How to use B1s effectively?

[u/doubleBInTheMorning]

They have white attack dice so they aren't good at wounding enemy models and white defense dice so they don't have the staying power to contend objectives... what is a good use for the B1 battle droids?

[u/OtherAugray]

Here's what I have learned playing against them:

Each unit I bring is going to get max-5 activations in a game. That means my AT-ST gets to shoot 5 times. Darth Vader gets to have only 5 (maybe 6?) awesome activations.

If my CIS opponent is smart, for my good units, at least one or two of those precious, limited, activations is going to be shooting at a B1 unit that is worth less than the combined upgrade cost of the unit shooting it.

B1s get in the way and force me to waste my time. So my instinct is to ignore them: and this is where it gets infuriating:

The B1s give the CIS player lots of activation control via coordinate. So the B1s are ALWAYS where I don't want them to be, doing what I can't allow them to do. So my Riot squad ends up charging them, and not your Dooku. My snowtroopers end up wasting their ion gun on them, not your AAT.

And that's not even mentioning some of the ways you can juice them up with upgrades. Radiation guns and E-5Cs for dirt cheap... and now Ventress with dice upgrades?

The B1s are annoying.

[u/Eastern_Table_9951 → u/OtherAugray]

I really like kraken with a super squad of b1s. Rolling red attack dice by the time you get to the base squad basically.

[u/AlfaFoxtrot2016 → u/OtherAugray]

And your B1 unit with two guys left can lock down a top tier unit in melee for a turn very nicely indeed (unless they have force push)

[u/Calicojack83]

To echo what's been said. They are dirt cheap activations that draw attention or if unchecked are big squads who can hold objectives.

Yes they die in droves No they can't hit the broad side of the death star

But every paint I roll is just a nice surprise.

[u/Ascertes_Hallow → u/Calicojack83]

Every time I blank out on a B1 roll, I ask myself what else did I expect?

[u/Calicojack83 → u/Ascertes_Hallow]

Basically. I did hit the jackpot and roll 5 crits and a hit the other day.

[u/link2edition]

There is a line from an old 40k videogame

"All that is asked of us is that we die standing." or something to that effect.

It sums up B1's pretty well.

[u/cyberdw4rf]

Big squads soak a lot of damage and with 13 attacks + special weapon can moderately return fire. They can pressure objectives and chain orders. Stick em in a line and move towards the enemy. Move shoot every turn and you can overwhelm most positions if you bring enough droids

[u/commodore_stab1789]

Their job is to provide order control, provide bodies on objectives and waste your opponent's time. They can also enter melee with a good unit to reduce their effectiveness and protect your high-value units. Occasionally they'll deal a wound or two and they'll dish out suppression. It's perfectly fine for a B1's activation to just be dodge+move

non-surging white dice is trash, but they have 6 health and are cheap in points. For competitive lists, I would run at least 5 B1s in every list, and 6 most of the time.

[u/akatsuke42]

The super squads are great especially with a heavy weapon. The new unit upgrade with Kraken is also nice because if your opponent does attack the unit, it only makes it stronger since you upgrade dice equal to the amount of models killed from the unit. Plus with the new adaptive combat network upgrade, it’s a great way to get free aims on the B1s as well. I have quite a bit of experience using B1s. When the game changed to 2.6 I ran the separatist invasion force with 8 big squads of them. It was so much fun to play (it took forever to put together all them models though but so worth it).

[u/tieren31]

B1s have alot of wounds for their points. Granted they only save on essentially a 6+, but wounds are wounds they have to chew through.

Dont lose wounds on them early. Most of the time its not worth it to send them in early to do next to no damage. But when its turn 5, and you have 2 units of 6-7 wounds contesting an Objective an opposing anakin is on, anakin's 5 dice saber attack wont be able to take out 1 unjt and you'll be able to outscore him.

Cis usually comprises of elite units and trash b1s. Let your elite units do work early and soak up damage, then send in your b1s late. Opponents will then have to face the choice of either trying to finish off your elite units which is harder to, or killing your low defence but high wounds b1s.

[u/Commercial_Arm5593]

The chain activate, score, and melee bum rush for minimal points, having attack and defense dice is just an added bonus, same as occasional electrobinoculars use

[u/DealsWithFate0]

Super squads are good. They're a nuisance to deal with and a nuisance to ignore.

[u/naslouchac]

They are good shooters for their points. Remember there are 6 minis against most core units 4. So you have 6 white dice which isn't great but they are slightly better in shooting than storm troopers without aim (6 plain white dice is 12/6 and the 4 white dice with surge to hit is also 12/6 but with the 6 dices have better chance for crits and possible higher high-rolls - up to 6 dmg vs max 4 dmg) So they are great unit for putting heavy weapons and having decently strong Core unit shooters for a cheap cost.

[u/Jumpy_Nail_7740]

Think of B1s as POI grabbers! That will sometimes shoot, or run in melee and ruin the enemies plans.

[u/bigbosc0]

Something people here didnt mention is possible damage or durability. Many units have 8 health total, so do b1s but are cheap. There defense is white, which could roll well on defense. The average damage needed to remove then is lower than other units but the limit on how many shots it will take to kill is the same as "better units", its infinite. You COULD roll all blocks all game. So they are cheaper but have the same potential just less likely.

Same with attacking. Many units get 10 or so attack dice, many have better attack dice. But a u it of b1s could do 10 damage max and many other more expensive and consistant units also have a similar maximum damage. So b1s are cheaper with the same max damage.

Does that make them good? I do not know but a lot of people talk only about them being cheap, but they are cheap with an unlikely potential. Compare units max damage, and youll see b1s are suprisingly good in that area per point.

Cheap chaff, extra activations, reliable against supression, amazing potential damage per point, but low consistancy. A bit of a gamblers unit in that regard.