Gangs Michal Deus | translated by: Kajlin & Colxfile | 08.11.2007
There are a countless number of gangs in the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas game. They fight among each other to try and gain more territory. The police don't seem to bother them, and the gangs don't really recoil from the other traps that wait for them both outside or within their own ranks
Contents:
A) Descriptions of gangs
B) Hiring new gang members
C) Gang wars
A) Description of gangs
Here is a complete list of the gangs you can expect to meet. Some of them are peaceful and friendly, but some of them would rather see your insides or bleed to death on a street. Barbaric? Welcome to San Andreas.
1st Grove Street Families
Our main character Carl Johnson "CJ" returns home after five years in Liberty City and finds his good old gang, which was founded by him and his bother Sweet. He tries to get back the reputation and favor of those around him by rather peaceful and diplomatic way. Unfortunately, they've got problems with drugs, police and - this time - not least battles among themselves. The biggest enemy is another gang, (The Ballas) which controls most of Los Santos. Among potential leads could be CJ's friends Ryder and Big Smoke. They have already lost most of their territory and also a sphere of influence. It's fallen to you to get back fame to these chaps and become the most powerful gang in Los Santos.
Location: Southeast Los Santos
Centre: Grove Street
Cars
Greenwood
Savanna
Woodoo
Clothes: the more green color the better (T-shirt, sweat shirt, jumper, shoes, jeans, scarf or baseball cap)
Boss: Sweet Johnson possibly Big Smoke, Ryder or CJ
Weapons: Gun 9mm, TEC-9
2. The Ballas
The Ballas are the biggest enemy of the Grove Street gang and, therefore, are also yours. Because of their drugs business and money laundering, they can afford to buy good weapons and bribe corrupted police officers. They hunted Grove Street gang out of most of its territory and they want get more into the city center. Their numbers still increase, and during the game you'll find out that some members of Grove Street will join them.
Location: East, Northwest and Southwest of Los Santos
Centre: Glen park
Cars
Majestic
Tahoma
Clothes: purple shirts, purple scarves, purple shorts, white T-shirts and beige jeans
Boss: Baal (you'll kill him on the cemetery - the Los Sepulcros mission)
Weapons: Gun 9 mm, UZI
3. Los Santos Vagos
This Hispanic street gang takes control of east part of Los Santos. They are relentless, incorruptible and resolve to defend their territory against the others. They are very outspoken and neither they nor the police have good intentions for each other. Drug businesses are a routine advent and they close deals with anybody. However, they are very aggressive and dangerous; their main enemies are Variors Los Aztecas and San Fiero Rifa.
Located: East and Northeast of Los Santos
Centre: East Beach
Cars
Hermes
Tornado
Clothes: white vests, black trousers, blue shorts, yellow headbands and tattoos from top to toe.
Weapons: Gun 9 mm, UZI
4. Variors Los Aztecas
This gang coming from Central America (Mexico) has fought for an area in Los Santos. Their territory can't be visited by anyone, otherwise there will be a hostile reception. They are against the drugs, but they earn money through illegal sales of weapons, which they aren't afraid to try out in the streets. They control the smallest territory in Los Santos and it is mainly in north of the city. You'll have to help them to recover lost territory in one mission. They hate Los Vagos and San Fierro Rifa.
Location: South and Southeast of Los Santos
Centre: El Corona
Cars
Glendale
Broadway
Clothes: white or striped T-shirts, black vests, grey beige shorts, grey or black trousers, turquoise blue headbands and lots tattoos.
Boss: Cesar Vialpando
Weapons: Guns 9 mm, UZI
5. San Fiero Rifa
Next of Central American gangs that have got into San Andreas. You can meet these guys in the northwest of central part of San Fierro. They are quite calm and try to solve the problems by peaceful means, although they have already taken Da Nang Boys almost two whole docks. In addition, they hate Los Vagos and Variors Los Aztecas. Therefore, they decided to be in San Fierro, where they have peace from all the feuds. All money from cocaine business and all deliveries in San Andreas go through them.
Location: Northwest and middle of San Fierro
Center: Garcia
Cars
Blade
Stallion
Clothes: white and blue T-shirts, white undershirt, black vest, black trousers and braces, white hat or turquoise headband and sunglasses.
Weapons: Pistol 9 mm
6. Da Nang boys
Another foreign gang, this time from Vietnam. They are around the East coast of San Fierro, where they control an important business highway: a sea transport. They are quite peaceful, so it's no surprise to see another gangster going round them without any notice. Although their number is quite low, they have respect because they earn money by protection and shake down. They hate Triads.
