Provided below are the house rules we use for Cogs gangs.
Though inhospitable, the Wastes and the Outlands are not devoid of life, nor is what life exists entirely savage or primitive. While Ash Waste Nomads, various mutants and beastmen such as Scavvies, and other technologically stunted tribes and bands are more common, a loose group of outlanders with a better appreciation for technology can be found.
Called Cogs, the organizing principle of these loosely allied bands rests on a shared tribal lore that they are surviving descendants of a centuries-lost AdMech detachment who sought rumored STC technology upon Necromunda but were betrayed by the Van Saar and cast out of the hives to die.
Cog tribes and gangs value increasing their dwindling numbers by accepting and assimilating outsiders into their midst, rather unusually for the horrid, barren, unforgiving Wastes. Thus individual Cogs range from escaped Guilder slaves cybernetically enhanced to work or even to do battle in gladiatorial competition (so-called "pit slaves"), to miscellaneous groups of salvagers and survivors and hive exiles that were essentially adopted into the group, as well as multigenerational members who claim an AdMech lineage.
Other groups such as the Ash Waste Nomads tend to stick to the open and unforgiving dunes and flats of the Ash Wastes and ersatz camps that are within raiding distance of a caravan route, hab, or hive. Cogs, on the other hand, prefer to seek out and salvage whatever they can from ruins both above and below the wracked surface of the planet. Many Cog tribes and gangs also know of various routes that can be taken underground from one ruin to another, and sometimes travel from place to place like this in whole or part. But they must be careful, for such ruins and underground passages are not always abandoned...
Cog tribes and gangs also tend to visit various Outland locations periodically, and some even go so far as to make occasional trading forays into the marginalia of some hive cities, eager to sell off any salvage they have no other use for, buy up various resources that are scarce or nonexistent in the Wastes, and to sometimes collect underhive strays willing to join their band for a chance to escape hive-bound existence.
A Cogs gang must follow these rules when it is founded, and when new fighters are added to the gang.
175 credits
A Boss Cog is the most experienced and generally capable member of a Cog tribe or gang, by necessity pragmatic with razor-honed decision making when it comes to survival of their people. Resources are scarce in the Wastes and Cogs by their nature don't like to squander anything, husbanding their meager resources carefully, recycling and reusing everything they possibly can. Thus while Cogs are preoccupied with tech a competent Boss Cog knows that their people are their most critical resource, and collects, protects, and wrings all possible value from them.
150 credits
Tech Cogs are the heart of a Cog tribe, keepers of the lore, restorers of salvaged tech, and cybernetic wizards responsible for arming and upgrading their people. A Cog gang lucky enough to have a Tech Cog will protect them at virtually any cost, and Cog gangs without one tend to not survive for long or get reassimilated by a larger tribe or gang that did a better job of protecting their Tech Cog.
125 credits
Killer Cogs are the elite warriors of a Cog tribe or gang, having established their stature and earned their place of privilege amongst their fellow Cogs. Unlike some other groups that wander the Wastes, the Cogs tend to respect hierarchy and value stable leadership; thus Killer Cogs generally serve their Boss well and ably without undue ambition or dreams of seizing power or regicide. Many other folk of the Wastes have learned the hard way to give these dangerous Cogs a wide berth.
75 credits
Pit Cogs are heavily chromed close combat specialists, very often featuring a cybernetic weapon arm of some kind, or some other significant bit of cyber that has a hand to hand application. Many are escaped pit fighters, but others are mine workers fitted (often against their will) with hammer or drill or buzzsaw arms that also serve ably as fearsome weapons, and a few are homegrown Cogs who displayed close combat prowess and were upgraded by a Tech Cog with similar offensive kit.
75 credits
Scrap Cogs are assistants to a Tech Cog if one is in the gang, otherwise they do the best they can to fill in. Additionally, a Scrap Cog can be promoted to become a Tech Cog if necessary.
50 credits
Geared Cogs are up-and-comers within their tribe or gang, having proved themselves and made their bones. They typically have been rewarded with at least one impressive cybernetic item or fancy weapon as a sign of their relative status.
40 credits
Warrior Cogs are the established members of a Cog tribe or gang, able soldiers and workers upon whom most of the drudge work and fighting necessary for survival in the unforgiving Ash Wastes falls.
20 credits
Survivor Cogs are human detritus; some are escaped Guilder slaves, others were cast out of a hive and by sheer luck or grit managed to fall in with a Cog tribe before dying to one of the many hazards of the Ash Wastes, others are just the youth of an established group of Cogs entering what passes for adulthood in such harsh conditions. The very few who persevere may rise within their tribe, the rest will falter and die.
25 credits
Servitor Cogs are generally mindless semi-organic robots, possessing only the most basic of instincts, though some are fully capable of speech if such functions and knowledge are programmed into them. Servitor Cogs are programmed to perform only the tasks they are designed for; their altered and fragmented minds function poorly unless constantly supervised and told what to do. Fitted with a variety of cybernetic devices (including in some cases mounted heavy weaponry), each Servitor is custom built with the right gear to do a particular job.
A Cogs gang is available on a case-by-case basis depending upon the type of campaign. Consult the Arbitrator or campaign write up to determine if a player may run a Cogs gang and what restrictions, exceptions, or guidelines might apply.
If a Cogs gang is allowed in a type of campaign, in addition to any other campaign specific rules that may apply to them the following requirements and restrictions apply and must be adhered to.
Auto-Healer ~Gamma~
You may play this card at the start of any End phase.
Choose one of your gang's Seriously Injured fighters. That fighter becomes Pinned.
