Why the Devastating Hailfire Droid Seemingly Disappeared After Geonosis 

Considering The Hailfire Droid had artillery that could immediately destroy AT-TE’s and devastate Infantry it stands to reason Palpatine wouldn’t want them to be mass produced. Since it would deal crippling blows to the republics military arsenal. So it’s likely to assume that he found out where their were manufactured, and gave information to the Republic that would eliminate the possibility of the Hailfire droid being produced as frequently.

"Did you hear the tragedy of Hailfire droid the wise?" "No." "I though not, it's not a story The CIS leaders would tell you."

If I remember correctly, there was a lego version that I thought was cool and wanted

They seem to be only useful in a open, flat battlefield, and no doubt that the Galaxy doesn’t have many flat worlds.

One of the reasons for their disappearance is because the writers forgot about it

The hailfire droid: When you want to shatter the enemies morale, bodies, vehicles, bases and the very sky above them.

Fun fact: in Legends, the few Separatist remnants that joined the Rebel Alliance provided them with a couple of Hailfire Droids. In addition, they also provided a few Lucrehulks and one Providence-class dreadnought.

Can you imagine that instead of pulling them from service, they replaced the missiles with anti-air missiles instead? Being so mobile, they would make _fantastic_ surface-to-air platforms. Best thing is that most targets would only need one or two missiles each.

Jo, i never even know these bad boys had anti personell laser cannons, that's awesome. I wish the Lego set was more accurate, now.

Honestly, the fact that they failed seems to be a failure of tactics rather than by the droids themselves. They used them like frontline tanks when they functioned better as shock cavalry. Rush in, hit hard, break their lines, then withdraw and let the infantry deal with the rest.

The Senate was even MORE devastating.

AATs: "Move in position. Slowly sap the enemy's forces and carefully carve our way past their main lines with targeted laser fire and torpedoes on essential weak-points to achieve ultimate victory." Hailfire Droids: "Rush B, Cyka Blyat!"

skidaddle skidoodle, your hailfire is now a poodle

I thought it was because a couple clones managed to destroy one and then used it’s wheels as giant hula hoops. The CIS leaders witnessed this and were so demoralised that they stopped producing all together

The tactics were their major flaw at Geonosis. Have them stay farther back and pick off heavy armor while the better armored Homing Spider Droids take the brunt of the assault. Also the lack of air support doomed any strategy so gotta fix that too!

The Hailfire would have been more effective as a guerilla/cavalry unit. they'd dash across the field, spewing a few missiles at a time while using their blaster turret in rapid fire at the enemies flanks to the other side. then, when all's said and done, they'd be repaired, reloaded, and "for versatilety" refitted for the next battle.

In Battlefront 2 Classic, I remember planting a bomb on this droid was one of the first things the tutorial had you do. Ah nostalgia.

I'm surprised that they weren't great against LAATs, I figured these would be a menace against them as mobile SAM sites as well as mobile artillery

“Soon after the battle of Geonosis, I heard stories, and later, I read reports about them. I was lucky enough not to directly witness the sheer firepower of one a column of those suckers. I had a fair deal in sabotaging some of these hailfire platforms, along with other tanks before they could be deployed. I definitely respect superior firepower, so it became one fearsome enemy when you meet one that you didn’t account for plowing down everybody in a trench back during our Cato Nemoidia campaign, and that was just one on one of their forests under the forest mesas while we were moving along one of the major highways on the planet. During this encounter, I was incapacitated by the shock of the impact. According to the battle report, Instead of using armor piercing missiles to really ruin our day, they used concussion warheads and incendiary warheads, which still ruined our day. That made it all the more satisfying when some shiny looking kid pulls me from my station to the corridor of the tank and proceeded to kick a busted armor buckle out from the tank, and then, he blasts the daylights out of the thing by shooting the ground beneath it, and I still remember the sight of it tumbling down and breaking apart as at hit the cliff a few times the wrong way. It was a spectacle that I’ll never forget.” -CS/CT-8711-12 “Cheng”, Captain and Scout of the 442nd Siege Battalion

Finally. Something on the hellfires... I've been waiting for this.

The banes of all tanks. CAS and artillery.

I loved how impractical it seemed. It just goes all into its missiles and wheels.

Hailfire also appeared on the battle of Utapau in the Revenge of the Sith novel

They probably would have been good on places like Ryloth, Onderon, Anawxes and most flat or canyon landscapes on planets. The hellfire would definitely be good as a first in the fight unit, these tanks would also be best against a compact and flat defense position they are assaulting.

Seems they used a light artillery piece as a main battle tank quite perplexing

I remember when I played Battlefront 1 for the PS 2. On Geonosis, I would play as clones, get a gunship, rush to the other side of the map and steal a hailfire Droid. Not only had the droids one tank less, but it was so much fun to use.

