Technocality

As I was trawling around eBay trying to find the last figure for the marauder Tech Gang I go to pondering about them and what they get out of being 'gangers'. Tech gangs are unique to Confrontation and never made the leap to Necromunda or any of the other GW games. I suppose you might suggest that Van Saar are their inheritors but they don't quite have the same pull for me.

Who are the people that make up Tech Gangs and why do they become gang members? As I'm on my way to owning two different Gangs. I suppose I should explore these questions a bit shouldn't i?

First up, what do the confrontation rules say about the Tech Gangs?

Roy Eastland's Original Gangs from White Dwarf

Tech Gangs

Tech gangs and associations are more common than supposed. Techs often form collectives to protect themselves from exploitation by other groups. From passive protection and defence, such associations often mature into gangs that are as aggressive, in their own fashion, as any other in the hives. Tech gangs have a pool of skills which means that they can often trade for materials from the factory levels. They deal in drugs, chemicals and weapons, trading these goods for interesting technological relics and rare raw materials scavenged from the undercities. Tech gangs are not noted for crude ferocity but they are widely respected for their expertise with weapons and equipment, and it is foolish indeed to cross a Tech gang without reason. 

Social group - Techs belong to clans, either forming a distinct group within a large clan or forming separate tech clans. Techs form gangs to protect themselves and their bus iness interests.
Territory - Tech gangs protect the workshops, industrial plants and associated living areas of the tech families that work there.
Motives - Tech gangs are concerned with protection of their territory and tech business interests from the predations of envious rivals. There are many who will resort to lawless means to obtain advanced technology. Tech gangs are often hired by Helmawr, noble households or other clans for tasks which require their expert technical skills and sophisticated weaponry. 

So who are the people that make up the Tech Gangs?
Like Megacity1, i'm guessing the vast majority of the populace of a hive city don't have jobs. Instead they belong to a clan. The clan will be a group of inter-related families and will have a method of supporting themselves. The different types of clans will have different revenue streams and the gangs of young clan members will be used to protect the clans interests or expand into other clans areas. They will also be used to carry out reprisals and raid for anything the clan requires as well provide security during meetings etc.

So that's your average citizen/ganger. What about the techs? We can presume that the business that the tech clans are involved in are of a manufacturing/repair/refinement type. As a rule the adeptus mechanicus has a monopoly on these industries so the tech gangs are either subcontracting from the mechanicus or doing their thing illegally. 

If it's the former then a contract with the mechanicus will be a very precious thing indeed. Something that you don't want to be spoiled by unexpected interruptions in operations. Your clan would be focused on fulfilling the quotas demanded by the local magos and ever fearful of a snap inspection. The vast majority of the clan members would be involved in working in the factories and manufactora to ensure production is at its highest rate. 

Problem is, you have all kinds of expensive materials and machinery that are tempting targets for other clans gangs looking to make a quick profit. You've got undercity gangs looking to come up through you factories to disrupt production. You've got brats looking to bully some factory workers just for the hell of it and you've got all kind of other weirdos and freaks looking to cause you hassle. None of these are good for production rates. That's where the younger members of your clan come in. Armed and aggressive they patrol the borders of the clans holdings and ensure that nothing slows down production. They cripple neighbouring clans and give the brats a bloody nose, they ensure the routes up from the underhive a clear and make punitive raids on the shanty towns to keep them in their place. Occasionally you may need to secure material for the clan to keep production running. You might have to raid another clan, delve into the underhive to find a source and secure it, hijack a shipment somewhere else in the hive. Whatever it takes to keep production up. 

What if your clan was actually a form of armed Union operating within a mechanicus facility. Your clan needs to protect its members from the mechanicus overseers, secure more favourable living arrangements or ensure that shift patterns are favourable. You might have to use your gang members as armed leverage to ensure that other clans don't get in your way or simply to threaten other parts of the mechanicus operation in order to ensure your clan is looked after. 

What if your tech clan is operating illegally? Your specialist trade might be hired out to other clans lower down in the hive. These kind of clandestinely operations would be vulnerable to attack or to blackmail. You may need to ensure that your operations remain secret from the mechanicus hunting down spies or taking out skitarii hunter squads penetrating the hive. Perhaps your clan specialise in refining Spook and need to protect the distribution or transfer of large shipments. While an essential part Lord Helmawr's empire, plenty of other interested parties will want to take what you've got. 

In the Lowe hive there are thousands of years of abandoned technologies some of which are worth credits or, even more importantly, the gratitude of the a powerful magos. Delving deep into the underhive in search of rare technologies could be an initiation rite for tech gangs or a it could be a punishment for missing a production deadline. Whatever the reason, a well armed gang making it's way through the dark abandoned factory levels of the under hive, far from their home territory would have to fight hard to get home with the ancient piece of tech the managed to wrench from it's long dead fastenings. Think 'the Warriors' with cybernetic implants!

This one eludes me!

Ok. This was supposed to be a bit of background filling but it appears that I've just given myself a big list of possible scenarios. All I need to do is get a hold of a copy of the last of the marauder figures and I can try and get some games in! I'm filled with enthusiasm and I want to play, damn this sensible adult life!