Mantis Blades
| Mantis Blades | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Class | Arms |
| Tier | Tier 2 |
| Attribute | Reflexes |
| Capacity | 8 |
The Mantis Blades are the classic arm blades of Night City. They slash quickly at close range and can launch V through the air at an enemy for a heavy Leap Attack. Their hits deal Physical damage and can make enemies bleed. They count as Blades for perks, so a Reflexes build with the blade perk line gets the most out of them. Phantom Liberty adds Relic perks that turn the leap into a long-range charged strike. The Mantis Blades are an early to mid game implant that ripperdocs sell from level 10, and they stay useful to the end through tier upgrades.
Effect
The Mantis Blades are arm blades that V fights with like a melee weapon. Normal attacks are fast slashes. Holding and then releasing the Melee Attack button performs a Leap Attack. V jumps at a target within range and deals heavy damage on landing. The leap closes the gap to an enemy quickly.
Every hit deals Physical damage. Each hit also has a chance to cause Bleeding, and that chance rises with the tier.
The Mantis Blades are attuned to Reflexes. Each point of Reflexes adds 0.5% damage with the blades. The other variants change the damage type and the attribute. The Thermal, Toxic and Electrifying variants use other attributes, but all four share the same attack speed and Stamina cost.
Mantis Blades count as Blades for perks. The whole blade perk line in the Reflexes tree applies to them.
How to Get Mantis Blades Guide
- Reach level 10.
- Visit any ripperdoc clinic and open the Arms slot.
- Buy and install the Mantis Blades.
Mantis Blades Map Location
The map shows Viktor Vektor's clinic in Little China, one of the ripperdocs that sell them.
Mantis Blades map location:
Map credit by Map Genie.
Upgrades
Ripperdocs sell the Mantis Blades at Tier 2 from level 10, Tier 3 from level 20, Tier 4 from level 30 and Tier 5 from level 40. An installed pair can be raised a tier at a ripperdoc with the matching item components. Each tier raises the damage and the Bleeding chance. Each implant costs Cyberware Capacity. V gains capacity with each level and from Cyberware Capacity Shards. The Edgerunner perk lets V go over the limit by up to 50 points, at the cost of some max Health.
The table shows what each tier step of Mantis Blades costs at a ripperdoc.
| Upgrade | Components | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 2 to Tier 2+ | 75 Tier 2 components | - |
| Tier 2+ to Tier 3 | 37 Tier 3 components | - |
| Tier 3 to Tier 3+ | 75 Tier 3 components | - |
| Tier 3+ to Tier 4 | 37 Tier 4 components | - |
| Tier 4 to Tier 4+ | 75 Tier 4 components | - |
| Tier 4+ to Tier 5 | 37 Tier 5 components | - |
| Tier 5 to Tier 5+ | 75 Tier 5 components | - |
| Tier 5+ to Tier 5++ | 200 Tier 5 components | Phantom Liberty |
Character Builds
The Mantis Blades belong in a Reflexes build. Lead And Steel lowers the Stamina cost of Blade attacks by 15%. It also lets V block incoming projectiles with blades. Finisher: Bladerunner lowers the cost again, adds 20% attack speed and unlocks a Blade Finisher that restores 25% Health. Flash And Thunderclap makes every Strong Attack with a blade leap to enemies in range, with up to 50% extra damage for longer leaps. Going The Distance doubles Finisher range. Flash Of Steel raises movement and attack speed for six seconds after a Finisher.
Bleeding opens more options. Slaughterhouse makes all attacks apply Bleeding, which raises the chance to dismember. Opportunist makes enemies with Bleeding easier to finish.
Phantom Liberty adds Relic perks for arm cyberware. Jailbreak lets the Mantis Blades charge their next Leap Attack by dismembering an enemy or performing a Finisher. A charged leap reaches 30 meters further. It hits the target and nearby enemies with a wide slash, and a kill with it dismembers the enemy. Spatial Mapping makes every Leap Attack cripple enemies and raise the chance to dismember them for ten seconds.
