What are these scavs that you speak of do you mean all the corpses littering every single base operation they have in the city that would definitely not caused by me 😊
@@cerealwalker tbh, I'm a tech junkie; even before 2.0, I always loved tech weapons and explosive. Got to grind that engineering skill somehow, and ooo, look, some gangsters just walked by! (Kaboom!)
My stance on the gangs are: The Mox: Not antagonizable, wouldn't want to anyways Valentinos: Try my best not to kill them if we cross paths, mostly out of respect for Jackie 6th Street and Animals: Will generally prefer not to kill them, accidents happen though Maelstrom and Tiger Claws: Not pulling any punches, may prefer to kill them depending on the mood Voodoo Boys: Wipe them out Scavs: Kill them on sight, make the rounds shooting any surviving one on the ground
I thought the Tiger Claws might be one of the more honorable groups until I stumbled into the gig where you stop one of their human trafficking operations. Found a girl dead in one of their cargo containers with a phone filled with messages of her mom trying to find her. Found them absolutely repulsive after that.
@@YorkJonhsonas I learned they own the Clouds and dabble in prostitution and are enemies of the Mox, tyger claws basically became free game for me. Double points after the cyber psycho incident in Pacifica involving a father who found where his daughter went against her will
Voodoo Boys getting more vitriol than Maelstrom and Tigers feels unfair. Voodoos personally fuck us over but they largely keep to themselves to protect their community otherwise. Maelstrom and Tiger make hurting people and being Vile their day to day.
Wish there was an option to befriend the """"good ones"""" because I know some maelstrom are really just in a bad situation. Also I always want people shooting for me.
Yeah, I think that the theme of the video is a little muddled. I think he's going for "worst gang to join" as his title says, but a lot of the script talks about how dangerous they are to other people in Night City and how strong the gang is overall. The most dangerous gangs to the average person in Night City is a very different list, and which gang would win in an all out war is another list again. I think this one is just supposed to be which one sucks the worst to join.
id say the Scavs are just a way worse presence in Night City. With Maelstrom you know what you get and you know to just stay out of their way. Best avoid their territory and if you spot one they are easy to identify so go somewhere else. Scavs meanwhile hunt for people and run scams to find victims.
its important to note that the street kid path heavily implies that you grew up with all valentinos and while you didnt join the gang officially youre from their neighborhood and can relate most to them. i like giving my street kid valentino tattoos especially the big v with a cross on your neck.
@@akbarkhan656 i never said you couldnt/ didnt fight valentinos as a street kid, in fact most of the missions against valentinos are because they go against padre so he sends you to deal with them which reinforces what i said as hes the valentinos leader. next time try using some logic before you tell someone theyre wrong, the game is my proof for being right, if you disagree you mustve skipped through all the dialogue.
@@ThirdEye-47dude padre is not the leader of the Valentinos... It's open to interpretation as it should. You're free to choose if you and v like the Valentinos or not. The game on purpose doesn't tell you that you are gang related. Instead it gives you just enough so you could say you got a relation to the Valentinos if that's what you like. You grew up around them and your partner in crime is an ex member. Rest is open to interpretation as it should.
@@juanmccoy3066He might not be a leader or member. But based on the mission where a Valentino rips off the Aldecados. If you insult Padre he can green light your ass and the rest of the Valentinos apparently won’t do anything to stop him. Padre tells V punishing them isn’t his job. So Padre apparently plans to pull up personally. So he clearly has no fear of the Valentinos knowing he killed one of them. Might as well call him El Padrino
I've always wanted cyberpunk to implement a feature where you have a "standing" with each gang in the game. Like if you side with Royce and don't shoot maelstrom gang members out in the streets maybe they like you enough to give discounts on weapons and not shoot you when you get close to them. Or if you take revenge and kill voodoo boys, they grow to hate you and shoot at you on sight. The scale can be: 1. Revered (loved) 2. Good 3. Neautral 4. Bad 5. Hated
@@eliaspanayi3465 Hopefully this is the core of the next game. It's honestly the only place I see them going next in the sequel. Set 20 years prior to 2077, you help one of the gangs rise to the absolute top of Night city as either a soldier or leader. That is, unless they go the Fourth Corporate War route. So much ahs clearly happened between the tabletop Rpg and this game that I don't see them not taking the opportunity of this 50 year gap to tell numerous stories, along with all the breadcrumbing they've been doing through out this game.
The Mox are an extremely classical gang, the sort meant to be a community protection force in a lawless area. Not being expansionist and stuff is a pro tbh, because it means you're not getting involved in massive illegal economic ventures all the time and constantly bringing more risk to yourself.
@@ouflag6799men can join the ranks of the Mox but they generally don’t because A) men are less likely to be driven to sex work than women B) most pornography is marketed towards straight men, however a lot of porn is marketed towards gay men so there are plenty of sex workers who make gay porn but not many straight men do it as their main source of income.
@@WhiteRose2002 It's not just SWers tho but described as social outcasts. So just throw in lgbt, autistic, generally ppl in those spaces. Already bordering a lot with being a SWer.
@@ouflag6799 It's not just SWers but described as "social outcasts". So intepreting that as lgbt, autistic, generally ppl in those spaces marginalised folk in small communities. Already bordering a lot with being a SWer as a lot of trans/lgb and disabled and neurodivergant ppl are sex workers
In my first playthrough, I was happy to live and let live with the gangs who didn't try and actively kill me. But I got to the final story section with the VDBs, specifically when you've leaving and Brigitte taunts you about Evelyn Parker. Long story short, I walked out of that church wearing her coat and a good chunk of her insides. Which started a prolonged one woman war between me and Pacifica that continues to this very day.
Yeah, the Voodoo Boys die, each and every one of them, every playthrough I do. If you're going to make it a standard operating procedure to betray every hired hand that works for you then don't be surprised if the chickens come home to roost when you fuck up and try to screw over someone powerful enough to turn your entire crew into a red stain on the floor. And walls. And ceiling.
I think the most narratively interesting gang is the NCPD. You have very relatable characters and then you have their leashed cyberpsychos. They're the gang that convinced everyone they're legitimate and brazenly engage in the worst sorts of corruption, with any sort of redemption found only in the low-level true believers like River Ward.
You’re exaggerating. Sure like in any dystopian universe the police sucks ass but they most definitely help more then the gangs. They are corrupt and often look the other way but they won’t cut you up for parts or operate on you for fun. Also we meet a few good cops beside river. And lastly nobody ever complains for MaxTecs free help
Some of the archived calls you find from the NCPD are disturbing - where the police high ups send their own people into gang ambushes, presumably because they weren't corrupt.
@@GadgetsGearCoffee Don't remember exactly. There's one in Kabuki - not far away from Wakako. There's a cop sitting on a chair who got tortured to death by the Tyger Claws. In Watson, in one of the factory areas you can find some cops who were ambushed by Maelstrom - along with messages from the police chief. The first message is to his officers, where they complain about not having backup while being sent into gang territory, and he threatens to fire them if they refuse to go. The second message is to the Maelstrom boss, negotiating a fee for the officers' assassination.
@@GadgetsGearCoffee If I recall correctly, there's one in a small parking lot near Megabuilding H8. Slightly to the southeast of its base I think. There's a small group of Tyger Claws and one or two dead guys on the ground.
I would definitely be in The Mox. Basically, it's just protecting the downtrodden in a way. Plus, Rita would have absolutely been my romance option, given the opportunity. She looks so cool to me.
@@john0doesntyeah they do i overheard two mox members talking and the higher ranked member agreed to go get some guy called skinny something for abusing a worker
@@schnoz2372you have to be a member of the mox though if you talk to the boss she says as much. Doesn’t mean some members won’t help people outside the mox Judy being a good example
When facing gangs, I have kind of a "moral code". Like, I don't execute downed gangers, and I don't specificaly try to kill them in a fight. I hold that code against 6th Street, the Animals, the Tyger Claws and the Valentinos. On the other hand, when fighting Scavs, Maelstromer or Wraith, I always shoot to kill, and finish off every surviving goon after a fight.
I always avoid fighting Valentinos whenever I can 6th street, Animals and Tyger Claws I'm focused on retaliation and Scavs Maelstrom and Wraiths I kill on sight
i always leave one person alive on the ground when i fight gangs, in a roleplaying sense it's a "fuck you" to send a message to the rest of the gang as the remaining survivor would probably never be the same person again
At Kabuki Market one can overhear two people talking. Apparently, they're small vendors located there and one of them doesn't have the money to pay Tyger Claws tithe. The other says that selling anything, implants or even a body part, would be a wise move, because if Tyger Claws found one of the vendors lacking in payment to them they will execute every other vendor at the market. So for me Tyger Claws make 4th place on my "shoot on sight" list, right after Maelstrom, Scavs and Wraiths (these 3 are put by me in alphabetical order)
@finnvost9349 Main problem I have with 6th Street, that puts them higher on my "kill on sight" list than Animals and Valentinos, is that they're supposed to be anti corporate, while they quite gladly do the corpos bidding. Animals are for me just a bunch of mercenaries
I think in NC the general idea is to try and go the route Jackie took: stick with a gang that can watch your back long enough for you to try and go solo merc. Then you should have some gear, some chrome, and be in a better position to stick to whatever morals you have left after growing up in NC. I 100% agree with your assessments about each gang.
@@sillylittlesheepjax6009I mean it’s not exactly realistic for V to be able to single handedly raid Arasaka on his own either. We’re legends in this game, anything goes
@@jackbassdrop9412Well considering how insanely cromed out V is it’s not too insane to believe an Arasaka raid is possible. Even though it happened two times Arasaka doesn’t expect a handful of peopel just showing up, they’re more prepared for a vehicle attack from another corp (example is how they managed to shoot down the Militech av in the rogue ending while failing in stopping entry in the others)
@@asiblingproductionI like muscled women but holy hell, no thanks to those roided out fuckers. If that's what you like then you go to town but I'd sit this one out
I would definitely go with Sixth Street or the Valentinos. Yeah, they're a gang of criminals/murderers, but at least you can reason with them. They aren't likely to shoot you or go back on a deal just for funsies, so you could work with them without having to be paranoid.
Unfortunately the Valentino’s are known to go back on their word. There was a gig where you had to retrieve a vehicle because the Valentinos were supposed to pay up but instead stole the van and beat the person up. Valentinos are known for dirty tricks but not all of them work like that.
Sixth Street will absolutely go back on their word and shoot you for funsies. The beat the brat sixer calls his buddies and tries to kill you if he bet his gun and loses the match against you. Then there's the leader who got his position entirely on being anti-corpo then starts working with them anyway. And THEN theres the gouse party massacre they did just to find one guy, and the kidnapping/mutilations they did of civilians just to collect ransoms. They're just thugs hiding under the banner of patriotism, principles only matter to them when it's beneficial for them to.
honestly, the most non fuked up gang is actually the Animals IMO. No crime syndicate no nothing. Theyre just a bunch of gym bros pushed to the extreme.
Even though killing and incapacitating makes no real difference game wise, whenever I see maelstrom or scavs incapacitated I tend give em a quick melee
Valentinos and the Mox for me. Tigers, 6th street and the Animals are on a "you do you, I do me" basis. They don't annoy me, I leave them alone. Maelstrom, Voodoo Boys, etc are kill on sight pretty much unless or very cautious if I have to do Biz with them. Always ready and prepared for a Backstab attempt, no mercy.
0:04 I never noticed this before but I love the way Dum Dum 💩 himself when Royce comes out angry but then he sees him pull the gun on you and follows him. It’s such a small but interesting glimpse into the relations ho between characters , and you see it everywhere
As a Jamaican I wanted to like the Voodoo Boys so much man - and that intro in the church was atmospheric AF buuuuut after what they pulled on me and Evelyn on my first playthru its on sight subsequently ESPECIALLY Placide. Had no issue with maelstrom until I read that new novel - now its on sight too.
