Droideka

The droidekas or destroyer droids are droids from the fictional Star Wars saga.

They are three-legged, two-armed robots with twin cannons that were designed by a species called Colicoid. These were exchanged for food and thus the Trade Federation obtained its 'Praetorian Guard'. The droidekas were equipped with energy shields that prevented normal laser weapons from damaging them.

On Naboo, they were used aboard the Federation flagship cruiser, to repel Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn. They also saw service with the Trade Federation and the Confederacy of Independent Systems in the battles of Naboo, Geonosis, Utapau, Coruscant, Kashyyyk, and others throughout the Clone Wars.

Droidekas, unlike the vast majority of droids in the Confederacy, were not deactivated after the Clone Wars. The Empire, among many other factions, continued to use them due to their great value.

The Droideka are the heavy infantry unit. These robots can transform, appear first in a 'wheel', allowing for quick movement and easy storage, and then evolve into insect-attack-like robots with three legs. The droidekas have powerful dual blasters on each of their weapons, extreme accuracy at close range, and a personal shield generator. The droidekas used their shield generators in the episode The Phantom Menace and Revenge of the Sith to protect themselves. These shields are very valuable on the battlefield, as they are highly resistant to small arms fire (although not strong enough to withstand a vehicle or fighter). Due to their shields and the strength of their blasters, the droidekas can parry some Jedi Knights. They were deployed to Naboo, as well as Geonosis and Coruscant, and are primarily owned by the Trade Federation and the Confederacy of Independent Systems.

Destroyer bots actually come in two series: armored and infantry units. Infantry units are not produced with shields because tactically their shields can be an obstacle to their own infantry trying to fire on the enemy, and also drastically reduce costs. 40 Infantry Type droidekas can be carried in the Open Chamber type MTT. The droideka can fire up to 240 double bursts a minute. It is practically impossible for the enemy infantry to be able to defeat a squad of them in good time (even if they are not protected). However, it is recommended that the droidekas circle around them or go directly near them and between their twin blasters, which cannot hit their enemies. In The Phantom Menace, when the robots are first seen, they have to drop their shields as the chasing fleeing Jedi. This was either because the shield was an obstacle to movement, or because an enemy was attacked with whom they fled in no way from attacking. In Star Wars: Clone Wars, Ashoka and Anakin stop destroying a robot while it gives chase in ball mode and cuts it in half before it can put up its shields. In another episode, some Droidekas were able to open fire while rolling.

In keeping with the Expanded Universe, the original design was developed by the people of insectoid Colla IV, who were disgusted by the limitations of fighting Baktoid Automata basic battle robots, and primarily manufactured there. The Colicoids prefer to have their droidekas freethinking as opposed to the Trade Federation who use computer control methods of the robot ship, so most droidekas that are native to Colla IV are freethinking. The Trade Federation, and presumably the Confederacy, used the rare meat trade as a way to facilitate trading with the ravenously carnivorous Colicoids, and were able to obtain special prices on these special infantry robots. Prior to the Federation's defeat at the Battle of Naboo, these robots were normally enslaved to a mainframe, although this technique was dropped out in favor of the aftermath of this battle. Although robots are not shown en masse in the movies (mainly Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith), they are still mass-produced (in numbers comparable to Super Battle Androids), with full specifications. A droideka made shortly after the Prequel appearance was in the search for survivors, where it proved a formidable opponent of Luke Skywalker and his wife, Mara Jade. The expanded universe of the media also revealed that the droideka is illegal by republic codes.