Other cyberware supports the blades. Microrotors raises melee attack speed. Dense Marrow raises melee damage at a higher Stamina cost.
Select a Build
Mantis Blades are the main weapon, so both weapon slots stay free for guns. Dashes and the Mantis Blades leap reach enemies fast, and Finishers restore Health. A Sandevistan slows time when a fight gets crowded.
Attributes: Body 20, Reflexes 20, Technical Ability 20, Intelligence 3, Cool 18.
The perks, cyberware and weapon mods for this build are listed below.
| Name | Image | Level | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Army Of One | 
|
Body 4 | Faster Health regeneration for each nearby enemy |
| Comeback Kid | 
|
Body 4 | Faster Health regeneration at low Health |
| Dorph-Head | 
|
Body 4 | Brief full Mitigation after using a Health item |
| Painkiller | 
|
Body 4 | Slow Health regeneration in combat |
| Adrenaline Rush | 
|
Body 15 | More Health and the Adrenaline Rush mode |
| Calm Mind | 
|
Body 15 | Adrenaline lasts longer before it decays |
| Juggernaut | 
|
Body 15 | More speed and damage during Adrenaline Rush |
| Unstoppable Force | 
|
Body 15 | Immunity to knockdown and blinding during Adrenaline Rush |
| Blind Spot | 
|
Cool 4 | Slower enemy detection while crouched |
| Feline Footwork | 
|
Cool 4 | Faster and harder to hit while crouched |
| Killer Instinct | 
|
Cool 4 | More damage with knives, axes and silenced guns outside combat |
| Quick Getaway | 
|
Cool 4 | Faster movement after an unseen kill |
| Parkour! | 
|
Reflexes 4 | Faster climbing and vaulting |
| Slippery | 
|
Reflexes 4 | Harder to hit while moving fast |
| Bullet Deflect | 
|
Reflexes 9 | Blocked bullets fly back where the reticle points |
| Can't Touch This | 
|
Reflexes 9 | Full Mitigation Chance while Dashing |
| Dash | 
|
Reflexes 9 | Dash replaces the dodge |
| Lead And Steel | 
|
Reflexes 9 | Blades block incoming bullets |
| Mad Dash | 
|
Reflexes 9 | Double Dash range toward enemies |
| Aerial Acrobat | 
|
Reflexes 15 | Better control in midair |
| Air Dash | 
|
Reflexes 15 | Dash in midair |
| Finisher: Bladerunner | 
|
Reflexes 15 | Faster blade attacks and a finisher that restores Health |
| Flash Of Steel | 
|
Reflexes 15 | Speed and attack speed after a finisher |
| Going The Distance | 
|
Reflexes 15 | Double finisher range |
| Opportunist | 
|
Reflexes 15 | Easier finishers on stunned, blinded or bleeding enemies |
| Slaughterhouse | Reflexes 20 | Every attack causes Bleeding | |
| Tailwind | 
|
Reflexes 20 | Stamina from air dashes and double jumps |
| Emergency Cloaking | 
|
Relic | Optical Camo can break enemy tracking in combat |
| Jailbreak | 
|
Relic | New abilities for every Arms cyberware |
| Machine Learning | 
|
Relic | Crit damage builds on enemy Vulnerabilities |
| Sensory Protocol | 
|
Relic | Time slows when spotted while crouched |
| Spatial Mapping | 
|
Relic | Mantis Blades leap attacks cripple enemies |
| Vulnerability Analytics | 
|
Relic | Hits on enemy Vulnerabilities always crit |
| All Things Cyber | 
|
Technical Ability 9 | Stronger cyberware stats |
| Chrome Constitution | 
|
Technical Ability 9 | Less damage taken with full Skeleton and Integumentary slots |
| Renaissance Punk | 
|
Technical Ability 9 | More cyberware capacity for each attribute at 9 or higher |
| Extended Warranty | 
|
Technical Ability 15 | Cyberware effects last longer |
| License To Chrome | 
|
Technical Ability 15 | Stronger cyberware, more armor and a Skeleton slot |
| Edgerunner | Technical Ability 20 | Cyberware past the capacity limit for a small Health cost |
| Name | Image | Slot | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biomonitor | 
|
Circulatory System | Uses a Health item when Health runs low |
| Blood Pump | 
|
Circulatory System | A Health item that heals over time |
| Optical Camo | 
|
Integumentary System | Near invisibility for a few seconds |
| Reinforced Tendons | 
|
Legs | Double jump |
| NeoFiber | 
|
Nervous System | More mitigation chance and strength |
| Stabber | 
|
Nervous System | Crit chance with blades and throwables |
| Militech Apogee Sandevistan | Operating System | Slows time by 85% with crit bonuses | |
| Dense Marrow | 
|
Skeleton | More melee damage for a higher Stamina cost |
Modelled on David from the anime, the build packs in as much cyberware as it can carry. The Sandevistan slows time while pistols and Gorilla Arms tear through enemies. Technical Ability perks cut cyberware cooldowns so the Sandevistan comes back fast.