@@davidinass Spoilers for the novel if you haven't read it and plan to - don't read any further Basically they tortured and killed a bunch of innocent people just cuz they were vaguely connected to the protagonists who did a job on maelstrom's turf (didn't really even cross maelstrom they robbed Militech). Imagine someone slices up your coworker cuz you robbed an amazon warehouse in their neighborhood basically. Also they sliced up hanging dead bodies at live events to make sculptures as a sort of performance.
Maelstrom likes to kidnap people and stuff them full of implants. You can see that in both a cyberpsycho mission with the Valentino and the mission with the monks. There's also a mission where they kidnapped a ripperdoc and forced her to work for them. And also there's another cyberpsycho mission where they took one of Brick's last supporters and tortured him into being their attack dog. They're not very nice.
I wanted to like them too, I thought it was cool that they were so reserved and kept to their own. Then it became obvious why they kept to their own, anyone who works with them ends up flatlined.
Avoid killing :Mox Only during jobs or self defense: Valentinos, Animals, 6th Street, Tiger Claws(Debatable) On sight: Scavs, Voodoo Boys, and Maelstrom.
What I hate the most about the Voodoo boys is how unbelievably stupid it is that the animals, or literally anyone else, haven't smashed up all their servers and killed every single one of them way before the game even starts. They are literally trying to kill everyone who isn't in their gang, and Netwatch knows that, yet never takes direct action against them? Ok maybe they are somehow for no justified reason afraid that they would lose that fight. Arasaka wouldn't, Kang Tao, Militech, they wouldn't either. Surely the corpos would work together for that one, and even if they don't Netwatch only would need one to agree. Even then, its not like big dumb brutes like the animals wouldn't overwhelm them through sheer force of numbers. Even extraordinarily powerful individuals, like V, can only quickhack so many people at a time. Even stupider, they kill literally anyone that does them a favor. Zero gangs would survive like that in the real world, let alone a brutal dystopia barely held together by tenuous agreements and honor between gangs to not just slaughter each other in the streets all the time. The VDB's would be getting contracts put out against them every single day from every fixer attracting the attention of very powerful gang members and solos because of their stupid policy of openly being proud of betraying every non Haitian. Just ask Maelstrom just how fucking bad betraying the wrong solo can fuck you over. The VDB's of course can learn that lesson too, their entire elite netrunning squad, their leaders, all dead because they betray you for literally (LITERALLY) no reason whatsoever for absoluteley no gain. Even if you let them get away with that, I doubt they learn their lesson and continue pissing everyone off. Realistically, the second Netwatch believed the black wall was in danger either they or the animals being paid by Netwatch would have stormed the crypt and beaten all of the VDB's to death. Also, Placide, what the fuck does he mean when he says "dey call us dis" when you ask him about their name? They literally CALL THEMSELVES the Voodoo boys. What the fuck are you talking about Placide? Why is he so stupid and infuriating? The fact that the game doesn't give you the option to see through his painfully fucking obvious deception regardless of your stats is so frustrating to sit through, especially so on subsequent playthroughs. God I hate the Voodoo boys so fucking much.
The Voodoo boys are stupid dangerous runners on top of having their own Netaccess setup, not just the chairs but all of the hardware as well. No one has moved in or said anything because they will fry you in your sleep from across the city. I don't like them either but netrunners in Cyberpunk are terrifying.
@@DancerVeiled Netwatch not only destroyed their backstabbing virus, but also gave a means to extract extra revenge on them when it turns out they lied about helping with the biochip. Wish they gave an option to text a thank you note to that Agent. Fuck the VDB.
Despite being a three months old comment, still tossing a random thought in. I reckon the VDBs survive because they are extremely good at hiding themselves. Culling the gang would mean culling all of Pacifica, and generally that's a big no-no in morals and ethics. And since they are so ridiculously difficult to find via netrunning as well, can't rely on tracking them through the net. As for the reason they kill every outsider they work with, that ensures nobody can question those outsiders for details about the VDBs. After all, dead men tell no tales.
He didn't miss them, because they aren't gangs (in the context of this game/lore). They categorized as nomads, and naturally wouldn't be included in a list like this.
@@Ra1nRoverThe tabletop considered the raffen shiv a nomad family though, so I can see the arguments either way. Hell, one of the nomad clans was a corporation.
@@rustyjones7908 Wraiths are a specific subset of Raffen though, effectively having coalesced into a gang in the badlands around Night City rather than just being scattered groups of exiled Nomads.
Aldecados aren't a gang really but if we classify em as such then they're by fart the best gang in the city the wraiths are just as bad as the scavs...probably worse since somehow they pissed them off too LMAO how do you do that? think about that here you are operating outside the city most of the time and somehow you've pissed off even the worst bottom feeders? dayum dawg!!!! lolz
I would honestly like to see more of the Mox seeing as what we see of them is rather limited compared to the others and they’re mostly a paragon of morality and virtue in the criminal world to the point where Judy joined them for a time and continued working with them after she left.
Huh? What game did u play? I wouldn't call them virtuous in this game or in the broader table top universe. Can't think of a worse word for them. Not even "relatively virtuous" would fit. The mox exploit hookers and johns the way corpos exploit employees and consumers. I guess to you, that's virtuous. Guess the whole point of the game flew over ur smooth ape brain but whatever.
I always fucked with the Mox. Like yeah they're running prostitution and porn and all which are often pretty shady businesses even in our world, but at least the Mox make real efforts to do it all legit and actually protect their workers. They're small, at least for now, but with what a big business sex is in NC and the fact that the Mox makes an effort to keep sex workers safe, I could see them grow as more and more sex workers go to them over other groups as the Mox will actually treat them with some level of respect.
Another interesting note about 6th street ( Small spoilers for phantom liberty), they will actually work for NUSA sometimes, as seen and told by reed when he calls them in to help take out a max tac convoy. Although reed is clearly using them, it’s interesting that 6th street is willing to do all of this for very little just cuz of patriotism
I have a particular distaste for the Scavs and the Raffen Shiv. Tho im not a big fan of The Voodoo Boys either. Their willingness to just try & rub you out multiple times always gets to me. I always wipe out their leadership. I got no prob with 6th Street & is usually intrigued by Maelstrom. Great video 🤙
Maelstrom is for sure my favorite. I find it incredibly interesting that they aren’t all cyberpsychos. The eyes just look awesome too. And, their music? Johnny says it’s bad, but Tinnitus is great.
@@davhot4107 pretty much just have Chrome. In one of the new lore source books, it explains why they’re like that. There’s a video out there that explains where maelstrom came from. I’d recommend giving it a watch.
With the valentino's origins I had imagined them to be two separate gangs, with the original lady-obsessed valentinos fading away by the times of cyberpunk red. Maybe they adapted and changed to fit the Night City post-2020 though.
Mod would no doubt be the safest option to join as long as you follow their rules and be as mutual as the others. Valentinos would be the next best option but people should be aware some of the Valentinos do possess treachery as they also work for corps under certain circumstances and have businesses of their own. Unlike most NC gangs, they’re not crazy and can be reasoned with but that doesn’t mean they’re 100% trustworthy.
After that it’s probably the animals but only on the lower levels. Stick to basic fighting pits and protection rackets. Everyone else your rather crazy to join or have no morality. Also on a side the voodoo boys used to also be one of the good ones to join but there leadership turned them so mad I don’t think there faction is savable anymore. The animals on the other hand once you kill Sasquatch and that guy in Pacifica they should be fine as those two were the main cause as they we’re making a power play that went way to far as they got way to deep. Kill those two and there right back to being mercs and muscle
My V post flatlining smasher would probably jump to lead the mox, take over clouds and other clubs and sign us cracks to a major recording and security deal to make some dope new songs with kerry to tour with.
"The Scavs are the main reason you DONT wander alone at night..." V: Boy, I sure hope no Scavs come out, I definitely didn't just install Thermal Mantis Blades and a new Sandevistan. Johnny: V. Please. You've gone cyberpsycho, now can we just direct that at- V: What's that, Johnny? I should put off our Arasaka raid for another month so I can spell your name with Scav corpses? ĎŐŃŤ_mĪŇĐ_ĮF_1_d0_hÅHā4ãhaāæ!!!!
I will say, it's kinda funny to me that I've always read the Valentino's large population and strong family themes was a result of their original mission statement, and as such, I assumed a lot of them are actually related to at least 1 of the original members
May seem weird, but I dislike Tyger Claws even more than the Scavs. At least scavs don't go pretending they are honorable and "good", Tyger Claws are too hypocrite for me to not engage in a shootout with them if there's a minimal provocation from them.
Joining the Mox is definitely the better option than staying on your own, since they'll have your back. Just be aware that that membership comes with the obligation of returning that favour and that you can't drag them into full-on gang wars or commit autrocities whilst attached to them. In essence: if you're a regular, reasonable person, joining the Mox is probably your best bet. If you're a bit more of an ambitious person, the Valentinos are for you, just keep the additional risks of politiking, gang-wars and backstabbings in mind.
@@draochvar9646 i havent played in a while but from what i remember backstabbing isnt really an issue with the valentinos ( in comparison with the other gangs )
True that early game some of them are spec'd out to the max, and are highly resistant. Late game you'll find that theres at least 1 net runner, will blitz you with shotgunners flanking you to flush you from cover.
Agreed. I won't accept some of Padre's quests until my level is in the 30s. Contrary to Sam's assessment however I don't find the Tyger Claws particularly troublesome.
Yes the Val quest are tough until about level 25 and then it depends on your cyberware and style of play. A netrunner can just unleash contagion from a hacked camera. It takes time and patience but until they track you down it's the best way. Hopefully by the time you do get discovered they are so few or injured you can take them down with gun play. With a combat oriented build its better to wait until level 30 before going in for the kill.
@@tylersperry9164 yeah they have a weird aggro identity where they love attacking from cover or simply rushing you as a group. Watch out for the katana weilder from behind 🤭
Yeah, I kind of wish you could build reputation with various factions and, if your reputation with them is high enough, they stop alerting if you walk a little too close to them or even turn green and shoot on your side.
About the Valentinos, it should be noted that most gangs have this "either you're with us or you're against us" mentality. But as evidenced by Jackie and a number of others, they were freely able to "ditch" them without repercussions - it's difficult to say whether this is due to the merciful influence of the Padre or whether it's truly an aspect of the gang, but they don't seem to have this mentality. Many high-ranking Valentinos even came to Jackie's funeral, which is certainly a sign of respect - in general, it looks like "respect" is deeply-woven into the gang's ethos, and doesn't seem to be a one-way street either, so even past members are still respected. As to why they are still the biggest gang in NC next to the Tygers? Well, the Valentinos aren't exactly a gang with a unique purpose. They represent the Mexican/Latino heritage of the district of Heywood, just like the Tygers represent the Japanese/Chinese heritage of Westbrook and Little China. Therefore anyone born in these districts is likely to be part of this heritage, and will therefore grow up with these gangs - eventually to join them. It's not like Maelstrom who are extremely aggressive cyberware-lovers (boostergang), 6th Streeters who are mainly made-up of war veterans and ex-military-corpos, or Voodoo Boys who do have an ethnic focus, but also a uniquely nihilistic outlook - the recruitment pool is just far bigger for the Tygers and the 'Tinos. Born in the barrio? Part of the barrio.
Can we just acknowledge that at least in the game of Cyberpunk 2077, that MAELSTROM of all gangs is actually more trustworthy and reasonable than the Voodoo Boys! Words cannot descibe how shocking that is.
A lot of the gangs from the books were posergangs, so, they were almost more like a fandom rather than a gang tbh. And some fit better in the 2020 stylen and the real life 90's style.
The Scavs are like a city's rats, the other factions aren't too bothered with them and they don't form such a threat, but wiping them out is nearly impossible
I think the Maelstrom idea is very fascinating but also easily psychotic. I would side with Valentinos, they are the most traditional and solid gang. Best implants, best weapons and cars, fresh from Militech and authorized too. I also think that the feature of knowing Sebastian Ibarra would be a very good thing. He knows the city like its pockets, infact the street V already knows him when he comes back.
