Tyger Claws

The Tyger Claws (虎鉤衆) are a Japanese gang that can be found in Night City.

Overview
The Tyger Claws are ruthless territorial gang based in Japantown. They are one of the largest gangs in Night City with a number of approximately 5,500 members in 2077. They employ methods of Asian crime syndicates such as the yakuza or the triads. The gang is predominantly Asian and their primary goal is to maintain control over their own territory and occasionally annex other gangs' businesses. Tyger foot soldiers are easily recognized by their Asian luminous tattoos, fast street bikes, katanas, and tantos. Cyberware used by the gang are reflex boosters, augmented cyberlimbs, pain editors, and ECM systems disguised as tattoos.

2020
Formed in 2020, the 'Tyger's Claw' was a small defensive combat gang who claimed turf in the original Japantown, and the residential community surrounding it. Generally the gang was not drawn to cyberware, preferring to rely on martial arts, traditional Japanese weapons, and enhanced reflexes. It was rumored that they were backed financially by Arasaka.

2045
After the Fourth Corporate War, Tyger's Claw changed their name to the Tyger Claws. By 2045, they had broken away from Arasaka, and their goal was to protect the Asian community of Night City. The gang had a significant role in rebuilding the Old Japantown district, continued to have killer martial arts, and had become known for their enhanced reflexes and fast bikes. They were slowly moving into the Watson Development area.

2077
By 2077, the gang had changed very little: their fixation on motorcycles for transportation continued, and they more regularly used cyberware with stipulation on having their own version of the Smart Link. From their small humble beginnings to becoming one of the largest gangs in the city, rumors abounded that the Tyger Claws had become embroiled in a territory feud with the Steel Dragons, a gang originating from Tokyo.

Philosophy and Structure
The business strategy of the Tyger Claws is similar to the yakuza. Crossing the lowest level member can cause a quick and violent reaction from the entire gang, but if they get what they want everything should be fine.

The top brass of the Claws believe business is preferable to war in the long run but many of the rank-and-file TC gangers are sadistic brutes prone to violence. Abduction, torture, sexual assault, and cruel or unusual killings are just a few examples of their depravity. It is not uncommon for young, brash, or drunk Tygers to undermine the gang's ideologies by abusing their status on their turf, harassing outsiders, and provoking fights. This behavior would be considered dishonorable by TC crime bosses, but an outsider reacting to ganger's behavior in kind will rarely go unpunished.

Most provoked people outside of the gang's ranks wisely avoid direct confrontation with Tygers unless they have connections with high-ranking members of the gang.

Sources of Income
Japantown is Night City's lead nightlife district and the Tygers control a significant portion of it. They own more businesses in Night City than any other gang; bars, restaurants, braindance clubs, brothels, and casinos. Many of these businesses are registered as legal businesses but act as fronts for illegal operations and money laundering.

The gang makes most of its money from human trafficking and prostitution. The Tyger Claws also make money from manufacturing and distributing drugs, most notably "glitter". Tygers also hire themselves out for hit jobs.

The gang also has corporate connections who visit their establishments to blow off steam and have fun. The Claws have especially close ties to Arasaka upper management, who outsource them side-jobs, pay them with cybertechnology and military-grade automatic weapons.

Firearms

 * Arasaka Nowaki
 * Arasaka HJSH-18 Masamune
 * Darra Polytechnic DS1 Pulsar
 * Arasaka Shigure
 * Rostović DB-2 Satara
 * Rostović DB-4 Palica
 * Constitutional Arms Unity
 * Militech M-10AF Lexington

Melee Weapons

 * Katana
 * Tanto

Vehicles

 * ARCH Nazaré "Itsumade"
 * Mizutani Shion "Kyokotsu"
 * Quadra Turbo-R "Raijin"
 * Yaiba Kusanagi "Mizuchi"
 * Archer Quartz

Trivia

 * The fact that several members of Tyger Claws have Irezumi tattoos implies that before they were members of Tyger Claws, several of them were members of Yakuza (Japanese organized crime), such as Wakako Okada.