So, something that has been bothering me
In Cyberpunk, the general reason that some characters are just substantially better than others is that they are using far more cyberware. Yes, skill is heavily relevant (Takamura for example is very dangerous even with his Arasaka impants deactivated. Presumably when he was fully online, he would be one of the most dangerous people in NC if not the world), but there's a definite sense that more chrome=more power. That's why Cyberpsychos are so dangerous, to reach that point they are heavily chromed.
Which brings us to Maelstrom. The game treats all gangs as having roughly equivalent power levels as far as individual members go (Barghest seems to punch above it's weight, being run as a full-scale paramillitary army rather than a street gang like the Valentinos or even the mix of Vets and kids doing army cosplay that is 6th Street), but if power is at least partially a function of how much of a dedicated Terminator cosplayer you are, you'd think Maelstrom, a gang defined by their desire to slot as much chrome as they can afford, would be considered terrifyingly strong. The Lore treats Maelstrom as unstable and dangerous, but not especially powerful. Jackie and V, two competent but low-level street mercs, are able to shoot their way out of a Maelstrom stronghold.
But then it occurred to me, what if Maelstrom members, in their desire to fit in with the pack and get chromed for the sake of chrome, are not picky about what they use. A Valentino or 6th street Gangoon might spend their money on the best individual piece of cyberware that they can afford, while a Maelstrom Ganger on a similar budget is trying to get all four limbs and a bunch of organs replaced, meaning that they're getting obsolete cyberware with bad drivers, shoddy stuff that's been patched together by Scavs, and low-quality knockoffs from companies with names like "Zegatech" and "KeyRoshi".