Attributes: Body 20, Reflexes 20, Technical Ability 20, Intelligence 3, Cool 18.
The perks, cyberware and weapon mods for this build are listed below.
| Name | Image | Level | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dorph-Head |
|
Body 4 | Brief full Mitigation after using a Health item |
| Painkiller |
|
Body 4 | Slow Health regeneration in combat |
| Die! Die! Die! | 
|
Body 9 | Higher crit chance and fire rate at low Stamina |
| Don't Stop Me Now | 
|
Body 9 | Damage mitigation at low Stamina |
| Like A Feather | 
|
Body 9 | No movement penalty with shotguns and machine guns |
| Wrecking Ball | 
|
Body 9 | Cheaper blunt attacks and a sprinting shoulder charge |
| Adrenaline Rush |
|
Body 15 | More Health and the Adrenaline Rush mode |
| Calm Mind |
|
Body 15 | Adrenaline lasts longer before it decays |
| Close-Quarters Carnage | 
|
Body 15 | Higher Obliterate chance at close range |
| Juggernaut |
|
Body 15 | More speed and damage during Adrenaline Rush |
| Quake | 
|
Body 15 | Faster blunt attacks and a ground slam |
| Rush Of Blood | 
|
Body 15 | Faster reload after a dismemberment |
| Spontaneous Obliteration | 
|
Body 15 | Chance to instantly kill enemies at low Health |
| Pain To Gain | 
|
Body 20 | Kills recharge Health items during Adrenaline Rush |
| Deep Breath | 
|
Cool 9 | Time slows while Focus is active |
| Focus | 
|
Cool 9 | Focus mode for free Stamina aimed shots |
| Head To Head | 
|
Cool 9 | Kills in Focus reset its duration |
| No Sweat | 
|
Cool 9 | Kills in Focus lower its Stamina cost |
| Rinse And Reload | 
|
Cool 9 | Faster reload after an aimed kill |
| Deadeye | Cool 15 | More headshot and weak spot damage | |
| High Noon | 
|
Cool 15 | Faster reload and slowed time after a headshot kill in Deadeye |
| Long Shot | 
|
Cool 15 | Full damage at any range during Deadeye |
| Muscle Memory | 
|
Reflexes 4 | Reload while sprinting, sliding and vaulting |
| Slippery |
|
Reflexes 4 | Harder to hit while moving fast |
| Can't Touch This |
|
Reflexes 9 | Full Mitigation Chance while Dashing |
| Dash |
|
Reflexes 9 | Dash replaces the dodge |
| Mad Dash |
|
Reflexes 9 | Double Dash range toward enemies |
| Steady Grip | 
|
Reflexes 9 | Shooting while dashing |
| Aerodynamic | 
|
Reflexes 15 | Stronger Mitigation in midair |
| Air Dash |
|
Reflexes 15 | Dash in midair |
| Jailbreak |
|
Relic | New abilities for every Arms cyberware |
| Launch Capacity Override | 
|
Relic | One more Projectile Launch System charge |
| Limiter Removal | 
|
Relic | Charged Gorilla Arms attacks knock down nearby enemies |
| Machine Learning |
|
Relic | Crit damage builds on enemy Vulnerabilities |
| Vulnerability Analytics |
|
Relic | Hits on enemy Vulnerabilities always crit |
| Glutton For War | 
|
Technical Ability 4 | Kills recharge Health items and grenades |
| All Things Cyber |
|
Technical Ability 9 | Stronger cyberware stats |
| Borrowed Time | 
|