So the Valentinos don't actually require you to be latino to join, but members do tend to integrate into Latino culture. Probably where someone like me would end up if I were in Night City. Even though I'm a white person, I grew up in a largely Latino neighborhood, and so would have more in common with them than, say, the Sixth Street which is more predominately white.
6th street has plenty of black, Asian and latino members in the game and larger universe. It's a patriotic organization but it's not "white supremacist" or "predominantly white" not by a long shot. Anyone can be a patriot. Even MAGA irl is more multi cultural than people like to admit
Sixth street seems to be the most interracial gang of them all. You can see Asians, caucasians, Hispanics and blacks in 6th street. Maelstrom seems to be predominantly white.
Scavs: On sight Mox: Aliies Valentinos: Dont fight unless i have to ( Respect for Jackie ) 6th Street: Idk, they can be chill but i wont have any mercy if needed Animals: Same as 6th street, dont really care Voodoo Boys: Im the biggest hater, i hate the way that you talk, the way that you walk Maelstrom: Wasnt that antagonistic till i learned the whole XBD situation, then it started to be KOS Tiger Claws: On sight
oh man I thought that I was the only one who kills gangs on sight for me it's anyone aside from mox , and animals I don't finish off if they're just knocked out
Mox: Judy's chooms are my chooms. Not yet faced any reason to aggro one. Tinos: Jackie's chooms. Neutralize only if strictly needed, preferably non-lethal. Tygers, Animals and 6th: case by case, scanning before. Collateral damage can happen tho. VDB: In my game just before the Netwatch netrunner's choice, got a savefile to test playing both along and against them, but seeing this video i guess the 'against' option will be the playthrough i'll carry on and they'll get into the: Kill on sight list: Maelstrom: Usually spare low-threat downed survivors but don't care that much. Raffen shiv: Shoot to kill + finish survivors. Preying on Aldecados was unforgivable. Plus they were already nearly as disgusting as the Scavs: Given the chance nearby, their bodies ends up into a dumpster, in water or thrown from height.
You inspire me so much. I've been working on a Tabletop RPG in 2077 and your videos diving deep in the gangs and corpos of 2077 help me to enrich my story with even deeper connections and complexity I would never have noticed otherwise. I always watch your videos taking several notes to make my description and understanding of this world ever sharper.
@@archvile7538 lol, good. I mean, it would be fine even if you didn't... But I just remember around the time Edgerunners came out, there was an article going around on TTRPG circles that was like "how to play Cyberpunk in D&D".
Love your videos bro, I love this game but your videos have definitely helped hugely in my ability to digest the enormity and complexity of everything going on in this game, And for I wouldn't join but maelstrom definitely intrigue me the most, albeit a bit of a morbid curiosity hahaha Can't wait for you to breakdown mr blue eyes, and everything potentially linked to him, and have you considered doing a video exploring Garry the prophets speeches, although I spoke they do kinda relate a little to mr blue eyes and rogue AI's and that whole side Oh nd also a video exploring Rache bartmos would definitely be dope aswell Thanks again for your well presented and oh so very informative content 😀🙃
I wish there was something along the lines of an approval rating for each of the gangs. They already have their territorries, and depending how your standing is with them it could make for some dynamic content where they attack/help you depending if you're on good terms with them or not.
I love the VDB's apparent ability to go toe to toe with a megacorp (netwatch) while holding off the ncpd at the same time and keeping their culture alive through all of it. Yeah pacifica sure ain't shiny or even very liveable but they feel like the closest thing to an actually free people within night city, but yeah they get there by very fishy means and ur fucked if ur not their in-group haha
This was a pretty cool breakdown of the gangs in the game, curious of your thoughts on the rest of the gangs from the lore. You didnt even mention the Bozos, which has a member represented in 2077.
Finally grabbed cyberpunk at christmas and am so into it. Lov your vids, would love to watch them all instantly xD but i wanna be carefull with spoilers now so i have to wait for some xD
Yep, yep, this is good breakdown of the Night City gangs. My strategy however is to mine all of the blue carroted minions I run across for scrap-able resources (except for NCPD anyway). How else are you going to feed your insatiable weapon, clothing and chrome upgrade habit. That keeps me aligned with the After Life mercs. I guess if you’re not as capable as V then one of the other gangs is a more attractive option.
What I wish for the gangs is a better system, like for example, Saint row the third, where the gangs will join the gunfights when others shoot you, that was a hell of a war in that game, sadly cyberpunk missed it there, it would be a cool mechanic
I love the random car battles that now pop up from time to time.My favorite one was when a Maelstrom car was being chased by a lone Mox on a bike swinging a baseball bat and screaming like a Valkyrie. As if I didn't love the Mox enough already.
To be honest im kind of a big fan of the animals, in a world where most people use cybernetics to improve themselves, seeing an entire gang opt more for biological answers is really cool to me, im also just a fan of punching people in cyberpunk, especially with the new finishers
They pretty much have full-on cybernetic bodies Just like all athletes in the universe of Cyberpunk You can find about it in some conversations and shards and some of missions in DLC Dunno if You played it so won't spoil more :3
@@CzornyLisek Cyberpunk 2077 doesn't really make a distinction between the two, but in the original source material like CP2013 and 2020 tabletop RPGs there were two avenues of augmentation, really. One was cyberware, the chrome we're already familiar with, but the other was bioware which tended to be lighter on the humanity cost, but very expensive! Stuff like grafted vatgrown muscle, enhanced reflexes, secondary hearts (and other improved organs), gills and so on and so forth. I imagine the Animals would be big into bioware enhancements if it there was a distinction made i the game. In the 2020 era the Scandinavian countries had made themselves an entire industry out of being _the_ place to go for biotech enhancements with the highest of high-end bioware clinics for those who could pay their exorbitant prices.
Yeah, bioware generally needs to be tailored to the recipient, which makes it pretty expensive being that it's at least in some part always a custom job.
I have a soft spot for the Valentinos. For them and the Mox, its all non-lethal. 6th Street, here-and-there. But everyone else, especially the VDB's its blood and skulls.
6th street aren’t necessarily evil They’re anti corporate and actually protect people from other gangs. In ‘stadium love’ they seem popular in the community, and in Panam’s first quest, you give them medications for cyber psychosis that they give out to veterans that need it.
Now including the DLC, Barghest is probably the best option. Mostly former militech who hate corps and the government, and run an extremely well-protected independent city state inside an independent city state. Plus, you get a ton of advanced weapons, armor, and cyberware and they have an albeit rigorous recruitment process that’s open to anyone who is able to fight. That, and they truly do care about the citizens of dog town as a whole and protect them from outside influences as much as they can. That being said, while their ethics are mostly on the same level as the Mox, they sometimes make less than ethical decisions in order to survive like making trade deals with Scavs. Not like they welcome Scavs around, as they regularly get into firefights with individual gangs of them and often refuse to help them.
The valentinos have power AND will basically never betray you. The only concern is that they are kind of like Jackie: they have their sights set high, and they may not have the ruthlessness and cunning to make it to the top and could get backstabbed.
Excellent assessment. Mox are definitely the best of the gangs, even under Susie who is more business oriented and not interested in taking every waif of the streets as Judy would have her do. I'll always go to the aid of a Mox when they get attacked. You were I feel a little generous with the Valentinos. I came across a number of massacres dealt out by the Valentinos, men, women, corpo and worker, they hadn't cared. I normally avoid killing Valentinos, just give them a nasty case of cyber flu, but when its obvious they have killed innocent civilians I show no mercy. However in the war between the Vals and the 6th Street I always try and help out the Vals. Maelstrom are an interesting gang. I hate Royce and his buddies but Brick shows a much more controlled side which doesn't require violence to get ahead. I also like Dum Dum and always regret having to kill him when dealing with Royce. Again like the Vals I tend to only kill those who have actually murdered innocents and won't actively hunt them down like some other gangs. The Animals. Dumb brutes most of them. If I have to take out a Animal I try and keep it to the target and nobody else. Being a Techy Netrunner player I even aim to have no kills during the infiltration of the GIM - I'll even try and spare Sasquatch if I can. Yes if I find they are killing innocents I'll take them down hard but generally these guys and gals are doing a job (bouncers, protection) and nothing more. You don't cause trouble and they leave you alone. I see them akin to Maelstrom without the warped sense of humour. The VDBs are an interesting bunch. They can be monstrous and treacherous to outsiders. I suspect even if Evelyn had done exactly what Bridgete told her to do and nothing more I think she would have ended up with her brain fried. The only ending for all foolish enough to think they can make money off the VDBs I suspect. However other than the main quest I pretty much leave the VDBs alone. Avenge Evelyn, limit their threat to the Black Wall - I do like the Netwatch agent and was sorry I never got any more gigs from him as promised. Maybe Phantom Liberty will offer that but I'm not holding out too much hope. 6th Street, like the Maelstrom, have just experienced a hostile take over and you were not there to save the previous leader like you can do with Brick. In 2020 RPG I usually worked with these guys so I was horrified by what they had become. Under Gunner they are brutal, almost fascist gang who care little for collateral damage. They have completely forgotten their credo of protecting the little guy. There murdering of unarmed sex workers in one gig just shows how low and callous they have become. One of my top 3 most disliked gangs and usual kill all (with the one exception of the lass who is a mechanic who has a jerk of a customer complaining that he lost a car race because of her). She and her buddies just get the contagion and a nice rest in jail. I won't simply shoot a 6th Streeter if I get the opportunity. Unlike .. The Scaves. Hate these guys with a passion and will kill them whenever I see their gimp masks. I live up to the hate they have for V and am Death their destroyer. There is nothing good about these guys. They used to not be full of Russians back in 2020 (or at least not as well played them) but I can see how the Soviets would find it an excellent way of acquiring cyberware they can replicate without getting their own hands dirty. You see it in gangs today. Once solely white gangs now are dominated if not controlled by a completely new ethnicity (and religion). Shoot, chop or brain boil these bastards. No prisoners. By the way you missed the Wraith but I consider them a sub sect of the Scavs and the same holds true to them as to the Scavs , burn them all. Tiger Claws. My equal top 1 most disliked gang. Distibutors of Glitter, indiscriminate killers of innocents to get at their target, the primary muscle for Arasaka when they want things done on the hush hush (yes they use other gangs but only when they want no tie back to Arasaka like the Valentino False Flag job). They work closer with the Scaves than any other gang (which you would think would be Maelstrom). But most of all Jotaro. He is the ultimate perverted monster. My one suggestion to CDPR is that this should be the last gig given out by Regina. All the threads of the who makes these horrible XBDs points towards Jotaro but you can kill him very early in the game. He should be the last, the spider in the centre of the web, the snake at the end of the rabbit hole built up over time as you discover more and more shocking evidence as to what Jotaro is up to like his Scav human traffickers and the sick Father and Son XBD team. Sorry for the essay but you did ask and its fun to go back over all my playthroughs and really think about my attitudes to each gang. A pleasant way to spend a Sunday morning. Thanks Choom.
Your opinions match mine pretty much 1for1. The downfall of 6th street really is a f*cking travesty and they deserve little more than outright scorn. As for your point on the Mox, I suspect Susie has bashed her pretty little head against just a few too many metaphorical walls in her time to still hold on to Judy's bright-eyed, bushy-tailed naivety about the realities of Night City. I think that she does still believe in what the Mox stands for but also realizes that if she runs the gang into the ground over overzealous idealism or bites off more than the Mox can handle, nobody will be helped in the long run. Her approach to me seems like the stance of a realist, doing what she can with the resources at her disposal
@@william_brobrine8975 Thanks. Great game, great characters. The only thing I would have added at least was how the gangs treat you as you help or hinder them. That would have fleshed them out a little more. I just don't get mugged as much as I should in Night City. I'd like to see that in Phantom Liberty.
