The Battle Droid Beta Version represented a specific iteration of the B1-series battle droid, deployed by the Trade Federation Droid Army. These units were constructed within troop centers, exhibiting reduced speed and combat effectiveness compared to the standard B1 battle droid model. The Battle Droid Beta Version saw action in several engagements during the war fought over the moon of Alaris Prime; many were destroyed by Wookiees during these conflicts.
Within the B-series, the Battle Droid Beta Version was a B1-series battle droid variant produced by Baktoid Combat Automata. These droids stood 1.91 meters tall, were armed with E-5 blaster rifles, and possessed significantly lower speed capabilities when compared to typical B1 battle droid models. Troop centers served as the assembly sites for Battle Droid Beta Versions.
The Droid Army of the Trade Federation utilized Battle Droid Beta Versions in combat roles. Classified as fourth degree droids, they fulfilled the function of battle droids.
Between 39 BBY and 36 BBY, the Trade Federation endeavored to seize control of the moon known as Alaris Prime. Encounters with gundark creatures during initial landing attempts prompted the deployment of an eleven-droid squad of Battle Droid Beta Versions to assault a gundark nest. As the assault commenced, Wookiee bowcaster troopers under the command of Chewbacca, who were the legitimate colonists of Alaris Prime, arrived at the nest with the shared objective of eliminating the gundarks. The battle droids completed their objective and immediately engaged the Wookiees, failing to differentiate between them and the gundarks, but Chewbacca's Wookiees swiftly destroyed the droids.
Attichitcuk, the leader of the colonists, encountered a group of seven Battle Droid Beta Versions while on a scouting patrol. When the Wookiee refused to comply with their order to halt, the droids opened fire with their blaster rifles, inflicting serious injuries. Chewbacca organized a rescue operation for Attichitcuk, initially encountering three Battle Droid Beta Versions near a river ford. They eliminated an additional four on the opposite bank and another six during their return to their base.
As Wookiee attacks against the Trade Federation intensified, LUH-989, the Droid Army commander, dispatched six Battle Droid Beta Versions, alongside three beetle droid units, to attack a camp belonging to Chewbacca, who had by then become the colonists' leader. Shoran, a Wookiee ally, alerted Qui-Gon Jinn, his advisor, to the impending assault, prompting Qui-Gon to advise Chewbacca to fortify his defenses. While the beetle droids were the first to reach the camp, they were destroyed by Chewbacca's soldiers; the Battle Droid Beta Versions subsequently arrived at the camp and suffered a similar fate.
The Battle Droid Beta Versions were featured in Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds, a video game released by LucasArts in 2001. Within the game, they served as the Trade Federation's tech level 1 trooper recruit unit. Constructing these droids required an investment of 25 units of foodstuff and 35 units of carbon.