One of favorite droids in star wars They are so cool and fast

These where so much fun in battlefront. My that game rest in peace

Fun fact: a yawn is a boneless cough

Do you think you could do a video on those weird droids in the clone wars movie that came out of the ground on christophsis? I’ve been curious about them

The only thing I have clear about Hailfires is that they are the most "terminator-esque" looking forces of the CIS. *Specially they have a "T4: Salvation" design-esque appearence.*

Thinking about it, it should have been simple to create an Anti-Air configuration of the droid. That way even if the other separatist tanks were more cost effective in direct combat the hailfires would have served as a fast response AA unit for protecting supply lines or tank lines. There was also the option to just reconfigure them purely for the anti-infantry role, replace the missile systems with more laser cannons.

"Our Katyusha's say Hello!" A random CIS commander

This thing was quite op in Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars

I remember that there was a second variety of the Hailfire that was utilized as mobile AA platforms, swapping out the normal rockets for anti-air missiles. If I remember the missiles were claimed to have been the precursor design for the later cluster-seeker missiles and had largely been deployed against gunships as a rapid response to them of hit and run with the missiles to take down as many landers and transports as possible before getting the hell out of there

I was always fascinated by this vehicle, it was one of my favs in BF2, It was one of the few C.I.S Lego sets I owned, and I always wondered why it didn't show up in the Clone Wars show, plus, "hailfire droid" has to be one of the most badass names for anything in Star Wars.

There is a easy redesign to this that the CIS has the tech to make. Take a spider droid's limbs and make them an attachment to the wheel design of the hellfire driod. If your feeling spicy, add a buzz droid disabling program and tools as the "killing move"

Last time I was this early, $GME was $3/share.

I'd love to hear more about your thoughts on the STAP from the Baktoid Armor Workshop. Were B-1s really so cheap and abundant that it was easier to make a speeder piloted by them than use those parts to make a different droid that fills the same roll?

Shame, this droid looked so cool but was hardly ever used

Fun fact: The name Hailfire droid’s name was changed to ”Kuurotulidroidi” in my language which means ”deaf-fire droid”

Can u do a video on the Sith Empire The one during the great galactic war nobody does videos on the Sith empire

In Star Wars Battlefront II on many planets in multiplayer mode (Felucia being an example) there are Hailfire Droids reeking havoc on the clones in the backround.

I absolutely cannot get enough of the OG Battlefront map loading intro :)

Another awesome video man! We will watch your career with great interest to see if you make a video like this for Droideka

It's literally just a MRLS and can be replaced with much cheaper versions.

I have been wondering this for years thanks so much for doing a video on it!!!

Not can they kill AT-TEs but they can also one shot AT-ATs as well. The Battle of Jabiim showcased this where the Hellfires were used to great effect.

Every time I watch episode two and see these boiz rolling into action, I imagination them crushing a few random b1 or 2 units by accident!!

Got one of my longest lasting questions about star war answered, thank you.

The problem with them is that the Seps used them as tanks. They're clearly a type of rocket artillery considering they're lightly armored and they're secondary weapon is only anti-personnel in nature. The hailfires should be kept in the rear where they can be resupplied some their ammo is finite, and where they can make use of their high speed to escape when needed

Love the Space Engineers renditions at 7:00. XD

6:40 one-use vehicle? Nah, it just needs to be considered more of a ATGM tank destroyer instead of tank - in that context 30 missiles is a lot, as well as its protection scheme. It just needs an ammo vehicle behind the lines to ressuply. But if you want a tank, you are better to bring AAT

I can’t believe you don’t at least have 500k subscribers yet! I’ve been subbed for years and I love your video ideas.

In Battlefront tried to recreate that scene from episode 2 where it took 1 missile to down an AT-TE...except this time it took around 140 missiles...12 year old me was so disappointed.

Absolutely love this droid, and sad we don't see it more in other media. A few modifications and better tactics could make it a mighty force on the battlefield.

If I were a part of the Separatist I would have had the makers of the droid create an anti-air version to counter Republic air power from the ground

They were a nightmare in old battlefront mobile with good firepower and armor hella fun to use though

I wonder why it took them so long to design a droid to help their other droid.

I find it baffling that something like these couldn't shoot down LAATs without difficulty. They seem like they would be great for SAM and AA duty.

Just think, if they had used the hellfire droid as a rapid response tank hunter things would've went so much better

I remember those misiles going everywhere in the og bf2 on ps2, so ig thats why Also they where fun to have a race, i remember that a friend and i would "jump" of that hill that has a command post to try and land on the at te

I remember in the clone war cartoons the banking clan home world was the first planet the republic attacked. This is why the hailfire was neutralized early in the war.

I used to think they were dumb when I was a kid because the oversized wheels and odd missile batteries Now I love it

My fav Droid The Tiger of the Droid Army. Respect and keep up the epic work.

Giant mobile artillery sounds terrifying. Crazy that they stopped being used but I can understand the ammo problem and the cost.