@davidwhitfield6025 would definitely would be a nice thing but imagine the coding for that another year delay for to be polished too but I definitely agree 100% especially to keep NCs reputation of being shot or muged on the side of the road a reality
@@william_brobrine8975 True if they did the Kharma system of Fallout 3 (which would be the end goal). However the coding for just having gangers to react to you based on each attack on a member would be as "simple" as a counter with a level emplaced causing increased hostile reaction. Must check Nexus to see if someone has done that.
The clouds situation probably didnt work out because the dolls were afraid of having their combat implants kick in at the wrong time. They may have had them turned off. As ide from that there were only 2 dolls with the combat implantrsd. If all of the workers had the same programming and were in on it they might have succeeded. THey needed more muscle and they needed to damage the tiger claws just as the Mox had to establish themselves.
They should have joined the MOX after taking over, maybe the MOX wouldn't agree to that though because it would probably start a war with the Tiger claws.
I remember the 6th street attack on a party...blood everywhere and shooting people in the back. Ever since that side-mission, it was slice and dice for them.
Hold on, Lizzie’s last name was borden, and she killed people with an axe? Wow, never caught that reference to the real life Lizzie borden. Lizzie borden took her axe, and gave her mother 40 whacks, when she saw what she had done, she gave her father 41.
For an Average Joe you'd probably be ambivalent to (or supportive of) 6th Street, the Valentinos or the Tyger Claws, based on which you personally might feel more swayed by. Don't disrespect them and they won't have any particular reason to disrespect you. Voodoo Boys are likely too concerned with keeping their own plans moving to spare you a second thought unless you work against them, Animals are scary but also tend to keep to themselves and the Mox are basically a non-entity that nevertheless might make you think twice about starting something in a bar or club. Maelstrom are a death sentence to be around, just run. If you see a Scav's glowing mask at the end of a dark alley after a wrong turn, don't bother running. It's already too late. As potential clients for a professional (Solo, Netrunner, etc.) however, this list looks a little different. The Mox and the Valentinos are probably the best for overall reputation-building: Plenty of jobs, stable structure and word-of-mouth will help you build a rapport with them more easily over time. Not as much to gain from The Mox as the Valentinos (at least materially/security-wise) but the Mox are fiercely protective of those they consider their own. Tyger Claws and 6th Street have more internal division and honour/respect systems to wrangle with, to say nothing of their corporate ties that might make jobs less frequent for you or worse more frequent if the gang themselves have fires to put out due to higher powers meddling, but they offer serious tangible manpower and cash incentives should you keep them happy. Animals are much more unpredictable and lack long-term planning, besides why hire someone else when each Animal can tear an apartment block apart bare-handed anyway? That said, getting in good with them is probably the best case scenario as far as allies go, the sheer power they have at their disposal as well as their terrifying reputations as roided-up powerhouses will likely keep you very safe on the street. Only the desperate would work for Maelstrom: any job they give you will get you killed or worse if you fail. If they need outside help it likely isn't a job with good odds of success or survival, and any positive reputation you build with them probably won't survive more than a week. Scavs don't hire, if they ever offer to they're either scared shitless by something larger (they will absolutely betray you later if they get the chance and sell your chrome/organs off) or are just trying to lull you into a false sense of security (before they knock you out and sell your chrome/organs off). Voodoo Boys are like Scavs but worse: They're all serious business and mutual respect until the job is done and you end up without pay, dead or, worse, mindfucked into a killing machine, even if you did everything right on your end.
@@RedRabbitEntertainment lmao the fact you need to bring guns to a protest just to avoid getting your shit kicked in says enough as it is, really playing with fire too. The right has always been superior when it comes to violence. Antifa took nothing but Ls everytime they tried to throw down with their right counterparts, so now they just bring guns and rely on the average right winger having more of a life to throw away than they do. People who cant win a fist fight aren’t mentally equipped to win a gunfight. If the bluff ever gets called its a wrap for yall. Better yet I doubt you’ve even been to an event or done shit. Just another shitter typing on his keyboard and trying to reinforce their own fragile ego by clinging to the actions of people they identify with from far away.
I don't like the scavs, but I i do like their holomasks. I just think they look cool. Edit: in the cyberpunk 2020 tabletop there were cyberware suites called "exotics" that were basically furries. Wolves, cats, lions, dragons, etc. I feel like The Animals should have gone that way but i guess it didn't fit the tone CDPR was going for. Too bad their drugs kill libido, only thing keeping Rhino from being best girl. Have you seen the mods that clean her up and clear her roid acne? She's actually got nice features imo. A bit on the butch side but still quite pretty.
@@thorveim1174 that does make sense. It's kind of ironic that many have to still augment their skeletons to keep their muscles from ripping their bodies apart. No shade, I think that's actually good writing and im-theme.
@@rustyjones7908 yup they still take some augments, though most are apparently in-house and dont have electronics (and are stuff like facilitating the intake of substances like steroids to optimize their effects on top of the bone reinforcments), which may on top be an in-lore reason why the VDBs needed help dealing with the Animals: their chief skill is netrunning, but in an Animal there is very little one can actually hack, making the Animals almost immune to the biggest strengh of the VDB. And may also be why they were the hired muscle of choice for an operation against the VDB
For me scavs and animals are on sight, the others im actually ok with. i only kill them in missions if i fuck up stealth or have to, or they attack me first. I have not finished the game yet so my opinion might change for the others. But fuck the scavs and the animals.
For me, Scavs = KOS. Tiger Claws & Maelstrom = Beat them senseless(I try not to kill them, it's more fun to woop their butts and watch them writhe in pain). Valentino's & 6th Street I avoid if possible(I'm a Veteran), only kill if it's part of a Gig or I get jumped. Mox... if the game had a "Flirt" option for every one of them, I'd be doing that. :)
Fun fact for those who haven’t heard of it before, lidocaine is a real anesthetic used when doing procedures on specific areas, such as the neck, gums, or breasts. Kinda cool seeing a substance I see being used regularly in my job (I work at a hospital, don’t worry) is being mentioned in a video game I play, even if it’s being used for less than ideal reasons.
I mean, you can buy the stuff right now in hundreds of different forms over the counter. It's not like some magical secret substance that nobody has ever heard of or seen before. Might as well be talking about ibuprofen.
I mean... i was also very excites when i saw they also eat food like we do, and breath air! And drive cars! As i do in my regular life, it is so on point omg! They also have a trauma team that goes and picks up sick people... like ambulances! Who would have thought!
I like that everyone agrees that Scavs are on a strict “see one-kill one” rule.
Yes
Scavs and maelstrom
@@Unapologeticweebmhm not even humans in my opinion
What are these scavs that you speak of do you mean all the corpses littering every single base operation they have in the city that would definitely not caused by me 😊
I felt the same way lmao
My rule of thumb, don't hurt a Mox, don't leave a Scav standing.
Moxes are awesome, and scavs/malstromers are good grenade aiming practice. Just find a group of them watching TV and practice your throwing arm.
my dude! @@Osma777
I also include Tyger Claws in my “Slaughter on sight” list cuz I absolutely adore the Moxes and continuing their work feels good.
@@cerealwalker I kill Claws too. The only Gangoon I regret killing is Dum Dum, but his revolver is a beast and I must have it.
@@cerealwalker tbh, I'm a tech junkie; even before 2.0, I always loved tech weapons and explosive. Got to grind that engineering skill somehow, and ooo, look, some gangsters just walked by! (Kaboom!)
For the Scavs, it’s on sight.
It's not even murder at this point. It's a civic service.
@JamesBuggemo On god. I make it a point to seek them out.
David’s mom was basically a scav herself
Lol I've been actively logging on and hunting down every scav since 2020 now. Still not tired of it.
@@killmonger5097 Sure but there's a difference between scavenging and being a member of a group of scavs
My stance on the gangs are:
The Mox: Not antagonizable, wouldn't want to anyways
Valentinos: Try my best not to kill them if we cross paths, mostly out of respect for Jackie
6th Street and Animals: Will generally prefer not to kill them, accidents happen though
Maelstrom and Tiger Claws: Not pulling any punches, may prefer to kill them depending on the mood
Voodoo Boys: Wipe them out
Scavs: Kill them on sight, make the rounds shooting any surviving one on the ground
I thought the Tiger Claws might be one of the more honorable groups until I stumbled into the gig where you stop one of their human trafficking operations. Found a girl dead in one of their cargo containers with a phone filled with messages of her mom trying to find her. Found them absolutely repulsive after that.
@@YorkJonhsonas I learned they own the Clouds and dabble in prostitution and are enemies of the Mox, tyger claws basically became free game for me. Double points after the cyber psycho incident in Pacifica involving a father who found where his daughter went against her will
Voodoo Boys getting more vitriol than Maelstrom and Tigers feels unfair. Voodoos personally fuck us over but they largely keep to themselves to protect their community otherwise. Maelstrom and Tiger make hurting people and being Vile their day to day.
I hate the VDBS. Especially Placide. I always side with Netwatch so I can punch him in the face.
@@theentity1839take a look at pacifica and tell me they take care of their community. Place is a shithole.
I find it funny when fighting some Maelstrom gangers, they will sometimes say the lines "We're not ALL bad, ya' know!" as they are shooting at you.
I mean. They are trying to shoot you until death, not torture you. In their f*cked up moral compass that's a good thing.
I mean, its true in some sense. The ones we always go against are usually hostile.
My favorite is "C'mon we can be friends".
Wish there was an option to befriend the """"good ones"""" because I know some maelstrom are really just in a bad situation. Also I always want people shooting for me.
@@KrummyBrinkleJr. Dude imagine having a Maelsrtom girlfriend. 😨😨
You could include River Ward's opinion on 'which gang is the worst.' As a side note.
The Scavs rivals Maelstrom according to River.
He's a pig.
Yeah, I think that the theme of the video is a little muddled. I think he's going for "worst gang to join" as his title says, but a lot of the script talks about how dangerous they are to other people in Night City and how strong the gang is overall. The most dangerous gangs to the average person in Night City is a very different list, and which gang would win in an all out war is another list again. I think this one is just supposed to be which one sucks the worst to join.
maybe he mean in terms of casualties, both those gangs would be the worst for the NCPD
@@martinjaramillo7446poor NCPD imagine living there being a COP it would be an adrenaline rush for sure but def scary
id say the Scavs are just a way worse presence in Night City. With Maelstrom you know what you get and you know to just stay out of their way. Best avoid their territory and if you spot one they are easy to identify so go somewhere else. Scavs meanwhile hunt for people and run scams to find victims.
its important to note that the street kid path heavily implies that you grew up with all valentinos and while you didnt join the gang officially youre from their neighborhood and can relate most to them. i like giving my street kid valentino tattoos especially the big v with a cross on your neck.
Doesn't mean shit, my v is a street kid and it was shoot to kill at Valentino alley, died a couple times when I was under levelled.
@@akbarkhan656 i never said you couldnt/ didnt fight valentinos as a street kid, in fact most of the missions against valentinos are because they go against padre so he sends you to deal with them which reinforces what i said as hes the valentinos leader. next time try using some logic before you tell someone theyre wrong, the game is my proof for being right, if you disagree you mustve skipped through all the dialogue.
@@ThirdEye-47dude padre is not the leader of the Valentinos...
It's open to interpretation as it should.
You're free to choose if you and v like the Valentinos or not. The game on purpose doesn't tell you that you are gang related. Instead it gives you just enough so you could say you got a relation to the Valentinos if that's what you like.
You grew up around them and your partner in crime is an ex member. Rest is open to interpretation as it should.
Yeah Padre is not the "leader". In fact he's not even currently a member anymore. He's an ex priest from the hood who became a fixer.
@@juanmccoy3066He might not be a leader or member. But based on the mission where a Valentino rips off the Aldecados. If you insult Padre he can green light your ass and the rest of the Valentinos apparently won’t do anything to stop him. Padre tells V punishing them isn’t his job. So Padre apparently plans to pull up personally. So he clearly has no fear of the Valentinos knowing he killed one of them.
