"Doesn't look like your average bust..." "Cause they ain't your average badges. That's MaxTac - NCPD's apex predators. MTac rolls in when things fly outta hand. Gonks out there, though, just a midday snack for 'em."
— Jackie Welles to V during The Rescue, Cyberpunk 2077
MaxTac (Maximum Force Tactical Division) is a specialized sub-group of the NCPD tactical ops division. As a C-SWAT, MaxTac specializes in dealing with dangerous cyberpsychos. It has been known by different names such as Cyborg Suppression Unit, the NCPD Psycho Squad, Max-Tac or MAX-TAC. During the Time of the Red, the cybersquad was independent from the NCPD, though they rejoined them at some point afterwards.
Overview[]
MaxTac is a C-SWAT rapid response team of the most combat capable and trained officers the Night City Police Department has to offer. Its members are outfitted with the best in military armor, weaponry, cyberware, and vehicles. Their main mission is to monitor highly augmented individuals and be prepared to arrive fast, hit hard, and shoot to kill if their target goes over the edge into cyberpsychosis. All MaxTac officers are supremely fit and agile, also capable of withstanding a great deal of damage. Although hunting down cyberpsychos is their main purpose, MaxTac is also utilized as a higher form of SWAT, requested any time an overwhelming force threatens innocent lives, and officers are not able or equipped to resolve the situation. Any time an NCPD SWAT team fails, the cyberpsycho squad arrives to deal with the problem.
MaxTac works in SPAR (Special Purpose Assault Rescue) teams. By necessity, many members are chromed to the point they are on the watch list themselves, some of whom are full body conversion. The NCPD sees this "fight fire with fire" strategy as effective, though many officers are teetering on the brink of cyberpsychosis themselves. MaxTac weapons are universally designed to take down heavily cybered individuals, including non-lethal and experimental weaponry, but which usually means high caliber rounds capable of penetrating any armor. EMP weapons are rare, since they'll do as much damage to the SPAR team as the cyberpsycho they're trying to take down.[1][2]
Death is the typical outcome for any psycho hunted down by MaxTac, with capture and rehabilitation being rare.[3] However, a number of officers are former cyberpsychos themselves, forcefully recruited after being apprehended and reconditioned, such was the case of Ares, or Melissa Rory decades later.
History[]
2000s - 2020s[]
During the 2000s, cyberpsychosis became a serious problem around the United States, especially in heavily populated areas. Although there were state-sponsored therapy options, the hardest part was getting the patient into the psychologist's office. When a metal-armored, cyberboosted maniac started to randomly kill people, the standard law enforcements were not a viable option. With this in mind, the US government began creating specialized tactical units to hunt down and capture or kill murderous cyberpsychos. Soon, SWAT groups started to create their own Cyborg Suppression Units. These cybersquads became common to most urban police departments, operating under names like C-SWAT (Cybernetic Special Weapons & Tactical Squad), PSYCHE-DIV, CYB-Enforcement or MAX-TAC (Maximum Force Tactical Division). Armed with the best in equipment and vehicles, most psycho squad members wore weapons that ranged from light cannons upward, also sporting all kinds of cyberware to take on similar threats. Its members were one of the most dangerous, and by nature, they were not very nice people.[4][2]
Over the years, however, the vast increase of cyberpsychotic cases allowed these units to be separated to form their own C-SWAT divisions, which soon became a common occurrence all over the USA. In Night City, MAX-TAC, officially know as the Cyborg Suppression Unit, operated out of the Municipal Criminal Justice Complex. In 2010, a rampaging cyberpsycho known as Ares was captured alive after a firefight that cost the live of over thirty police officers and civilians. His extensive experience as a former soldier and mercenary made the NC authorities to incorporate him into the Cyborg Suppression Unit after a long and difficult personality reconditioning, despite the vehement protests of both the police and the public. Soon after, Ares was put in charge of the unit; his daring tactics and actions earned him much notoriety, with his face appearing almost every night across many of the city's news outlets.[1][5]