After resolving this card, you can discard a different Tactics Card to return this card to your hand.
Chain Attacks ~Beta~
You may play this card when one of your gang's fighters moves into base contact with another enemy fighter in the Consolidate step of the close combat sequence.
This fighter may make a Fight (Basic) action targeting an enemy fighter they are Engaged with as if they successfully Charged that fighter.
Combat Drugs Stash ~Beta~
You may play this card when one of your gang's fighters is activated.
For the duration of this fighter's activation, they gain D3 additional Attacks.
However if the fighter gains 3 Attacks, they take a Flesh Wound when their activation ends.
Escape Hatch ~Alpha~
You may play this card at the start of any round.
You may set up an escape hatch on the ground level within 6'' of the center of the battlefield observing the 1'' rule.
Any fighter in base contact with the escape hatch may take the Escape Via Hatch (Basic) action to leave the battlefield. They are Out of Action but unharmed. For scenario purposes, they have Escaped / Retreated / Withdrawn.
Experimental Rig ~Beta~
You may play this card when activating a fighter. Select one of the fighter's ranged weapons, and tuck this card under that fighter's card.
The selected weapon's long range is increased by 6'', and its Strength is increased by 1. If the weapon has the Plentiful trait it loses it; if the weapon does not have the Plentiful trait it gains the Scarce trait.
Incendiary Rounds ~Beta~
You may play this card at the start of any round. Select one of your gang's fighters who has an Autogun, Autopistol, Assault Rifle, or Heavy Stubber that is on the battlefield. Tuck this under that fighter's card.
When this fighter makes an attack with a Autogun, Autopistol, Assault Rifle, or Heavy Stubber, the weapon profile used with that weapon gains the Blaze trait.
Ironhide ~Gamma~
You may play this card when activating a fighter. Tuck this under that fighter's card.
This fighter's save roll is improved by 2. If the fighter does not already have a save Ironhide grants a save of 5+. This cannot be combined with other similar effects such as Armored Undersuit.
Krakow ~Gamma~
You may play this card when one of your gang's fighters has wounded an object (such as a door) or another fighter with a Krak Grenade.
The attack's Damage is increased by 2.
After resolving this card, you can discard a different Tactics Card to return this card to your hand.
Lucky Find ( Ψ ) ~Gamma~
You may play this card when activating one of your gang's fighters.
You may have this fighter end their activation to salvage something valuable from the battlefield debris;
if you do you may add (D3+1) x 15 credits to your gang's Stash immediately.
Makeshift Ladder ( ≠ ) ~Gamma~
If this card is in your Tactics Cards deck, you may select and play it at the start of the Tactics Cards step of the Pre-Battle Sequence.
You may attach a ladder to a platform anywhere on the battlefield, following the normal rules for placing a ladder.
Master Switch ( Ω ) ~Beta~
You may play this card instead of activating a fighter.
Choose A or B:
A) open every unlocked closed door on the battlefield.
B) close every open door on the battlefield.
After resolving this card, you can discard a different Tactics Card to return this card to your hand.
Melta Trap ~Gamma~
You may play this card when activating a fighter.
Add a Melta Trap to the activating fighter's card.
Proper Preparation ~Beta~
You may play this card when activating a fighter. Tuck this under that fighter's card.
For the duration of this battle, all of this fighter's ranged weapon profiles lose the Scarce trait if they have it and gain the Plentiful trait if they do not have it.
Spoils ~Alpha~
You may play this card when one of your fighters completes a Coup de Grace action against an opponent.
Move an item from the enemy fighter's card to this fighter's card for the remainder of the battle. After the battle the item is moved to your gang's Stash if this fighter survived, was not Captured, and still has the item. Armor, Unwieldy weapons, Bionics, and Mutations cannot be selected.
Swingline ( ≠ ) ~Gamma~
You may play this card when one of your gang's fighters who is allowed to use wargear is falling.
The fighter stops falling. You may set up the fighter anywhere on the battlefield that is within 12'' of where they began their fall and not behind an obstruction; as part of this movement the fighter may go up or down levels and can engage enemy fighters by moving into base contact with them in which case they are considered to be charging.
Tactical Reload ~Beta~
You may play this card when activating one of your gang's fighters who has a weapon that is Out of Ammo.
One of this fighter's Out of Ammo weapons is immediately reloaded, even if it has the Scarce trait. Note that this does not work on Limited items as they are deleted from a fighter's card when they run Out of Ammo.
Tech Override ~Gamma~
You may play this card when one of your gang's fighters must make an Intelligence check to interact with a device, terminal, loot box, or similar.
The Intelligence check is passed automatically. If there is more than one possible outcome when interacting with the object, you may select the outcome you prefer.
Trapped Console ~Gamma~
You may play this card when an enemy fighter must make an Intelligence check to interact with a device or terminal.
The enemy fighter suffers a -4 modifier to their check. If the check is failed, in addition to any other outcome caused by failing the check, the fighter suffers an automatic Strength 5, AP -1, 2 Damage hit.
Valuable Secrets ( Ψ ) ~Beta~
You may play this card at the start of any round.
Set up a terminal within 6'' of the center of the battlefield. The first fighter that succeeds on an Access Terminal action on it gains a Valuable Secrets wargear item. If your gang controls this item at the end of the battle, add it to your gang's Stash. Additionally, choose: that fighter gains 1 XP or their gang gains 1 VP.
Warforge ~Alpha~
If this card is in your Tactics Cards deck, you may select and play it at the start of the Tactics Cards step of the Pre-Battle Sequence.
For the duration of the battle your gang's fighters add a +1 modifier to any Ammo checks they are required to take.