Technical Ability 9 | A Health item refills after a kill at low Health |
| Chipware Connoisseur | 
|
Technical Ability 9 | A choice of stat bonus when upgrading cyberware |
| Chrome Constitution |
|
Technical Ability 9 | Less damage taken with full Skeleton and Integumentary slots |
| Driver Update | 
|
Technical Ability 9 | An extra stat bonus on every cyberware |
| Health Freak | 
|
Technical Ability 9 | One more Health item charge and faster recharge |
| Renaissance Punk |
|
Technical Ability 9 | More cyberware capacity for each attribute at 9 or higher |
| Ambidextrous | 
|
Technical Ability 15 | A second Hands cyberware slot |
| Bolt | 
|
Technical Ability 15 | Faster charge and Bolt shots that hit harder |
| Burn This City | 
|
Technical Ability 15 | Five Pyromania stacks refill a grenade charge |
| Cyborg | Technical Ability 15 | Shorter cyberware cooldowns with every slot filled | |
| Doomlauncher | 
|
Technical Ability 15 | An extra Projectile Launch System charge and faster recharge |
| Extended Warranty |
|
Technical Ability 15 | Cyberware effects last longer |
| Friendlier Fire | 
|
Technical Ability 15 | Less damage from the character's own explosions |
| Heat Shield | 
|
Technical Ability 15 | More Mitigation Chance for each Pyromania stack |
| Internal Clock | 
|
Technical Ability 15 | Wider timing window for a Bolt shot |
| License To Chrome |
|
Technical Ability 15 | Stronger cyberware, more armor and a Skeleton slot |
| Lightning Storm | 
|
Technical Ability 15 | Faster charge after each Bolt |
| Pyromania | 
|
Technical Ability 15 | Faster Health item and grenade recharge and bigger blasts |
| Shock Value | 
|
Technical Ability 15 | Bolt shots ignore armor |
| Chain Lightning | 
|
Technical Ability 20 | Bolt shots arc Electrical damage to 3 nearby enemies |
| Edgerunner | Technical Ability 20 | Cyberware past the capacity limit for a small Health cost |
| Name | Image | Slot | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gorilla Arms | 
|
Arms | Hard hitting fists |
| Projectile Launch System | 
|
Arms | Arm launcher that fires explosive shots |
| Blood Pump |
|
Circulatory System | A Health item that heals over time |
| Axolotl | 
|
Frontal Cortex | Kills cut all cyberware cooldowns |
| Painducer | 
|
Integumentary System | Spreads damage taken over time |
| Fortified Ankles | 
|
Legs | Charged jumps |
| NeoFiber |
|
Nervous System | More mitigation chance and strength |
| Militech Apogee Sandevistan | Operating System | Slows time by 85% with crit bonuses | |
| Epimorphic Skeleton | 
|
Skeleton | More max Health |
The Sandevistan goes on at the start of every fight to slow time. Blades close the gap on groups, and a revolver lands easy headshots while time is slowed. Kills extend the Sandevistan, so the character moves from one target to the next without stopping.
Attributes: Body 18, Reflexes 20, Technical Ability 20, Intelligence 3, Cool 20.