During a night of 2019, the psycho squad quickly traveled to Lake Park from the MuCJuC to deal with a mass murderer known as "The Claw." After an intense fight, they managed to kill him, a notorious event that reached the news headlines the following day.[5]
2020s - 2040s[]
In the aftermath of the Fourth Corporate War, Commander Max Hammerman kept the remaining NCPD — mostly MAX-TAC — together through sheer force of will. Incorruptible to the last, Hammerman took MAX-TAC away from the NCPD to maintain an iron-fist control over any and all suspected cyberpsychotic elements in Night City. Slowly, he built upon those foundations, moving from neighborhood to neighborhood to shut down ad-hoc protection rackets and recruit new officers. By 2030, the cyberpsycho squad was fully re-established. Despite this, local groups of "Psycho Squad Militia" formed, going after borged individuals regardless of having authority or not.[1][3]
At some point during the 2030s, MAX-TAC hunted down Hextra, the then-leader of Maelstrom.[6]
By the 2040s, MAX-TAC was an independent law enforcement department with contracts all around Night City; including whole neighborhoods, governments, or even private citizens. Their task was to take care of the most egregious assaults on the public: hostage situations, cyberpsychos, military class weapons, terrorists, etc. Under Hammerman's leadership, the C-SWAT was efficient, dangerous, and, most importantly, reasonable moral, with the philosophy of maintaining law and order, and protecting the innocent. Its members followed an impartial code to the letter, which was ending fights, no matter who started them. Whenever MAX-TAC appeared, either you put your guns down (even if you were defending yourself) or they would open fire on you too. The psycho squad didn't hold any prisoners, with criminals remanded to the local security facilities if they were still alive.[1][3]
Around 2045, MAX-TAC considered Lieutenant Jessie Brasso of the NCPD to become a new squad member, however, Brasso thought Hammerman was a traitor for going mercenary. Despite this, he didn't refuse to offer.[6]
2040s - 2070s[]
At some point during or after the Time of the Red, MAX-TAC was reincorporated into the NCPD.
In 2077, MaxTac continued to live up to their reputation, hunting down any cyberpsychos and lawbreakers too powerful for the regular NCPD to handle.[7]Unlike the rest of the NCPD, MaxTac are even allowed to operate in Dogtown.
Database Entry (2077)[]
MAXTAC
MaxTac is an elite, special ops division of the NCPD with a singular aim: eliminate cyberpsychos. Those they don't kill outright are transported to Los Padres, a unique prison facility in Night City capable of holding cyberpsychos. MaxTac officers enjoy their pick of weapons, the best cyberware, fresh, prototype gear and a free hand in carrying out their ops. But despite these overwhelming privileges, nobody in their right mind would ever join the force. Other NCPD divisions tend to keep MaxTac at arm's length, making them something of a state within a state. When MaxTac arrives on the scene, there are sure to be casualties, while any internal investigations are sure to be dropped. What's more, most MaxTac officers are themselves... singular characters. They tend to be chromed-out loners with one goal in life: catch as many cyberpsychos as possible. Some say the line between the two groups is a fine, fading blur. Their reputation certainly isn't helped by rumors that the rare cyberpsychos taken alive are quietly reprogrammed and welcomed into the division.[8]
Notable Members[]
- Main article: MaxTac Members
Leadership[]
Main Leaders[]
- Ares (unknown (2020))
- Max Hammerman (unknown (2045))
SPAR Commanders[]
- Bubba McCarty, Lieutenant (unknown (2020))
- Garrison, Lieutenant (unknown (2020))[2]
Faction Locations[]
2020[]
2077[]
Stats & Equipment[]
They walk like us, talk like us. MAX-TAC are just criminals with a badge.