If I remember rightly from when I saw the Hailfire Droids back in the original (2004) Star Wars Battlefront and got to pilot them, they had 45 homing rockets instead of 30 and it took quite a few of said rockets to destroy AT-TEs

I'm still remembering how terrifying these things were in the GBA/DS version in Revenge of the Sith where they served as mini-bosses.

I really love the into where it zooms in twice idk why but I really like it

In Lego Star Wars III, you can ride these and you can actually run out of rockets, kind of like the movie counterpart (They do "magically" reload, but slowly and one-by-one)

NR-N99 Persuader-class droid enforcer! One of my favorite CIS tanks. Whule lacking in maneuverability and heavy armor, it made up for it with it's speed, versatility and firepower! A wonderfull Blitz Kreig droid!

I think the biggest problem with them was the fact that they could only be used on flat planes but not for example on planets like cristophsis, kashiik and other forest or mountain like planets

Great video, i didnt know anything about these droids before it! my one criticism, the horribly loud intro and outro sounds. they'd be better used as bombs to try and blow up the death star

Had a remote control one of these as a kid. Was super fun.

5:40 I miss her so much. Galactic Battlegrounds was such a cool game.

double zoom intro, love it

Since Palpatine played both sides do you think he had hand in the design of each sides vehicles and like purposely made weaknesses

Thanks for this one! I've been wondering where they went, as they were my favorite vehicle the CIS deployed in the whole conflict. I'd like to see more about another CIS vehicle though: The tracked tanks they used on Kashyyyk. Those were supposedly more effective against Juggernauts, but could be destroyed by wookie bombing teams. What was their role and significance in the conflict as a whole though?

They were extremely fun to play in the 2005 Battlefront 2. Rapid fire spam missiles.

Hailfire? More like Hellfire

thats a shame espically since they looked so awsome

Lol when you realize the Iron Bank is basically GOT version of the Banking Clans 🤣😂

Hailfires remind me very strongly of faster, very aggro version of the Catapult Battlemech. It's a shame they didn't get redesigned into high mobility, long range artillery. Rather than rushing to the front lines of battle, they could have been under direct command to position themselves behind cover, or even used from behind base walls as offensive bombardment units. Hell, even a variant of them for this purpose might have been a smart move from a strategic perspective. The dread of a Hailfire on the battlefield, without the drawback of it being an easy target, rolling around once it's out of missiles. Rather it moves to a protected location, rains absolute hell, and GTFOs before someone gets wise and takes it out.

How can one dislike such a video? How can 5 whole entire people dislike this video? Why?

Dooku and sidus didn’t want to actually win the war remember

I also think that one of the reasons was that they were more suited to open battlefields like Geonosis were they could speed around launching missiles and these sort of battles didn't really happen any more which is probably one reason the CIS didn't need them any more.

It was still used during the 1st campaigns of the clones wars if you count the star wars clone wars game

5:40 ok that is one spankable leader DAMN thats a hot alien XD

Hailfires are dope, when I become a separatist commander I am totally using them. But I am bringing extra missiles to reload them during battle, but not on the frontline. They seem fast enough to dump missiles then race safely back to some munitions resupply vehicle for a reload.

Hailfire Droids had to stay in motion lest they be destroyed quickly. Geetsly, bravo to you for mentioning Sev’rance Tann! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

The fact that they just removed them was so stupid, the AATs don’t even cover the same role as the hailfire droids, the haildire’s seem to be much more like anti tank and the AATs preformed poorly against enemy tanks

Feels like if you swapped out the missile racks that need to be reloaded with drones for some heavy laser cannons you could reduce the problem of them running out of missiles. Make it a dedicated fast attack anti infantry platform

Replace left pod with a powerplant and the right with a heavy cannon of some kind, add shield generator off the back

I love the hailfire droids, hope it appears on Battlefront 3

Could y’all maybe do a video on the STAP? They’re such a weird vehicle but I’m curious why they fell off so much towards the later years of the war.

The most logical one is it is a compact large wheeled vehicle. You need flat open terrain to use it. There really wasn't a lot battle we were shown that fit that terrain. Mygetto, rigid rock, cold and most buildings were on platforms and bridges. Umbarra, very dense fungi jungles. Most were just pack close quarters. Doesn't work for the hellfire

Fun to play as in that old SW tank game.

you hear some blaster shots and a clanker coming towards you: panik its probably just the avarage battle droid: calm *YOU HEAR COUGHING: PANIK*

This is a legit video. Good job. Even pointed out how the Hailfire droids were used in the first few months of the Clone Wars and then basically disappeared afterword.

Have you done a video on the Separatists main battle tank? I honestly have always found that tank as what a historian would call a "classic space tank" design since it follows more realistic tank on tank designs. Such as have a turret that doesn't expose the gunner or commander, has multiple secondary anti personal weapons, and overall looks like a better tank design. Meanwhile the Republic had the AT-TE, which was better suited for a more diverse field of combat with there being different types of worlds.