Gauss balls functioned as a type of Stun grenade employed against droids, discharging a surge of both ion and electrical power. Certain YVH-Series battle droid variants possessed a natural resilience against the effects of these grenades.
During 40 ABY, Ben Skywalker, a novice member of the Galactic Alliance Guard, utilized a gauss ball on a Tendrando Arms Guardian droid. He subsequently realized that the droid's mag-shielding had been improved beyond standard military specifications, rendering it immune to the weapon's energy discharge.