— Anonymous punk, Protect & Serve
Cyberpunk 2020[]
These are the stats and equipment of an average Max-Tac member in 2020's Protect & Serve. A typical Max-Tac officer maintained the stats of a normal Max-Tac operative with the following exceptions: Authority 7, Intimidate 9, Interrogation 7, Awareness 7. The response time was fast, and they worked in squads of six men plus one officer.[2]
| Stats | Source(s): Protect & Serve (p.26) | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| INT | 6 | REF | 9 | DEX | — | TECH | 5 | COOL | 7 | ||
| ATTR | 4 | LUCK | 3 | MA | 8 | BODY | 8 (10) | EMP | 8/2 | ||
| Skills | Authority 4, Brawling 8, Rifle 8, Athletics 6, SMG 6, Endurance 6, Handgun 8, Strength Feat 7, Heavy Weapons 7, Streetwise 5, Melee 8, Awareness 5, Stealth 3, Dodge/Escape 5, Interrogation 5, Intimidate 8, Shadow/Track 4, Karate 8, Aikido 7, Expert (Law) 5 | ||||||||||
| Cyberware | Replacement Limb with Thickened Myomar, Reinforced Joints and Pop-up Micromissile Launcher, Torso Plate, Cybereye (w/ infrared, Targeting Scope, Times Square, Smartgun Link), Muscle and Bone Lace, Wolvers, Limblink, Decentralized Heart | ||||||||||
| Armor | Full Metal Gear Armor (not always worn) | ||||||||||
| Weapons | Constitution Arms Cyclone or Remington Gyro, Rostovic Wrist Racate, Militech Crusher SSG, Constitution Arms Hurricane, Federated Arms 454 DA 'Super Chief' | ||||||||||
Cyberpunk 2077[]
In the event of criminal activity perpetrated by V in Cyberpunk 2077, reaching a maximum wanted rating (five stars) will result in the deployment MaxTac officers, who serve as the final enemy type to hunt V down while wanted. On higher difficulties, they are capable of killing V in just a few shots regardless of character level. MaxTac officers operate in squads of four each and contain an operator for each of four different roles:
- Assault - Frontline fighters who utilize the Ajax and Omaha as backup firearms.
- Mantis - Close-quarter specialists who utilize MaxTac-built mantis blades and the Omaha as backup weapons. They hold the second highest armor rating.
- Heavy - Walking tanks in exosuits who utilize the Defender to dish out large amounts of damage in seconds.
- Netrunner - Field hackers who typically avoid direct combat in favor of utilizing quickhacks that are slow to upload, but cause high amounts of damage.
- Sniper - Long-range specialists armed with the Ashura to attack V from a distance. These officers make significantly more use of their Sandevistan.
MaxTac officers wield the Militech M-10AF Lexington, Ajax, Crusher, and Midnight Arms SOR-22 as their small arms. They also utilize the Zetatech Surveyor[9] and Valgus[10] for transport by air, and operate the Militech Hellhound and a heavily modified version of the Militech Behemoth[11] for ground transport. For cyberware, officers make regular use of Sandevistan Mk. 3 and Kerenzikov. MaxTac has also begun taking deliveries of a number of Militech Centaur exoskeletons as part of a larger emergency order for the Patrol Division.
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Cyberware | Subdermal Armor, Sandevistan Mk. 3, Kerenzikov, Mantis Blades |
| Weaponry | Militech M-10AF Lexington, Militech M-76e Omaha, Militech M251s Ajax, Militech M-179 Achilles, Militech Crusher, Defender, Tsunami Ashura |
| Vehicles | Zetatech Surveyor, Zetatech Valgus, Militech Hellhound (MaxTac variant), Militech Behemoth (MaxTac special model (MT-3)) |
Associated Shards[]
- Archived Conversation: John "Butt-Kicker" Aronson and Linda Grace
- Archived Conversation: Rudy and Stan
- Shard with MaxTac Convoy Intel
- The Psychos of MaxTac
- The Truth about Cyberpsychosis
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Countdown to the Dark Future (#119-120)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 PASS, G. Protect & Serve. Berkeley, CA, R. Talsorian Games, 1992. (pp.6,17,26,29,32–33,46,91)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 PONDSMITH, M. Cyberpunk RED Core Rulebook. Kenmore, WA, R. Talsorian Games, 2020. (pp.37,109,159,232,301,316)
- ↑ PONDSMITH, M. Cyberpunk 2020 Core Rulebook. 2nd ed., Berkeley, CA, R. Talsorian Games, 1990. (p.74)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 PONDSMITH, M. Night City Sourcebook. Berkeley, CA, R. Talsorian Games, 1991. (pp.40,118,146)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 GRAY, J. et al., Danger Gal Dossier. Kenmore, WA, R. Talsorian Games, 2023. (pp.69,73,79,83)
- ↑ Cyberpunk 2077 (The Rescue)
- ↑ CD Projekt RED. Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty. Video Game, Multi-Platform. Poland, CD Projekt S.A., 2023.
- ↑ The Rescue
- ↑ Bullets
- ↑ Black Steel In The Hour of Chaos
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