Restricted Droid Guardian-class War-Robot

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GUARDIAN-CLASS WAR-ROBOT

AFFILIATION

• Xim the Despot.
• Hutt Empire.
• Various.

MANUFACTURER
Droidwrights of Xim's Empire.

CLASS
War droid.

LOCOMOTION
Bipedal.POWER SUPPLY
Fuel slug generator, 72-hour duration.

SENSORS

• 2x photoreceptor.
• 2x audio receptor.

DIMENSIONS
Height - 2.78 meters.

COMPOSITION
Kiirium.

TOOLS & EQUIPMENT

• 2x heavy manipulator arm.
• 4x spotlight.
• 1x integrated comlink.
• 2x forearm-mounted beam tube, detachable.
• 2x palm-mounted heatbeam, integrated.
• 1x head-mounted flame projector.
• 1x datapunch slot.
• 1x obsolete I/O socket.

DESCRIPTION​

The Guardian-class war-robot is an ancient pattern of battle droid, originally designed and manufactured by the droidwrights of the archaic Tionese conqueror Xim the Despot. Fashioned in imitation of older war droids, such as those used by Agorander, the Guardian class nevertheless ranks as one of the most important and successful combat automata in history.

Though arguably less advanced than previous generations of war droids, coming as it did after the long Galactic dark age following the death of Agorander's empire, the Guardian was truly a technological marvel of its age. Towering 2.78 meters in height and sheathed in blast-resistant kiirium armor, which was capable of shrugging off the primitive energy weapons and common slugthrower munitions of the time. It was equipped with state-of-the-art weaponry, itself, including a pair of detachable forearm-mounted beam tubes, heatbeam emitters located in the droid's hands, and a head-mounted flame projector with a range of about 10 meters and a 20-burst capacity. The droids were powered by solid fuel slugs, their generator systems located on their backs, one of their only real weak-points. Examples still in service today are generally upgraded with a modern power cell.

Of note, although kiirium has long been rendered obsolete as an armor material by advances in weapons technology, the armor of Guardian-class war-robots is thick enough to resist medium blaster fire even in the present day. The droids are also incredibly physically strong, able to lift an inert landspeeder over their head without difficulty.

The rank and file of Xim's "Guardian Corps" droid armies were not especially intelligent, being equipped with literal-minded cognitive circuitry more akin to that found in binary loadlifters than the quick-witted, versatile databrains found in modern combat droids; despite this, they were effective combatants, if somewhat rigid in their tactics. They were equipped with vocabulators, as well, and had somewhat more advanced language and communication functions than might be expected. Platoons of Guardian-class war-robots were typically led by a veteran droid elevated to a position of command; these were identified by a gold-plated death's head on their chest armor, rather than the glossy bone white of standard units.

Like some later combat droids, Guardian-class war-robots were typically slaved to a central control system, taking the form of a "command podium" battle information and communication system which allowed an organic commander to monitor the disposition of his troops and issue orders. The transmission horns on the command podium allowed the commander to communicate with his droid subordinates from well behind the lines, and even see the battlefield through the photoreceptors of individual units via primitive cathode flask displays.

Guardian-class war-robots were fearsome in their day, although in the end, they could not save the empire of their creator from defeat and destruction. Ultimately, Xim's empire abutted that of the ancient Hutts, and the two groups were inevitably drawn into a conflict; through the use of slave armies, the Hutts overcame Xim's technological advantage through force of numbers. Although an individual Guardian-class war-robot was worth dozens of spice-crazed slaves, the gleaming ranks of the Guardian Corps were eventually driven under by an alien tide. After the war, the Hutts demanded vast territorial concessions, as well as vast numbers of war-robots as reparations; although Hutt science of the day could not copy such fearsome droid warriors, they fully recognized the might of their one-time foes.

For centuries after the war, the Guardian-class war-robot remained state-of-the-art, a testament to the quality of its construction and design. As Xim's empire crumbled in defeat, the Tionese themselves lost knowledge required to build more of these fearsome droids, although many continued to serve in the armies of post-Xim successor states throughout the Tion Cluster for some time. The Hutts, perhaps ironically, were the most prolific users of the type; Guardians were a staple of Imperial Hutt subjugation forces for centuries, used to conquer new worlds and brutally crush rebellions. Many more were kept carefully stored and preserved in Hutt "trophy armories" alongside the war implements of other conquered foes, and some were even publicly displayed on important Hutt worlds such as Nal Hutta, where they remain. Rumor has it that the stockpiles of Guardian-class war-robots represent a last-ditch defense reserve, to be activated in the event of an invasion of Hutt space.

In the millennia since the Hutt-Xim War, the Guardian-class war-robot has been rendered theoretically obsolete many times over by advances in droid technology. Outside of Hutt collections, they are exceedingly rare; only a handful of functional examples are known to still exist, mostly in museums and private collections, although several ancient noble houses in the Tion Cluster are known to employ such droids as ceremonial guards.

Of note, Guardian-class war-robots are highly sought-after as rare antiques, although demand far outstrips supply. As such, many unscrupulous antique dealers will try to pass off new-built reproductions as the genuine article, although the inner workings of such fakes often gives them away.

LEGALITY​

Restricted. Although considered antiques on most worlds, Guardian-class war-robots are still fearsome killing machines, and possession of them is regulated similarly to modern battle droids on most worlds.

INTENT​

To add a droid from Legends canon to our site's fanon.

RESTRICTIONS​

Guardian-class war-robots are rare, ancient technology, and owning one would require some justification. Droid player characters using it as a chassis would also not be able to claim memories of ancient canon or fanon events.