There are dozens and dozens of interesting side quests in Starfield, but few are more lucrative than the Mantis quest. Not only does this quest lead you on a fascinating adventure, but completing it will reward you with a new ship and an entire set of legendary armor.
There’s not a set level requirement for the Mantis quest in Starfield, but I recommend you be at least level seven to eight. I was level seven when I started this quest and was able to complete it with relative ease on “Hard” difficulty. However, your mileage may vary, as you have to take on multiple level 30 enemies.
Either way, just starting the Mantis quest can be confusing, let alone completing it. Here’s a look at the entire Mantis quest in Starfield; with any luck, by its conclusion, you can take home a new ship and spacesuit.
How to start the Mantis quest in Starfield
You will begin the Mantis quest with a bit of luck. The only way to add the quest to your mission log is to kill Spacer enemies and hope that one of them drops a note called “Secret Outpost” on their body. I was able to kill Spacers at a salvage yard on Mars in the Sol system and pick up the Secret Outpost note, but you can also loot Spacers during the Constellation mission called “The Old Neighborhood.”
In any case, once you find the Secret Outpost note, you need to read it, which is done by going into your inventory, pressing the Notes tab, and selecting the note. After reading it, your mission log will update with the Mantis quest, and it will tell you to visit the Denebola system. More specifically, you need to visit the planet Denebola I-B and infiltrate a secret outpost.
How to reach the Denebola system
This system will likely be quite far from your current position, especially if you haven’t ventured too far out of the starting systems yet. In order to reach Denebola, you will need to jump to several different systems that precede it in the galaxy. You can see the exact route that I took to reach the Denebola system in the screenshot below.
From Alpha Centauri, you need to travel to Olympus, Volii, Porrima, and then finally Denebola. You can simply keep jumping from system to system in quick succession if you don’t care to explore those systems. Once you’re in the Denebola system, open your galaxy map and navigate to the Secret Outpost landing site on the Denebola I-B planet. The Secret Outpost is on the lower side of the planet.
Venturing into the Secret Outpost on Denebola I-B
After you have landed, make sure you have the Mantis quest tracked in your mission log, as you will need to follow the blue quest marker on your screen to reach the right location. By following that quest marker, you will eventually reach the outer area of the outpost. There will be several Spacer enemies, most of whom are around level eight but there are some enemies at level 14 or 30.
Defeat all of the Spacer enemies outside and then proceed inside the outpost. As you might have guessed, there will be even more Spacer enemies waiting for you. Make your way through the enemies, making sure to stop and loot whoever you can. A lot of the Spacers carry some valuable items, such as the Arc Welder weapon and plenty of extra ammo. I recommend using Frag Grenades against the higher-level enemies, as they usually like to stay in one spot.
Speaking of higher-level enemies, your quest marker will eventually mark a level 30 Spacer Scum enemy. Kill the Spacer and loot their body to find the Leon Voclain – Sic Semper Tyrannis voice log. Pick up the voice log and it will begin playing. According to the log, Leon Voclain was sent to this outpost by his mother, who has since passed away. Her last wish was for Leon to visit this facility, and while Leon doesn’t think so, his mother had a great reason for this.
Continue to follow your quest marker, still making sure to loot whatever you can. There is a legendary Bounty Hunter spacesuit inside of a container as well as tons of other weapons on Spacer enemies and in crates. Eventually, you will come across a room that contains two high-level Spacer Scum enemies as well as some lower-level enemies. I found using a melee weapon against high-level enemies was the best way to neutralize their Arc Welder weapons.
Once the enemies are down, follow your quest marker into the next room of the outpost. This will lead you to the hardest part of the Mantis quest: the password puzzle.
The floor puzzle consists of different tiles split into horizontal columns on the ground. The tiles all have a different letter on them, and your job is to step over the correct tile. The correct tiles spell a specific word, and if you don’t know what the word is or step on the wrong tile, then you will have to face the wrath of a few turrets that can gun you down in an instant.
How to solve the Mantis puzzle in Starfield
The answer to the Mantis password puzzle is “Tyrannis.” This is part of the phrase that Leon says his mother always told him. You need to spell the word exactly how I have and make sure that you are lining your character up over the correct tiles before stepping on them. This puzzle is quite easy if you remember how to spell Tyrannis and make sure to step precisely over the right tiles.
Once you’re past the puzzle, press the button on the stairs to disable the turrets and then head through the gate. Continue to follow your quest marker down a hallway, but be careful, as there is a turret at the end of the first hall. I found that ducking behind the corner and shooting at it when it took a break from firing was the best way to handle the turret. You can also try to simply run through the hallway to the next room.
This isn’t too wise, though, as there are a couple of level 20 robots waiting for you in the next room. Kill the robots, and continue to follow your quest marker until you reach a giant room with a spaceship in the middle of it.
Claiming the Razorleaf and Mantis spacesuit
This spaceship belongs to the Mantis, and it’s known as the Razorleaf, which is the prize that Leon’s mother left for him. Apparently, Leon’s mother was the Mantis, who was a superhero of sorts who helped people using the ship. Kill another robot roaming the floor before the ship’s platform and then make your way to a button that lifts the Razorleaf ship above the ground.
Before you leave, though, make sure you follow your quest marker into a room on the opposite end of the room, near where you initially came in. This room contains the Mantis Spacesuit, which is a legendary spacesuit that comes with several terrific traits. You can equip the Mantis Spacesuit directly from the mannequin it’s resting on in the display case.
With the spacesuit acquired, head back outside of the secret outpost and follow your quest marker to reach the Mantis ship. You can immediately head onboard the Razorleaf and go to the cockpit. Here, you will be asked if you want to make the Razorleaf your Home Ship, which will replace your current ship and send it to your fleet inventory.
If you choose to make the Razorleaf your Home Ship, you can fly it off the planet and use it to reach your next destination in Starfield.
