The Battle Droid Beta Version was a model of B1-Series battle droid used in the Trade Federation Droid Army. They were assembled at troop centers and were slower and less powerful than the standard B1 battle droid. Battle Droid Beta Versions were used in several battles in the war for the moon Alaris Prime, where many were destroyed by Wookiees.
The Battle Droid Beta Version was a model of B1-Series battle droid in the B-series manufactured by Baktoid Combat Automata They stood at 1.91 meters wielded E-5 blaster rifles, and were much slower than the more standard B1 battle droid units. Battle Droid Beta Versions were assembled at troop centers.
Battle Droid Beta Versions were used in the Droid Army of the Trade Federation. As battle droids they were fourth degree droids.
Between 39 BBY and 36 BBY, the Trade Federation sought control of the moon Alaris Prime. They faced attacks from the gundark creatures in their early landings, causing the company to send a squad of eleven Battle Droid Beta Versions to attack the gundark nest. As the attack began, Wookiee bowcaster troopers led by Chewbacca, who were the rightful colonists of Alaris Prime, arrived at the nest with the same goal of eradicating the gundarks. The battle droids finished their task and immediately turned on the Wookiees, perceiving no difference between them and the gundarks, but Chewbacca's Wookiees quickly dispatched the droids.
The leader of the colonists, Attichitcuk, encountered seven Battle Droid Beta Versions on a scouting mission. The droids ordered the Wookiee to halt and shot him with their blaster rifles when he refused, seriously wounding him. Chewbacca mounted a rescue of Attichitcuk, first encountering three Battle Droid Beta Versions near the ford of a river. They destroyed another four on the other side and a further six on their return trip to their base.
As the Wookiees became more aggressive in their attacks on the Trade Federation, the Droid Army commander LUH-989 sent six Battle Droid Beta Versions, along with three beetle droid, to attack a camp belonging to Chewbacca, who had become leader of the colonists. Chewbacca's ally Shoran warned his advisor Qui-Gon Jinn of the attack, who told Chewbacca to prepare his defences. The beetle droids reached the camp first but were destroyed by Chewbacca's soldiers, and afterwards the Battle Droid Beta Versions made it to the camp and met the same fate.
Battle Droid Beta Versions appeared in the 2001 LucasArts video game Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds, as the tech level 1 trooper recruit unit for the Trade Federation. The droids cost 25 units of foodstuff and 35 units of carbon to build.