Location: East of San Fierro
Centre: Easter Basin (port)
Cars
Manana
Clothes: white and black T-shirts, blue jeans, beige shorts, black scarf and color-tattooed hands
Weapons: Guns 9 mm, UZI
7. Mountain Cloud Boys - Triads
This Chinese gang was founded by oriental gentleman Wu Zi Mu to protect the Chinese town in San Fierro. Chinese mafia runs all business in San Andreas and controls most of all profitable business. They are absolutely loyal to their boss and capable of doing everything for him. They are one of the richest gangs, which can be seen on their clothes, cars and weapons. Not one casino is under their power. The Da Nang's gang has been interrupting their deals for some time and it looks like the next gang war is coming.
Location: The middle of San Fierro
Centre: China town
Cars
Stratum
Sultan
Clothes: Black or dark grey suit, black trousers, black tie and glasses
Boss: Woozzie (Wu Zi Mu)
Weapons: Guns 9mm, Micro SMGUZI, AK-47
B) Hiring new gang members
Hiring a new gang member is without any doubt another "Come-on!" of the game. And it is actually so easy. The first condition is to have completed the Los Sepulcros mission for Sweet. Then just point at a member of the Grove Street Famillies gang (the greens) with the mouse and press the [G] key. (A green triangle will appear over his head)
The display of the gang's strength will appear in the upper-left corner of your screen. The white stripe shows the power that your gang's had up to now (You had to have some people) and the green shows how much more the power increased by hiring the new member. And the red stripe means you missed a member of your gang. Hiring is for free.
At the beginning you can have just two people, but you can get the number of eight men with a gun by getting reputation (due to the missions or wars with other gangs). But when somebody owns UZI, you can have just seven gangsters, etc. These hired guys protect you even from police .
Easy, isn't it?
C) Gang wars
Hiring new people is quite good, but a bigger challenge is Gang Wars, about which was spoken for a long time. We take control of single areas of Los Santos and also defend our territory against enemy attacks. Neither police force interferes with these street gun battles, because blood and dead bodies is really enough and then some. Unfortunately you can only set up wars just in Los Santos and with gangs Los Vagos and The Ballas, but you still enjoy enough fun.
It isn't necessary to have some gang members still with you, but their protection isn't so bad, and when you are in trouble, they can come in handy.
Defense of your territory is much easier, because a light starts to blink on your map in the attacked place. The easiest thing to do is to take several guys and go there. But don't stay anywhere, because you could lose your territory. The enemy gang will appear in three cars and you have to kill everybody. They have usually guns, automatic guns and shotguns.
Expansion into enemy's territory is little bit more difficult. You have to get into area that is under the control of an enemy gang (marked by purple - Ballas Gang or by yellow - Los Vagos) and then kill at least three its members. Best tactic is to use a car with your guys, and then you are protected for a while
The attacked area starts to blink with a red color and the attack comes. It contains three waves, in which the enemy try to drive you off and your task is very straightforward - just to survive. The number of enemies increases with each new wave and also the number of enemies in cars, which go to help them, and from which they shoot at you.
The first wave of attack starts by lightly armed guys, often with empty hands or guns and UZIs. It's enough to hide behind a car and shoot. But it also works when you kneel.
In the second wave, you can expect a car with three men and gangsters with UZIs and automatic guns. Now you must be more careful and watch your rear, because a hail of machine-gun fire isn't so pleasant.
In this wave, your men start to get thumped like scarecrows and so the best is to find some shielding or just to overlie and shoot exactly.
The last wave of the attack brings the worst. Four boys with UZIs in the car and enemy equipment by way of automatics and AK'47, and they have no mercy. Just small inattention and you're dead man. (Well you'll appear by the nearest hospital without any weapons) That handful of guys that's left often lose their lives, because their toy guns and UZIs can't defy an enemy such as this.
You might also catch some bullets, but the area will be yours. Another piece of the land got green and Grove Street Families are again stronger and closer to being the biggest and most powerful gang in Los Santos. After lots of shootouts, it mostly looks like this:
So, I don't wonder why the game restricted to only those aged 18 years old or older, but to be honest everybody wants to play the great series GTA. Where else to find so freedom and liberty?
And finally the map of Los Santos and areas controlled by different gangs:
Los Santos (purple - The Ballas, yellow - Los Vagos, green - Grove Street Families, blue - Variors Los Aztecas):
And the one from San Fierro can't miss (black - Triads, blue - San Fierro, brown - Da Nang Boys):
There are no gangs in Las Venturas
