Jaccer Ramirez
Character
L-2 Superior Combat Droid
Out of Character Information:
Intent: The second droid in the L-series.
Image Source: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/JqB2Z
Canon Link: N/a
Primary Source: N/a
Production Information:
Manufacturer: AutoTech Robotics
Affiliation: Open-Market
Model: L-series
Production: Mass-Produced
Modularity: New variants to be submitted soon
Material:
- Duranium
- Droid components
- Wiring
Technical Information:
Classification: Fourth Degree
Weight: 150 kilograms
Height: 2.05 metres
Movement: Bipedal
Armaments:
- Heavy repeating blaster rifle [arm-mounted]
- Micro-missile launcher [arm-mounted]
- Photoreceptors
- Heavy armour plating
- Communication module
- Built-in weapon systems
Special Features:
- Heavy infantry unit
- Obedience
- Relatively inexpensive
Strengths:
- Improved systems – The L-2 has various improved systems over the L-1 model. These modifications increase combat effectiveness and survivability.
- Duranium – The frame is made of duranium; this increased protection against blasters and can cause issues for inexperienced lightsaber combatants.
- Armament – Unlike the L-1, this new model features built in weapons system. These weapons include both a repeating blaster rifle and a micro-missile launcher.
- Imposing – Standing at a much greater height and weighing much more than the average human, the L-2 can be intimidating to most organics it comes across.
- Smart(er) – The improved central processing of the L-2 allows for each unit to formulate basic plans and communicate more effectively unlike its predecessor, the L-1.
Weaknesses:
- Adaptability – Although smarter than the L-1, this new unit is still incapable of formulating its own advanced tactics or plans in changing circumstances. This may cause it to be slow to react.
- Communication – As the L-2 is still considered unintelligent, it can be hard for it communicate with organics. When speaking to organics it prefers to talk in simplified basic.
- Price – The improved systems and materials used in the construction of the L-2 have given it a greater price tag at 2850 credits. This is still a competitive price but reduced how many can be deployed in bulk.
- Manufacturing – Duranium requires intense heat to melt, therefore factories making the L-2 require high temperatures continuously. This can increase the price of manufacture greatly.
Description:
The L-2 Superior Battle Droid was designed to be the successor to the widely popular L-1 Battle Droid. Many of those who purchased and used the L-1 in warfare complained about how ineffective they were in some forms of combat, and upon testing, AutoTech found that the combat effectiveness of the L-1 was only 24.3%. Instead of improving the L-1 design, AutoTech decided to keep it as a viable cost-effective product and would develop a more efficient droid that would be sold alongside the L-1, hence the L-2 was designed. By simply improving the processing power of the droid and adding built-in weaponry, they found that the combat effectiveness would be increased to 43.4%. This was a substantial improvement and caused the company to continue the development of the L-2.
Although the combat effectiveness had already been improved greatly, AutoTech would continue to upgrade the systems of the L-2. The next step would be to design a brand new frame which would be made from duranium. This new frame, along with thick armour plates, was added in order to allow the L-2 greater survivability on the battlefield, compared to the L-1. These additions would make the L-2 almost invulnerable to light blaster fire and could even allow it to survive glancing blows from lightsabers. The materials used would also increase the overall weight of each unit, making it harder for force-users or enemy combatants to unbalance. After various prototypes were produced, AutoTech decided that the L-2 unit featuring the repeating blaster rifle and micro-missile launcher would be the one to produce en masse; this choice of weaponry allowed each unit to be effective against both infantry and vehicles.
The overall increased size and weight of the droid was a byproduct of the added armour and new frame, however focus groups found the L-2 to be intimidating and most organics would feel dread when coming into combat with such a machine. Unlike the L-1, this new unit is unable of controlling vehicles made for humanoids and cannot perform many functions that were not war-orientated, therefore AutoTech did not see any reason to make its appearance any more welcoming or friendly to the public.