The perks, cyberware and weapon mods for this build are listed below.
| Name | Image | Level | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adrenaline Rush |
|
Body 15 | More Health and the Adrenaline Rush mode |
| Calm Mind |
|
Body 15 | Adrenaline lasts longer before it decays |
| Juggernaut |
|
Body 15 | More speed and damage during Adrenaline Rush |
| Deadeye | Cool 15 | More headshot and weak spot damage | |
| Dash |
|
Reflexes 9 | Dash replaces the dodge |
| Flash And Thunderclap | 
|
Reflexes 9 | Strong attacks leap to enemies in range |
| Aerial Acrobat |
|
Reflexes 15 | Better control in midair |
| Air Dash |
|
Reflexes 15 | Dash in midair |
| Slaughterhouse | Reflexes 20 | Every attack causes Bleeding | |
| Tailwind |
|
Reflexes 20 | Stamina from air dashes and double jumps |
| Chrome Constitution |
|
Technical Ability 9 | Less damage taken with full Skeleton and Integumentary slots |
| Renaissance Punk |
|
Technical Ability 9 | More cyberware capacity for each attribute at 9 or higher |
| Extended Warranty |
|
Technical Ability 15 | Cyberware effects last longer |
| License To Chrome |
|
Technical Ability 15 | Stronger cyberware, more armor and a Skeleton slot |
| Edgerunner | Technical Ability 20 | Cyberware past the capacity limit for a small Health cost |
| Name | Image | Slot | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heal-On-Kill | 
|
Circulatory System | Health on each kill |
| Microrotors | 
|
Circulatory System | Faster melee attacks |
| Newton Module | 
|
Frontal Cortex | Kills cut cyberware cooldowns |
| Optical Camo |
|
Integumentary System | Near invisibility for a few seconds |
| Kerenzikov | 
|
Nervous System | Slows time when aiming during a slide or dodge |
| Stabber |
|
Nervous System | Crit chance with blades and throwables |
| Militech Apogee Sandevistan | Operating System | Slows time by 85% with crit bonuses | |
| Militech Falcon Sandevistan | Operating System | Slows time by 70% with damage and crit bonuses | |
| Dense Marrow |
|
Skeleton | More melee damage for a higher Stamina cost |
Lore
The in-game description calls the Mantis Blades arm blades designed with lethality and concealment in mind. It adds that they are as effective as they are flashy.
Not every model has been safe. Melissa Rory, a MaxTac lieutenant, still carries an older Mantis Blades model. That line was recalled because it interfered with part of the user's prefrontal cortex. Rory tells V that she keeps the blades as a reminder of her past. She meets V in the secret side job Bullets, and she is the woman from the first teaser trailer of the game.
Notes
- The Arms slot holds one implant, so the Mantis Blades replace any Gorilla Arms, Monowire or Projectile Launch System.
- The Electrifying, Thermal and Toxic Mantis Blades are the same blades with Electrical, Thermal and Chemical damage.
- The MaxTac Mantis Blades from Phantom Liberty are a Reflexes variant that restores Health on a kill against a bleeding enemy.
Cyberware Categories
All Arms Cyberware
Every Arms implant is listed below. The Iconic ones come first, then the standard ones.
Iconic Arms Cyberware
| Name | Image | Attribute | Capacity | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MaxTac Mantis Blades | 
|
Standard Arms Cyberware
| Name | Image | Attribute | Capacity | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrifying Gorilla Arms | 
|
Technical Ability | 8 | |
| Electrifying Mantis Blades | 
|
Intelligence | 8 | Northside |
| Electrifying Monowire | 
|
Reflexes | 8 | |
| Electrifying Projectile Launch System | 
|
Cool | 8 | |
| Gorilla Arms | 
|
Body | 8 | |
| Mantis Blades | 
|
Reflexes | 8 | |
| Monowire | 
|
Intelligence | 8 | |
| Projectile Launch System | 
|
Technical Ability | 8 | |
| Thermal Gorilla Arms | 
|
Reflexes | 8 | |
| Thermal Mantis Blades | 
|
Body | 8 | |
| Thermal Monowire | 
|
Cool | 8 | |
| Thermal Projectile Launch System | 
|
Intelligence | 8 | |
| Toxic Gorilla Arms | 
|
Cool | 8 | |
| Toxic Mantis Blades | 
|
Cool | 8 | |
| Toxic Monowire | 
|
Technical Ability | 8 | |
| Toxic Projectile Launch System | 
|
Body | 8 |