Might as well call him El Padrino
I've always wanted cyberpunk to implement a feature where you have a "standing" with each gang in the game. Like if you side with Royce and don't shoot maelstrom gang members out in the streets maybe they like you enough to give discounts on weapons and not shoot you when you get close to them. Or if you take revenge and kill voodoo boys, they grow to hate you and shoot at you on sight. The scale can be:
1. Revered (loved)
2. Good
3. Neautral
4. Bad
5. Hated
I wish there would be a gang DLC where you can take over night city through helping a gang gain territory
@@eliaspanayi3465 Hopefully this is the core of the next game. It's honestly the only place I see them going next in the sequel. Set 20 years prior to 2077, you help one of the gangs rise to the absolute top of Night city as either a soldier or leader. That is, unless they go the Fourth Corporate War route. So much ahs clearly happened between the tabletop Rpg and this game that I don't see them not taking the opportunity of this 50 year gap to tell numerous stories, along with all the breadcrumbing they've been doing through out this game.
Very cool and thoughtful idea! The system you’re describing was done and handled exceptionally well in Fallout: New Vegas.
on some level we all want every game to be fallout: new vegas
I'd be hated by them all except mox
The Mox are an extremely classical gang, the sort meant to be a community protection force in a lawless area. Not being expansionist and stuff is a pro tbh, because it means you're not getting involved in massive illegal economic ventures all the time and constantly bringing more risk to yourself.
But can dudes join the vox i havent seen a male vox member
@@ouflag6799I assume they can, since Dolls can be male too. If the stuff at Clouds didn't go to shit, I'm 100% sure that Tom would've joined The Mox.
@@ouflag6799men can join the ranks of the Mox but they generally don’t because A) men are less likely to be driven to sex work than women B) most pornography is marketed towards straight men, however a lot of porn is marketed towards gay men so there are plenty of sex workers who make gay porn but not many straight men do it as their main source of income.
@@WhiteRose2002 It's not just SWers tho but described as social outcasts. So just throw in lgbt, autistic, generally ppl in those spaces. Already bordering a lot with being a SWer.
@@ouflag6799 It's not just SWers but described as "social outcasts". So intepreting that as lgbt, autistic, generally ppl in those spaces marginalised folk in small communities. Already bordering a lot with being a SWer as a lot of trans/lgb and disabled and neurodivergant ppl are sex workers
In my first playthrough, I was happy to live and let live with the gangs who didn't try and actively kill me. But I got to the final story section with the VDBs, specifically when you've leaving and Brigitte taunts you about Evelyn Parker.
Long story short, I walked out of that church wearing her coat and a good chunk of her insides. Which started a prolonged one woman war between me and Pacifica that continues to this very day.
Yeah, the Voodoo Boys die, each and every one of them, every playthrough I do. If you're going to make it a standard operating procedure to betray every hired hand that works for you then don't be surprised if the chickens come home to roost when you fuck up and try to screw over someone powerful enough to turn your entire crew into a red stain on the floor. And walls. And ceiling.
Also I hate Placide for some reason, just can’t stand that guy
Respect sister
Evelyn stabbed them in the back. Brought their cyber attack on herself with bad biz. VDBs for life, praise Damballah
I think the most narratively interesting gang is the NCPD. You have very relatable characters and then you have their leashed cyberpsychos. They're the gang that convinced everyone they're legitimate and brazenly engage in the worst sorts of corruption, with any sort of redemption found only in the low-level true believers like River Ward.
You’re exaggerating. Sure like in any dystopian universe the police sucks ass but they most definitely help more then the gangs. They are corrupt and often look the other way but they won’t cut you up for parts or operate on you for fun. Also we meet a few good cops beside river.
And lastly nobody ever complains for MaxTecs free help
Some of the archived calls you find from the NCPD are disturbing - where the police high ups send their own people into gang ambushes, presumably because they weren't corrupt.
@@ThejollyFrenchman where did you find those calls? (spoiler free hopefully?)
@@GadgetsGearCoffee Don't remember exactly. There's one in Kabuki - not far away from Wakako. There's a cop sitting on a chair who got tortured to death by the Tyger Claws.
In Watson, in one of the factory areas you can find some cops who were ambushed by Maelstrom - along with messages from the police chief.
The first message is to his officers, where they complain about not having backup while being sent into gang territory, and he threatens to fire them if they refuse to go. The second message is to the Maelstrom boss, negotiating a fee for the officers' assassination.
@@GadgetsGearCoffee If I recall correctly, there's one in a small parking lot near Megabuilding H8. Slightly to the southeast of its base I think. There's a small group of Tyger Claws and one or two dead guys on the ground.
I would definitely be in The Mox. Basically, it's just protecting the downtrodden in a way. Plus, Rita would have absolutely been my romance option, given the opportunity. She looks so cool to me.
She is no doubt the coolest non relevant character.
they don't do that anymore though that's the issue
@@john0doesntyeah they do i overheard two mox members talking and the higher ranked member agreed to go get some guy called skinny something for abusing a worker
Rita romace would really make the game great.
@@schnoz2372you have to be a member of the mox though if you talk to the boss she says as much. Doesn’t mean some members won’t help people outside the mox Judy being a good example
When facing gangs, I have kind of a "moral code". Like, I don't execute downed gangers, and I don't specificaly try to kill them in a fight. I hold that code against 6th Street, the Animals, the Tyger Claws and the Valentinos. On the other hand, when fighting Scavs, Maelstromer or Wraith, I always shoot to kill, and finish off every surviving goon after a fight.
I always avoid fighting Valentinos whenever I can
6th street, Animals and Tyger Claws I'm focused on retaliation
and Scavs Maelstrom and Wraiths I kill on sight
i always leave one person alive on the ground when i fight gangs, in a roleplaying sense it's a "fuck you" to send a message to the rest of the gang as the remaining survivor would probably never be the same person again
At Kabuki Market one can overhear two people talking. Apparently, they're small vendors located there and one of them doesn't have the money to pay Tyger Claws tithe. The other says that selling anything, implants or even a body part, would be a wise move, because if Tyger Claws found one of the vendors lacking in payment to them they will
execute
every
other
vendor
at the market.
So for me Tyger Claws make 4th place on my "shoot on sight" list, right after Maelstrom, Scavs and Wraiths (these 3 are put by me in alphabetical order)
@finnvost9349 Main problem I have with 6th Street, that puts them higher on my "kill on sight" list than Animals and Valentinos, is that they're supposed to be anti corporate, while they quite gladly do the corpos bidding.
Animals are for me just a bunch of mercenaries
Tyger Claws, Maelstrom, Scavs and Wraiths are the once who I kill the most.
I think in NC the general idea is to try and go the route Jackie took: stick with a gang that can watch your back long enough for you to try and go solo merc. Then you should have some gear, some chrome, and be in a better position to stick to whatever morals you have left after growing up in NC. I 100% agree with your assessments about each gang.
Not realistic to think gang will just let member go when he gets bored😅 im suprised val just let Jackie leave
@@sillylittlesheepjax6009 isnt there a whole lore thing where jack and only and 1 other guy left the valentinos?
@@sillylittlesheepjax6009I mean it’s not exactly realistic for V to be able to single handedly raid Arasaka on his own either. We’re legends in this game, anything goes
@@jackbassdrop9412Well considering how insanely cromed out V is it’s not too insane to believe an Arasaka raid is possible.
Even though it happened two times Arasaka doesn’t expect a handful of peopel just showing up, they’re more prepared for a vehicle attack from another corp (example is how they managed to shoot down the Militech av in the rogue ending while failing in stopping entry in the others)
@@justinh9674Considering its possible to finish the game with only Kiroshi Optics installed, its not the chrome that makes the solo
Valentinos combat theme is the best. Never knew combat could feel cool and chill af.
Also the Valentinos ladies look best out of all the gangs :D
@@Valkyrioneuits all about them Animals ladies bro wtf are you on about 🥺
🤣🤣🤣@@asiblingproduction
@@asiblingproductionI like muscled women but holy hell, no thanks to those roided out fuckers. If that's what you like then you go to town but I'd sit this one out
@@Valkyrioneu Feels like such a waste killing them...
For me scavs are the ones I never miss the chance of killing when I see them and valentinos are the ones I try to avoid killing all the time
I liked maelstrom, especially DumDum, had no issues with working with them. Then i scanned Royce and Lars and noticed what they're wanted for.
What were they wanted for? I shot him in the face before I looked
@@Xxsorafan Royce has multiple counts of r*pe, corpocide, homicide, forced cyberware instillation, that kinda stuff
@@XxsorafanRoyce specifically was wanted for serial rape and sex trafficking, among lots of murder counts
@@BebeSensei okay I don’t feel bad that dum dum dies then at the expense of shooting Royce when prompted
@@Xxsorafan yeah LOL Even when surrounded by bad people Royce managed to be worse
I would definitely go with Sixth Street or the Valentinos. Yeah, they're a gang of criminals/murderers, but at least you can reason with them. They aren't likely to shoot you or go back on a deal just for funsies, so you could work with them without having to be paranoid.
Nah! Mox 4
@@ForestRaptor If they'll let you join! Judy has an argument with the current leader over them not being able to take in just anyone.
Unfortunately the Valentino’s are known to go back on their word. There was a gig where you had to retrieve a vehicle because the Valentinos were supposed to pay up but instead stole the van and beat the person up. Valentinos are known for dirty tricks but not all of them work like that.
Sixth Street will absolutely go back on their word and shoot you for funsies. The beat the brat sixer calls his buddies and tries to kill you if he bet his gun and loses the match against you. Then there's the leader who got his position entirely on being anti-corpo then starts working with them anyway. And THEN theres the gouse party massacre they did just to find one guy, and the kidnapping/mutilations they did of civilians just to collect ransoms. They're just thugs hiding under the banner of patriotism, principles only matter to them when it's beneficial for them to.
honestly, the most non fuked up gang is actually the Animals IMO. No crime syndicate no nothing. Theyre just a bunch of gym bros pushed to the extreme.
Even though killing and incapacitating makes no real difference game wise, whenever I see maelstrom or scavs incapacitated I tend give em a quick melee
Yea, when those lowlifes are involved, leave no survivors!
At this point the only gang I won't engage is the Mox, and the rest of the gangs, if they go down they get the sword.
Quick melee? Gotta inject them some acute lead poisoning.
@@Ozzianman lately I been using a nerotox knife to the chrome to finish the job as required. Satisfying thunk.
my V is rich enough for her to use bullets
and when we're talking about scavs or maelstrom i'm acting as a ripperdoc who mistakes lead for chrome
Valentinos and the Mox for me.
Tigers, 6th street and the Animals are on a "you do you, I do me" basis. They don't annoy me, I leave them alone.
Maelstrom, Voodoo Boys, etc are kill on sight pretty much unless or very cautious if I have to do Biz with them. Always ready and prepared for a Backstab attempt, no mercy.
voodoo boys really the example of ur usualy suspect in usa streets. LOL i wonder if cyberpunk knew what they did.
0:04 I never noticed this before but I love the way Dum Dum 💩 himself when Royce comes out angry but then he sees him pull the gun on you and follows him. It’s such a small but interesting glimpse into the relations ho between characters , and you see it everywhere
As a Jamaican I wanted to like the Voodoo Boys so much man - and that intro in the church was atmospheric AF buuuuut after what they pulled on me and Evelyn on my first playthru its on sight subsequently ESPECIALLY Placide. Had no issue with maelstrom until I read that new novel - now its on sight too.
What did maelstrom do?
@@davidinass Spoilers for the novel if you haven't read it and plan to - don't read any further
Basically they tortured and killed a bunch of innocent people just cuz they were vaguely connected to the protagonists who did a job on maelstrom's turf (didn't really even cross maelstrom they robbed Militech). Imagine someone slices up your coworker cuz you robbed an amazon warehouse in their neighborhood basically. Also they sliced up hanging dead bodies at live events to make sculptures as a sort of performance.
Maelstrom likes to kidnap people and stuff them full of implants. You can see that in both a cyberpsycho mission with the Valentino and the mission with the monks. There's also a mission where they kidnapped a ripperdoc and forced her to work for them. And also there's another cyberpsycho mission where they took one of Brick's last supporters and tortured him into being their attack dog. They're not very nice.
