawl; Damage 6; Critical 5; Range [Engaged]; Knockdown)
Christopher Hunt
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