The B1 supervisor droid represented a specific variant within the B1-series battle droid line. Its creation occurred sometime following the conclusion of the Invasion of Naboo. During the Clone Wars era, the Confederacy of Independent Systems utilized this supervisor droid to mediate the limited independent thinking of the B1-series. However, due to its tendency to create confusion among standard B1 units during combat situations, further production was halted. Nevertheless, these droids continued to serve the Separatists, particularly when T-series military strategic analysis and tactics droids were not accessible.
The supervisor droid of the B1 variety was a unique iteration of the B1-series battle droid. It was engineered to bridge the gap between the B1-series' autonomy from the Central Control Computers located on Lucrehulk-class Battleships and their restricted tactical capabilities, which made adapting to changing situations difficult. While not as adept as tactical droid models, the B1 supervisor droid had improved cognitive functions. This allowed them to be positioned alongside standard B1 units during engagements, with the goal of reinterpreting existing orders and adapting them as needed, providing the B1s with revised instructions.
However, the effectiveness of the B1 supervisor was often hampered by the confusion its orders caused. Tactical droids and similar units were not designed for B1s with independent thought. The model also had a problematic tendency to override commands, leading to increased chaos and further confusing standard B1s by issuing conflicting instructions. This encouraged B1 units to attempt independent order prediction, which resulted in disastrous outcomes. Consequently, B1 supervisor droids were only deployed when T-series military strategic analysis and tactics droids were unavailable, and there were no plans to resume production of the model.
The B1 supervisor droid was armed with an E-5 blaster rifle and also carried a mini probe. The probe gave the supervisor droid a better view of the battlefield so it could send orders to the B1 battle droids.
Following the end of the Trade Federation's unsuccessful invasion of the planet Naboo, the B1 supervisor droid was developed to address the limitations of B1 battle droids' independent thought. While the Confederacy of Independent Systems employed these droids during the time of the Clone Wars against the Galactic Republic, production was halted due to the confusion they caused among standard B1 units in combat. Despite this, the Confederacy continued to use the supervisor droid, particularly when T-series tactical droids were not available.
The B1 supervisor droid was mentioned in Collapse of the Republic, a supplementary roleplaying resource for the Star Wars Roleplaying series, published by Fantasy Flight Games in 2019.