NC is a dog eat dog place. I wipe the VDBs on my way out of the church but I dont hold a grudge after that.
I wanted to like them too, I thought it was cool that they were so reserved and kept to their own. Then it became obvious why they kept to their own, anyone who works with them ends up flatlined.
32:33 minor correction: If I remember correctly, you CAN join the Valentinos even if you are NOT Hispanic/Latino(a).
Avoid killing :Mox
Only during jobs or self defense: Valentinos, Animals, 6th Street, Tiger Claws(Debatable)
On sight: Scavs, Voodoo Boys, and Maelstrom.
What I hate the most about the Voodoo boys is how unbelievably stupid it is that the animals, or literally anyone else, haven't smashed up all their servers and killed every single one of them way before the game even starts. They are literally trying to kill everyone who isn't in their gang, and Netwatch knows that, yet never takes direct action against them? Ok maybe they are somehow for no justified reason afraid that they would lose that fight. Arasaka wouldn't, Kang Tao, Militech, they wouldn't either. Surely the corpos would work together for that one, and even if they don't Netwatch only would need one to agree. Even then, its not like big dumb brutes like the animals wouldn't overwhelm them through sheer force of numbers. Even extraordinarily powerful individuals, like V, can only quickhack so many people at a time.
Even stupider, they kill literally anyone that does them a favor. Zero gangs would survive like that in the real world, let alone a brutal dystopia barely held together by tenuous agreements and honor between gangs to not just slaughter each other in the streets all the time. The VDB's would be getting contracts put out against them every single day from every fixer attracting the attention of very powerful gang members and solos because of their stupid policy of openly being proud of betraying every non Haitian. Just ask Maelstrom just how fucking bad betraying the wrong solo can fuck you over. The VDB's of course can learn that lesson too, their entire elite netrunning squad, their leaders, all dead because they betray you for literally (LITERALLY) no reason whatsoever for absoluteley no gain. Even if you let them get away with that, I doubt they learn their lesson and continue pissing everyone off.
Realistically, the second Netwatch believed the black wall was in danger either they or the animals being paid by Netwatch would have stormed the crypt and beaten all of the VDB's to death.
Also, Placide, what the fuck does he mean when he says "dey call us dis" when you ask him about their name? They literally CALL THEMSELVES the Voodoo boys. What the fuck are you talking about Placide? Why is he so stupid and infuriating? The fact that the game doesn't give you the option to see through his painfully fucking obvious deception regardless of your stats is so frustrating to sit through, especially so on subsequent playthroughs. God I hate the Voodoo boys so fucking much.
The Voodoo boys are stupid dangerous runners on top of having their own Netaccess setup, not just the chairs but all of the hardware as well. No one has moved in or said anything because they will fry you in your sleep from across the city. I don't like them either but netrunners in Cyberpunk are terrifying.
Yeah, I had the attitude of "Screw me once, shame on me, screw me twice, I'll flatline all of you."
Didn't even feel bad.
@@DancerVeiled Netwatch not only destroyed their backstabbing virus, but also gave a means to extract extra revenge on them when it turns out they lied about helping with the biochip.
Wish they gave an option to text a thank you note to that Agent. Fuck the VDB.
Despite being a three months old comment, still tossing a random thought in. I reckon the VDBs survive because they are extremely good at hiding themselves. Culling the gang would mean culling all of Pacifica, and generally that's a big no-no in morals and ethics. And since they are so ridiculously difficult to find via netrunning as well, can't rely on tracking them through the net.
As for the reason they kill every outsider they work with, that ensures nobody can question those outsiders for details about the VDBs. After all, dead men tell no tales.
There's lots of graffiti on voodoo boys turf that says VDB or Voodoo or whatever. They definitely call themselves that
You missed the Badlands gangs(Aldecaldos and Raffens). I know they technically aren't from within Night City, but they are involved.
He didn't miss them, because they aren't gangs (in the context of this game/lore). They categorized as nomads, and naturally wouldn't be included in a list like this.
@tron9683 the wraiths are a gang. One of the loading screen splash text says it.
@@Ra1nRoverThe tabletop considered the raffen shiv a nomad family though, so I can see the arguments either way. Hell, one of the nomad clans was a corporation.
@@rustyjones7908 Wraiths are a specific subset of Raffen though, effectively having coalesced into a gang in the badlands around Night City rather than just being scattered groups of exiled Nomads.
Aldecados aren't a gang really but if we classify em as such then they're by fart the best gang in the city
the wraiths are just as bad as the scavs...probably worse since somehow they pissed them off too LMAO how do you do that?
think about that here you are operating outside the city most of the time and somehow you've pissed off even the worst bottom feeders? dayum dawg!!!! lolz
I would honestly like to see more of the Mox seeing as what we see of them is rather limited compared to the others and they’re mostly a paragon of morality and virtue in the criminal world to the point where Judy joined them for a time and continued working with them after she left.
Huh? What game did u play?
I wouldn't call them virtuous in this game or in the broader table top universe. Can't think of a worse word for them. Not even "relatively virtuous" would fit.
The mox exploit hookers and johns the way corpos exploit employees and consumers.
I guess to you, that's virtuous. Guess the whole point of the game flew over ur smooth ape brain but whatever.
I always fucked with the Mox. Like yeah they're running prostitution and porn and all which are often pretty shady businesses even in our world, but at least the Mox make real efforts to do it all legit and actually protect their workers. They're small, at least for now, but with what a big business sex is in NC and the fact that the Mox makes an effort to keep sex workers safe, I could see them grow as more and more sex workers go to them over other groups as the Mox will actually treat them with some level of respect.
Another interesting note about 6th street ( Small spoilers for phantom liberty), they will actually work for NUSA sometimes, as seen and told by reed when he calls them in to help take out a max tac convoy. Although reed is clearly using them, it’s interesting that 6th street is willing to do all of this for very little just cuz of patriotism
they're the MAGA of Night City, lol...
MERICA! FREEDOM!
I have a particular distaste for the Scavs and the Raffen Shiv. Tho im not a big fan of The Voodoo Boys either. Their willingness to just try & rub you out multiple times always gets to me. I always wipe out their leadership. I got no prob with 6th Street & is usually intrigued by Maelstrom. Great video 🤙
Thanks for all the builds, lore, and weapon lists. Definitely the best place for Cyberpunk lore!
Glad you appreciate the videos. Thank you so much!
Maelstrom is for sure my favorite. I find it incredibly interesting that they aren’t all cyberpsychos. The eyes just look awesome too. And, their music? Johnny says it’s bad, but Tinnitus is great.
Also it's the least requierment gang to join in.
@@davhot4107 pretty much just have Chrome. In one of the new lore source books, it explains why they’re like that. There’s a video out there that explains where maelstrom came from. I’d recommend giving it a watch.
For sure, they are like the future version of current industrial and aggrotech aesthetic, even music is similar.
With the valentino's origins I had imagined them to be two separate gangs, with the original lady-obsessed valentinos fading away by the times of cyberpunk red. Maybe they adapted and changed to fit the Night City post-2020 though.
This Video was much needed. I played 3 playthroughs and I still didn't fully understand which gangs I was up against at times.
It's always a good day when Sam Bram uploads
"What's the difference between an onion and a scav? You only cry when you slice and dice an onion."
Mod would no doubt be the safest option to join as long as you follow their rules and be as mutual as the others. Valentinos would be the next best option but people should be aware some of the Valentinos do possess treachery as they also work for corps under certain circumstances and have businesses of their own. Unlike most NC gangs, they’re not crazy and can be reasoned with but that doesn’t mean they’re 100% trustworthy.
I'd argue that no one in Night City is 100% trustworthy.
After that it’s probably the animals but only on the lower levels. Stick to basic fighting pits and protection rackets.
Everyone else your rather crazy to join or have no morality.
Also on a side the voodoo boys used to also be one of the good ones to join but there leadership turned them so mad I don’t think there faction is savable anymore. The animals on the other hand once you kill Sasquatch and that guy in Pacifica they should be fine as those two were the main cause as they we’re making a power play that went way to far as they got way to deep. Kill those two and there right back to being mercs and muscle
Someone said it best. "Never trust a soul in Night City.."
My V post flatlining smasher would probably jump to lead the mox, take over clouds and other clubs and sign us cracks to a major recording and security deal to make some dope new songs with kerry to tour with.
Idol V? Idol V!;
Brilliant video, thank you Sam 👍👍👍
Thank you John. Glad you enjoyed!
"The Scavs are the main reason you DONT wander alone at night..."
V: Boy, I sure hope no Scavs come out, I definitely didn't just install Thermal Mantis Blades and a new Sandevistan.
Johnny: V. Please. You've gone cyberpsycho, now can we just direct that at-
V: What's that, Johnny? I should put off our Arasaka raid for another month so I can spell your name with Scav corpses? ĎŐŃŤ_mĪŇĐ_ĮF_1_d0_hÅHā4ãhaāæ!!!!
@millo7295 You must smell like feet wrapped in leathery, burnt bacon.
I will say, it's kinda funny to me that I've always read the Valentino's large population and strong family themes was a result of their original mission statement, and as such, I assumed a lot of them are actually related to at least 1 of the original members
Ngl. Scavs are KoS for me. Same with tiger claws; it’s too many sex crimes and abuse for me.
May seem weird, but I dislike Tyger Claws even more than the Scavs. At least scavs don't go pretending they are honorable and "good", Tyger Claws are too hypocrite for me to not engage in a shootout with them if there's a minimal provocation from them.
@@seikatsuragi7237 also they like to pretend theyre not arasaka's organized crime branch
I like how the formation of the Mox and Lizzie’s bar is such a direct reference to the actual Lizzie Borden axe murders from 1892
Generally I tend to leave the gangs alone unless they're messing with me.
Scavs are the exception, they get cut down by my sword at lightning speed.
So basicaly stay clear of all of them , the valentinos and the mox are the only ones not too messed up
Joining the Mox is definitely the better option than staying on your own, since they'll have your back. Just be aware that that membership comes with the obligation of returning that favour and that you can't drag them into full-on gang wars or commit autrocities whilst attached to them.
In essence: if you're a regular, reasonable person, joining the Mox is probably your best bet. If you're a bit more of an ambitious person, the Valentinos are for you, just keep the additional risks of politiking, gang-wars and backstabbings in mind.
@@draochvar9646 i havent played in a while but from what i remember backstabbing isnt really an issue with the valentinos ( in comparison with the other gangs )
@@misterkirikou there are some things that come up in files you can read and the whole mess with Arasaka/ Militech
0:46 FYI lizzy borden was a real life serial killer that took the life of 3 people with an axe (i think it was her family members) in the nineties
1800’s*
@@saint.7198 I meant 19th century but yeah
There's no denying that the Valentinos in Heywood are the Hardest Gang Enemies in the entirety of "Cyberpunk 2077."
As far as the gameplay?
True that early game some of them are spec'd out to the max, and are highly resistant. Late game you'll find that theres at least 1 net runner, will blitz you with shotgunners flanking you to flush you from cover.
Agreed. I won't accept some of Padre's quests until my level is in the 30s. Contrary to Sam's assessment however I don't find the Tyger Claws particularly troublesome.
Yes the Val quest are tough until about level 25 and then it depends on your cyberware and style of play. A netrunner can just unleash contagion from a hacked camera. It takes time and patience but until they track you down it's the best way. Hopefully by the time you do get discovered they are so few or injured you can take them down with gun play. With a combat oriented build its better to wait until level 30 before going in for the kill.
@@tylersperry9164 yeah they have a weird aggro identity where they love attacking from cover or simply rushing you as a group. Watch out for the katana weilder from behind 🤭
Seriously, there needs to be a Cyberpunk spinoff centered specifically on joining these gangs.
Yeah, I kind of wish you could build reputation with various factions and, if your reputation with them is high enough, they stop alerting if you walk a little too close to them or even turn green and shoot on your side.
