One strong point of Starfield is the various side-quests you will stumble upon, and Lair of the Mantis is one such quest. You will randomly stumble upon this quest line during one of your many expeditions in the game. However, we suggest you do it right away, as the Lair of The Mantis quest provides one of the best early-game loot, including legendary armor and ship, weapons, and more. So, if you want to explore the vast expanse of space with the best gear, let’s learn how to find the Mantis quest and solve the floor puzzle.
Find ‘The Lair of The Mantis’ Quest in Starfield
To begin this quest, you need to grab an encoded message from the enemies in the world. Spacers are one of the enemies that have the message. So, if you take one of them down, make sure you try to track down a note in their inventory that reads, “Secret Message!” Spacers don’t know how to be subtle, I guess. This note is a randomized item you can receive at any given time from an enemy. We received it while clearing spacers off of an abandoned space station.
When you read this note, it instructs you to travel to the planet Denebola 1-b at Star System Denebola. It also starts the questline “Lair of the Mantis.” Here’s what you need to do next:
- Head to your ship and chart a route to the planet. If you are confused about how to do that, read our article on Grav Jump in Starfield.
- Once you reach the Denebola star system, search for Denebola 1-b and travel to that planet.
- Here, land at the spot already pre-marked on the planet. You are now at the secret lair.
How to Reach the Mantis Floor Puzzle
Before you begin the quest, we suggest reaching a level of at least 10. The enemies here are spread between levels 14, 20, and 30. While it’s not like you won’t be able to take them out, you will take too much damage. Once you are determined enough, follow the steps below.
- Eliminate the group waiting for you outside and follow the marker to the inside of the base. Make sure you have selected the quest for easier tracking.
- Once you are inside the compound, you pick a few story bits. These are optional, but give you the background of the story. The first is a text log called “Base arrival.”
- Reading through the story reveals that Leon Voclain, the son of the enigmatic Manis, arrived at the base for the first time to inherit his mother’s belongings.
- After that, clear out the room adjacent to where you picked up the document. Kill the spacers, and pick up an audio doc called “Sic Semper Tyrannis.” This document will help us clear a puzzle later in the game, so keep it safe. It also reveals the frustration of Leon over how his mother’s last words are her catchphrase — “Sic Semper Tyrannis.”
- Then, it’s a straightforward process from here. Clear out the Lair of Mantis and take out spacers in Starfield.
- After you go down the stairs and clear out the groups of spacers, you will find another large compound. Subdue everyone inside this room, except this NPC.
Mantis Floor Puzzle Solution in Starfield
Remember the NPC who we rescued from the previous room? Talking with him reveals that the next room has a puzzle with eight rows of alphabet tiles. The floor requires you to walk through the correct alphabet tiles to enter the passcode. As for what happens when you walk on the wrong tile, it triggers two turrets that will kill you instantly. The result is, well, like the two dead spacers in the room.
Now, what’s the answer to the Mantis quest floor puzzle, you ask? Remember the document with the words “Sic Semper Tyrannis” that we received while exploring this lair. This document will become our saving grace. Or at least the name of the document.
The floor puzzle has eight rows of alphabet tiles, and the word Tyrannis in the document also has eight letters. So, walk and create the word “TYRANNIS” to solve the Mantis quest floor puzzle in Starfield. Once through, press the button at the end of the hallway to disarm the traps. It seems Mantis kept her catchphrase as the passcode.
From here on, we will have a turret at the end of the hallway, two model A robots, and a model S robot. Deal with them at your leisure to reach a large compound to get your rewards.
Starfield Mantis Quest Legendary Rewards
Now, if you go toward the left side of the compound, you will come across the living quarters of Mantis. You will receive her spacesuit and a mini-gun from the weapons locker. Here are the properties of the spacesuit and the gun:
- Mirrored Mantis Pack: This is a legendary boost pack, which provides 30 thermal, 5 airborne, and 20 protection from radiation. It also increases your oxygen capacity by 20%, adds 25% thermal resistance, and a 4% chance to reflect an attack.
- Repulsing Mantis Space Helmet: A legendary helmet that provides 45 thermal and protection from corrosive damage by 10. This helmet reduces incoming damage from robots by 15%, provides a +25 thermal resistance, and increases the chance of disarming an enemy by 5%.
- Reactive Mantis Space Suit: A legendary spacesuit, which provides +40 thermal and +15 protection from radiation. Additionally, it reduces incoming physical damage from ranged weapons by 15%, provides +25 thermal resistance, and a 10% chance to stagger nearby attackers.
- Bashing Microgun: It deals 9 damage with a fire rate of 350 and a range of 40. It has 47.2% accuracy and a mass of 11.40. Moreover, if you perform gun bashing, it deals double damage, living up to its name.
Inside the large compound, on the front, you will also find the legendary spaceship of Mantis. It’s called Raorleaf, and to claim it, you will have to turn the lift controls and bring the spaceship up. Since the mother and son are dead, the spaceship is yours. Better yet, you can now roleplay and become the new Mantis after clearing the quest in Starfield.
The Story of Mantis in Starfield (Explained)
If you followed the numerous audio and text notes throughout the quest, it’s easy to piece together the story of Mantis in Starfield. Early in the game, there used to be a bounty hunter named Mantis. She used to hunt down space punk and spacers, trying to make the star systems and planets in Starfield safer. Think of her as a futuristic Batman. Before she died, she made a will, where everything Mantis owned goes to Leon Volcain, her son.
However, Leon had to clear the compound with booby traps to get her belongings. Unfortunately, Leon never completed the lair since you later picked the items up, confirmed after stumbling upon his dead body. Mantis wanted her son to take over her mantle. Unfortunately, he did not clear it, and the legend of the Mantis stays dormant until we pick it up.
