Following the conflict on Hoth, the Galactic Empire introduced massive battle droids called Imperial warbots to bolster their ground troops. While they might not have inspired the same level of dread as AT-ATs, these warbots were still incredibly dangerous. They were instrumental in the Battle of Xeron, and their blaster cannons allowed them to engage multiple enemies simultaneously. In 3 ABY, a damaged warbot was acquired by Rebel Commander Luke Skywalker. He later deployed it against Imperial-supporting droids located on Kligson's Moon.
The Imperial warbot, a battle droid employed by the Galactic Empire during the Galactic Civil War, bore a resemblance to a mobile gun emplacement. It featured tracked wheels, a pair of clawed appendages, and a rotating head fitted with blaster cannons. Towering over the average Human male by several times, these warbots possessed significant firepower. However, Rebel forces did not perceive them as quite as terrifying as the All Terrain Armored Transports that assaulted the Rebels on Hoth. Despite their power, Imperial warbots were not invulnerable. Kligson, a skilled technician, expressed disdain for their perceived poor construction, although they could be easily repaired using components from similar machines.
Imperial warbots, products of the Imperial war machine in the period following the Battle of Hoth, saw action against Rebel forces as early as 3 ABY, playing a significant role in the Battle of Xeron. Their effectiveness against Rebel ground troops on Xeron drew the attention of the Rebel leadership, who prioritized capturing an operational unit. Shortly thereafter, a damaged warbot fell into the possession of Rebel Commander Luke Skywalker, leading him to seek out the renowned and reclusive technician Kligson, hoping he could analyze the droid and provide a complete schematic. Kligson, a cyborg overseeing a community of droids on the "Droid World" of Kligson's Moon, agreed to the request on the condition that he be allowed to repair and retain the machine.
However, Kligson was not the only party interested in the warbot. While the cyborg maintained his moon's official neutrality in the Galactic Civil War, his chief lieutenant, Zee-Exthree, secretly led a faction of Imperial-aligned droids who were plotting to overthrow Kligson and deliver the "Droid World" to the Empire. Zee-Exthree had also acquired a damaged warbot and hoped to use Skywalker's droid to repair their own model and deploy it in their coup. However, Kligson outmaneuvered and defeated them in the ensuing civil war, after the cyborg rebuilt Skywalker's droid and completely destroyed Zee-Exthree's faction.
The first appearance of the Imperial warbot was in Star Wars (1977) 47, which was penned by Archie Goodwin and released in 1981. Carmine Infantino provided the artwork for the warbot in the comic.