Tha is so obviously missed gameplay idea it's baffling that it's not even attempted.
About the Valentinos, it should be noted that most gangs have this "either you're with us or you're against us" mentality. But as evidenced by Jackie and a number of others, they were freely able to "ditch" them without repercussions - it's difficult to say whether this is due to the merciful influence of the Padre or whether it's truly an aspect of the gang, but they don't seem to have this mentality. Many high-ranking Valentinos even came to Jackie's funeral, which is certainly a sign of respect - in general, it looks like "respect" is deeply-woven into the gang's ethos, and doesn't seem to be a one-way street either, so even past members are still respected.
As to why they are still the biggest gang in NC next to the Tygers? Well, the Valentinos aren't exactly a gang with a unique purpose. They represent the Mexican/Latino heritage of the district of Heywood, just like the Tygers represent the Japanese/Chinese heritage of Westbrook and Little China. Therefore anyone born in these districts is likely to be part of this heritage, and will therefore grow up with these gangs - eventually to join them.
It's not like Maelstrom who are extremely aggressive cyberware-lovers (boostergang), 6th Streeters who are mainly made-up of war veterans and ex-military-corpos, or Voodoo Boys who do have an ethnic focus, but also a uniquely nihilistic outlook - the recruitment pool is just far bigger for the Tygers and the 'Tinos. Born in the barrio? Part of the barrio.
Can we just acknowledge that at least in the game of Cyberpunk 2077, that MAELSTROM of all gangs is actually more trustworthy and reasonable than the Voodoo Boys! Words cannot descibe how shocking that is.
More, yeah just more than others...... Gonna say Royce doesn't deserve that.... Brick deserves.
@@UCRjGzq33NDIz-YPwfuDBM8A Royce is just a straight evil bastard.
Brick and Dum-Dum yes, but not under Royce.
Mans casually making a video about joining gangs 😁
Great work on this video! A ton of information I hadn’t known before!
Thanks! Yeah, I mean who doesn't love to make a video about joining gangs on a quiet afternoon???
Glad they scaled back to only 8 gangs. If they tried to cram in even half the gangs from the source books it’d have been way way way too much.
A lot of the gangs from the books were posergangs, so, they were almost more like a fandom rather than a gang tbh. And some fit better in the 2020 stylen and the real life 90's style.
The Scavs are like a city's rats, the other factions aren't too bothered with them and they don't form such a threat, but wiping them out is nearly impossible
I think the Maelstrom idea is very fascinating but also easily psychotic. I would side with Valentinos, they are the most traditional and solid gang. Best implants, best weapons and cars, fresh from Militech and authorized too. I also think that the feature of knowing Sebastian Ibarra would be a very good thing. He knows the city like its pockets, infact the street V already knows him when he comes back.
Scavs, Maelstrom and Voodoo boys are kill on sight for me
So the Valentinos don't actually require you to be latino to join, but members do tend to integrate into Latino culture. Probably where someone like me would end up if I were in Night City. Even though I'm a white person, I grew up in a largely Latino neighborhood, and so would have more in common with them than, say, the Sixth Street which is more predominately white.
6th street has plenty of black, Asian and latino members in the game and larger universe. It's a patriotic organization but it's not "white supremacist" or "predominantly white" not by a long shot. Anyone can be a patriot.
Even MAGA irl is more multi cultural than people like to admit
Sixth street seems to be the most interracial gang of them all. You can see Asians, caucasians, Hispanics and blacks in 6th street. Maelstrom seems to be predominantly white.
Mox - Not worthy of a trophy. Everything else - Let the hunt begin
Scavs: On sight
Mox: Aliies
Valentinos: Dont fight unless i have to ( Respect for Jackie )
6th Street: Idk, they can be chill but i wont have any mercy if needed
Animals: Same as 6th street, dont really care
Voodoo Boys: Im the biggest hater, i hate the way that you talk, the way that you walk
Maelstrom: Wasnt that antagonistic till i learned the whole XBD situation, then it started to be KOS
Tiger Claws: On sight
I really appreciate how the video dives right into the ranking without a drawn-out intro
oh man I thought that I was the only one who kills gangs on sight for me it's anyone aside from mox , and animals I don't finish off if they're just knocked out
I kill all gangs on sight most of the time. Aside from sixth street because they played fair with me and gave me a gun
Mox: Judy's chooms are my chooms. Not yet faced any reason to aggro one.
Tinos: Jackie's chooms. Neutralize only if strictly needed, preferably non-lethal.
Tygers, Animals and 6th: case by case, scanning before. Collateral damage can happen tho.
VDB: In my game just before the Netwatch netrunner's choice, got a savefile to test playing both along and against them, but seeing this video i guess the 'against' option will be the playthrough i'll carry on and they'll get into the:
Kill on sight list:
Maelstrom: Usually spare low-threat downed survivors but don't care that much.
Raffen shiv: Shoot to kill + finish survivors. Preying on Aldecados was unforgivable. Plus they were already nearly as disgusting as the
Scavs: Given the chance nearby, their bodies ends up into a dumpster, in water or thrown from height.
My way of navigating morality in night city is: "Seek out Panam and Judy, their friends are your friends, everyone else is target practise"
You inspire me so much.
I've been working on a Tabletop RPG in 2077 and your videos diving deep in the gangs and corpos of 2077 help me to enrich my story with even deeper connections and complexity I would never have noticed otherwise. I always watch your videos taking several notes to make my description and understanding of this world ever sharper.
>.> Hope you're actually using Cyberpunk 2020 or Cyberpunk RED for it.
@@thecthuloser876 indeed I am
@@archvile7538 lol, good. I mean, it would be fine even if you didn't... But I just remember around the time Edgerunners came out, there was an article going around on TTRPG circles that was like "how to play Cyberpunk in D&D".
@@thecthuloser876 that sounds awful. Thankfully we have tons of material to play with in the rulebook and it's DLCs.
Also, it's surprising the amount of people that played the game, watched the anime and still don't know about the rulebooks.
Love your videos bro, I love this game but your videos have definitely helped hugely in my ability to digest the enormity and complexity of everything going on in this game,
And for I wouldn't join but maelstrom definitely intrigue me the most, albeit a bit of a morbid curiosity hahaha
Can't wait for you to breakdown mr blue eyes, and everything potentially linked to him, and have you considered doing a video exploring Garry the prophets speeches, although I spoke they do kinda relate a little to mr blue eyes and rogue AI's and that whole side
Oh nd also a video exploring Rache bartmos would definitely be dope aswell
Thanks again for your well presented and oh so very informative content 😀🙃
This man speaks truth you helping avg cyberpunk fans understand the truth of the lore and we all 🤯🤯
I wish there was something along the lines of an approval rating for each of the gangs. They already have their territorries, and depending how your standing is with them it could make for some dynamic content where they attack/help you depending if you're on good terms with them or not.
I love the VDB's apparent ability to go toe to toe with a megacorp (netwatch) while holding off the ncpd at the same time and keeping their culture alive through all of it. Yeah pacifica sure ain't shiny or even very liveable but they feel like the closest thing to an actually free people within night city, but yeah they get there by very fishy means and ur fucked if ur not their in-group haha
The Voodoo Boys are an instant kill on sight for my play through once you work out what they're actually up to.
This was a pretty cool breakdown of the gangs in the game, curious of your thoughts on the rest of the gangs from the lore. You didnt even mention the Bozos, which has a member represented in 2077.
hiii new vid from Sam means good day!
Nice vid!
Thanks for making these
You forgot to include the NCPD which is one of the bigger gangs in Night City.
If we consider it a gang, then is the most powerful for sure
Finally grabbed cyberpunk at christmas and am so into it. Lov your vids, would love to watch them all instantly xD but i wanna be carefull with spoilers now so i have to wait for some xD
Yep, yep, this is good breakdown of the Night City gangs. My strategy however is to mine all of the blue carroted minions I run across for scrap-able resources (except for NCPD anyway). How else are you going to feed your insatiable weapon, clothing and chrome upgrade habit. That keeps me aligned with the After Life mercs. I guess if you’re not as capable as V then one of the other gangs is a more attractive option.
What I wish for the gangs is a better system, like for example, Saint row the third, where the gangs will join the gunfights when others shoot you, that was a hell of a war in that game, sadly cyberpunk missed it there, it would be a cool mechanic
I thought Placide was a pretty cool guy by first impression, but the 'interview' raised several red flags that told me this guy was bad news.
and then you learn that Placide isnt a rotten egg: he is the NORM when it comes to how the VDB treat outsiders.
I love the random car battles that now pop up from time to time.My favorite one was when a Maelstrom car was being chased by a lone Mox on a bike swinging a baseball bat and screaming like a Valkyrie. As if I didn't love the Mox enough already.
To be honest im kind of a big fan of the animals, in a world where most people use cybernetics to improve themselves, seeing an entire gang opt more for biological answers is really cool to me, im also just a fan of punching people in cyberpunk, especially with the new finishers
They pretty much have full-on cybernetic bodies
Just like all athletes in the universe of Cyberpunk
You can find about it in some conversations and shards and some of missions in DLC
Dunno if You played it so won't spoil more :3
@@CzornyLisek Cyberpunk 2077 doesn't really make a distinction between the two, but in the original source material like CP2013 and 2020 tabletop RPGs there were two avenues of augmentation, really. One was cyberware, the chrome we're already familiar with, but the other was bioware which tended to be lighter on the humanity cost, but very expensive! Stuff like grafted vatgrown muscle, enhanced reflexes, secondary hearts (and other improved organs), gills and so on and so forth. I imagine the Animals would be big into bioware enhancements if it there was a distinction made i the game. In the 2020 era the Scandinavian countries had made themselves an entire industry out of being _the_ place to go for biotech enhancements with the highest of high-end bioware clinics for those who could pay their exorbitant prices.
The animals are no different than your alpha bros all jacked up on steroids irl. Can't say I admire that.
@@steinarbergstl5799thanks, I didn't even know that
Yeah, bioware generally needs to be tailored to the recipient, which makes it pretty expensive being that it's at least in some part always a custom job.
I have a soft spot for the Valentinos. For them and the Mox, its all non-lethal. 6th Street, here-and-there. But everyone else, especially the VDB's its blood and skulls.
6th street aren’t necessarily evil
They’re anti corporate and actually protect people from other gangs. In ‘stadium love’ they seem popular in the community, and in Panam’s first quest, you give them medications for cyber psychosis that they give out to veterans that need it.
Now including the DLC, Barghest is probably the best option. Mostly former militech who hate corps and the government, and run an extremely well-protected independent city state inside an independent city state. Plus, you get a ton of advanced weapons, armor, and cyberware and they have an albeit rigorous recruitment process that’s open to anyone who is able to fight. That, and they truly do care about the citizens of dog town as a whole and protect them from outside influences as much as they can.
That being said, while their ethics are mostly on the same level as the Mox, they sometimes make less than ethical decisions in order to survive like making trade deals with Scavs. Not like they welcome Scavs around, as they regularly get into firefights with individual gangs of them and often refuse to help them.
07:41 - "weaponless"? ...
I recall reading a note with orders at some scav place saying whatever they scavenge at this place is going straight to moscow.
Ok but Maelstrom does have an epic vibe 🤘🏻
if you have the CW to listen
The valentinos have power AND will basically never betray you. The only concern is that they are kind of like Jackie: they have their sights set high, and they may not have the ruthlessness and cunning to make it to the top and could get backstabbed.
Excellent assessment.
Mox are definitely the best of the gangs, even under Susie who is more business oriented and not interested in taking every waif of the streets as Judy would have her do. I'll always go to the aid of a Mox when they get attacked.
You were I feel a little generous with the Valentinos. I came across a number of massacres dealt out by the Valentinos, men, women, corpo and worker, they hadn't cared. I normally avoid killing Valentinos, just give them a nasty case of cyber flu, but when its obvious they have killed innocent civilians I show no mercy. However in the war between the Vals and the 6th Street I always try and help out the Vals.
Maelstrom are an interesting gang. I hate Royce and his buddies but Brick shows a much more controlled side which doesn't require violence to get ahead. I also like Dum Dum and always regret having to kill him when dealing with Royce. Again like the Vals I tend to only kill those who have actually murdered innocents and won't actively hunt them down like some other gangs.
The Animals. Dumb brutes most of them. If I have to take out a Animal I try and keep it to the target and nobody else. Being a Techy Netrunner player I even aim to have no kills during the infiltration of the GIM - I'll even try and spare Sasquatch if I can. Yes if I find they are killing innocents I'll take them down hard but generally these guys and gals are doing a job (bouncers, protection) and nothing more. You don't cause trouble and they leave you alone. I see them akin to Maelstrom without the warped sense of humour.
The VDBs are an interesting bunch. They can be monstrous and treacherous to outsiders. I suspect even if Evelyn had done exactly what Bridgete told her to do and nothing more I think she would have ended up with her brain fried. The only ending for all foolish enough to think they can make money off the VDBs I suspect. However other than the main quest I pretty much leave the VDBs alone. Avenge Evelyn, limit their threat to the Black Wall - I do like the Netwatch agent and was sorry I never got any more gigs from him as promised. Maybe Phantom Liberty will offer that but I'm not holding out too much hope.
6th Street, like the Maelstrom, have just experienced a hostile take over and you were not there to save the previous leader like you can do with Brick. In 2020 RPG I usually worked with these guys so I was horrified by what they had become. Under Gunner they are brutal, almost fascist gang who care little for collateral damage. They have completely forgotten their credo of protecting the little guy. There murdering of unarmed sex workers in one gig just shows how low and callous they have become. One of my top 3 most disliked gangs and usual kill all (with the one exception of the lass who is a mechanic who has a jerk of a customer complaining that he lost a car race because of her). She and her buddies just get the contagion and a nice rest in jail. I won't simply shoot a 6th Streeter if I get the opportunity. Unlike ..
The Scaves. Hate these guys with a passion and will kill them whenever I see their gimp masks. I live up to the hate they have for V and am Death their destroyer. There is nothing good about these guys. They used to not be full of Russians back in 2020 (or at least not as well played them) but I can see how the Soviets would find it an excellent way of acquiring cyberware they can replicate without getting their own hands dirty. You see it in gangs today. Once solely white gangs now are dominated if not controlled by a completely new ethnicity (and religion). Shoot, chop or brain boil these bastards. No prisoners. By the way you missed the Wraith but I consider them a sub sect of the Scavs and the same holds true to them as to the Scavs , burn them all.
Tiger Claws. My equal top 1 most disliked gang. Distibutors of Glitter, indiscriminate killers of innocents to get at their target, the primary muscle for Arasaka when they want things done on the hush hush (yes they use other gangs but only when they want no tie back to Arasaka like the Valentino False Flag job). They work closer with the Scaves than any other gang (which you would think would be Maelstrom). But most of all Jotaro. He is the ultimate perverted monster. My one suggestion to CDPR is that this should be the last gig given out by Regina. All the threads of the who makes these horrible XBDs points towards Jotaro but you can kill him very early in the game. He should be the last, the spider in the centre of the web, the snake at the end of the rabbit hole built up over time as you discover more and more shocking evidence as to what Jotaro is up to like his Scav human traffickers and the sick Father and Son XBD team.
Sorry for the essay but you did ask and its fun to go back over all my playthroughs and really think about my attitudes to each gang. A pleasant way to spend a Sunday morning. Thanks Choom.
Your opinions match mine pretty much 1for1. The downfall of 6th street really is a f*cking travesty and they deserve little more than outright scorn.
As for your point on the Mox, I suspect Susie has bashed her pretty little head against just a few too many metaphorical walls in her time to still hold on to Judy's bright-eyed, bushy-tailed naivety about the realities of Night City. I think that she does still believe in what the Mox stands for but also realizes that if she runs the gang into the ground over overzealous idealism or bites off more than the Mox can handle, nobody will be helped in the long run. Her approach to me seems like the stance of a realist, doing what she can with the resources at her disposal
Well said vary accurate and I'm sure how most people would feel
@@william_brobrine8975 Thanks. Great game, great characters. The only thing I would have added at least was how the gangs treat you as you help or hinder them. That would have fleshed them out a little more. I just don't get mugged as much as I should in Night City. I'd like to see that in Phantom Liberty.
@davidwhitfield6025 would definitely would be a nice thing but imagine the coding for that another year delay for to be polished too but I definitely agree 100% especially to keep NCs reputation of being shot or muged on the side of the road a reality
@@william_brobrine8975 True if they did the Kharma system of Fallout 3 (which would be the end goal). However the coding for just having gangers to react to you based on each attack on a member would be as "simple" as a counter with a level emplaced causing increased hostile reaction. Must check Nexus to see if someone has done that.
Aye got me wanting to start a new game my boy. Lol good info, thanks
The clouds situation probably didnt work out because the dolls were afraid of having their combat implants kick in at the wrong time. They may have had them turned off. As ide from that there were only 2 dolls with the combat implantrsd. If all of the workers had the same programming and were in on it they might have succeeded. THey needed more muscle and they needed to damage the tiger claws just as the Mox had to establish themselves.
They should have joined the MOX after taking over, maybe the MOX wouldn't agree to that though because it would probably start a war with the Tiger claws.
Judy destoyed the combat chips after the mission
I remember the 6th street attack on a party...blood everywhere and shooting people in the back. Ever since that side-mission, it was slice and dice for them.
Hold on, Lizzie’s last name was borden, and she killed people with an axe? Wow, never caught that reference to the real life Lizzie borden.
Lizzie borden took her axe, and gave her mother 40 whacks, when she saw what she had done, she gave her father 41.
1:10 if you ask me the tiger claw had no right to retaliate in that situation since they technically started it
I hope we get the Inquisitors back in Phantom Liberty. Would love to see them square off against the Maelstrom
For an Average Joe you'd probably be ambivalent to (or supportive of) 6th Street, the Valentinos or the Tyger Claws, based on which you personally might feel more swayed by. Don't disrespect them and they won't have any particular reason to disrespect you. Voodoo Boys are likely too concerned with keeping their own plans moving to spare you a second thought unless you work against them, Animals are scary but also tend to keep to themselves and the Mox are basically a non-entity that nevertheless might make you think twice about starting something in a bar or club.
Maelstrom are a death sentence to be around, just run.
If you see a Scav's glowing mask at the end of a dark alley after a wrong turn, don't bother running.
It's already too late.
As potential clients for a professional (Solo, Netrunner, etc.) however, this list looks a little different.
The Mox and the Valentinos are probably the best for overall reputation-building: Plenty of jobs, stable structure and word-of-mouth will help you build a rapport with them more easily over time.
Not as much to gain from The Mox as the Valentinos (at least materially/security-wise) but the Mox are fiercely protective of those they consider their own.
Tyger Claws and 6th Street have more internal division and honour/respect systems to wrangle with, to say nothing of their corporate ties that might make jobs less frequent for you or worse more frequent if the gang themselves have fires to put out due to higher powers meddling, but they offer serious tangible manpower and cash incentives should you keep them happy.
Animals are much more unpredictable and lack long-term planning, besides why hire someone else when each Animal can tear an apartment block apart bare-handed anyway? That said, getting in good with them is probably the best case scenario as far as allies go, the sheer power they have at their disposal as well as their terrifying reputations as roided-up powerhouses will likely keep you very safe on the street.
Only the desperate would work for Maelstrom: any job they give you will get you killed or worse if you fail. If they need outside help it likely isn't a job with good odds of success or survival, and any positive reputation you build with them probably won't survive more than a week.
Scavs don't hire, if they ever offer to they're either scared shitless by something larger (they will absolutely betray you later if they get the chance and sell your chrome/organs off) or are just trying to lull you into a false sense of security (before they knock you out and sell your chrome/organs off).
Voodoo Boys are like Scavs but worse: They're all serious business and mutual respect until the job is done and you end up without pay, dead or, worse, mindfucked into a killing machine, even if you did everything right on your end.
Valentinos for the loyalty, Maelstrom for the aesthetics and Metal Music
My V always on some anti-fascist shit unless I'm playing corpo. Otherwise they're getting beat to death with gorilla arms.
@@RedRabbitEntertainmentanti fascist? Cringe
@@jaydenshepard7928 Y'all don't say shit when we come to your protests armed.
@@RedRabbitEntertainment lmao the fact you need to bring guns to a protest just to avoid getting your shit kicked in says enough as it is, really playing with fire too. The right has always been superior when it comes to violence. Antifa took nothing but Ls everytime they tried to throw down with their right counterparts, so now they just bring guns and rely on the average right winger having more of a life to throw away than they do. People who cant win a fist fight aren’t mentally equipped to win a gunfight. If the bluff ever gets called its a wrap for yall.
Better yet I doubt you’ve even been to an event or done shit. Just another shitter typing on his keyboard and trying to reinforce their own fragile ego by clinging to the actions of people they identify with from far away.
I'm still waiting for my eye lasers and spider legs. Also facism is a way to go in the dystopian techno city.
Forget about the scavs, tyger claws need to pay for what they did to gloria martinez
I don't like the scavs, but I i do like their holomasks. I just think they look cool.
Edit: in the cyberpunk 2020 tabletop there were cyberware suites called "exotics" that were basically furries. Wolves, cats, lions, dragons, etc. I feel like The Animals should have gone that way but i guess it didn't fit the tone CDPR was going for. Too bad their drugs kill libido, only thing keeping Rhino from being best girl. Have you seen the mods that clean her up and clear her roid acne? She's actually got nice features imo. A bit on the butch side but still quite pretty.
I think "exotics" would clash with the theme of Animals augmenting themselves the biological way instead of through cyberware
@@thorveim1174 that does make sense. It's kind of ironic that many have to still augment their skeletons to keep their muscles from ripping their bodies apart. No shade, I think that's actually good writing and im-theme.
@@rustyjones7908 yup they still take some augments, though most are apparently in-house and dont have electronics (and are stuff like facilitating the intake of substances like steroids to optimize their effects on top of the bone reinforcments), which may on top be an in-lore reason why the VDBs needed help dealing with the Animals: their chief skill is netrunning, but in an Animal there is very little one can actually hack, making the Animals almost immune to the biggest strengh of the VDB. And may also be why they were the hired muscle of choice for an operation against the VDB
@@thorveim1174 indeed, that makes perfect sense. The game deserves credit for it's attention to detail
For me scavs and animals are on sight, the others im actually ok with. i only kill them in missions if i fuck up stealth or have to, or they attack me first.
I have not finished the game yet so my opinion might change for the others. But fuck the scavs and the animals.
Is Wraiths not considered as a gang ?
For me, Scavs = KOS. Tiger Claws & Maelstrom = Beat them senseless(I try not to kill them, it's more fun to woop their butts and watch them writhe in pain). Valentino's & 6th Street I avoid if possible(I'm a Veteran), only kill if it's part of a Gig or I get jumped. Mox... if the game had a "Flirt" option for every one of them, I'd be doing that. :)
Fun fact for those who haven’t heard of it before, lidocaine is a real anesthetic used when doing procedures on specific areas, such as the neck, gums, or breasts. Kinda cool seeing a substance I see being used regularly in my job (I work at a hospital, don’t worry) is being mentioned in a video game I play, even if it’s being used for less than ideal reasons.
I mean, you can buy the stuff right now in hundreds of different forms over the counter. It's not like some magical secret substance that nobody has ever heard of or seen before. Might as well be talking about ibuprofen.
I mean... i was also very excites when i saw they also eat food like we do, and breath air! And drive cars! As i do in my regular life, it is so on point omg! They also have a trauma team that goes and picks up sick people... like ambulances! Who would have thought!
It's the mox
Valentino's
6tb Street
Tyger claws
Animal's
Scavs
Malestrom
Voodoo boys
(From best to worst)