Have you ever wondered what your own superhero origin story would look like? Now, in Bethesda’s space epic Starfield, you can live out that dream. A quest line found early in Starfield can help you get some amazing gear and a great ship, along with the title of The Mantis.
Starfield has gotten a lot of hype leading up to and after its release. Part of the fun in the huge game is the interesting side quests you will stumble upon as you explore the universe. Early in the game, the Secret Outpost quest is one of those, and if you complete it, there will be some amazing rewards you’ll be glad you fought for.
How to Start the Mantis Quest in Starfield
To begin the Mantis quest in Starfield, you will need the “Secret Outpost!” Data Pad, which you can find by looting the corpses of dead Spacers in the game. The Data Pad dropping is a completely random event, so be sure to search every body. I found it somewhat early in the game while completing the “One Small Step” main story quest.
Once you have the Data Pad, read it in your inventory and it will activate the Mantis quest. From there, we’re off to Denebola I-b where adventure and danger await.
Mantis Quest: Denebola I-b
When you arrive at Denebola I-b, select the Secret Outpost as your destination and land there. After exiting your ship, head inside the Lair of the Mantis.
Once you’re inside, just follow the mission icon on the screen. It’s a straightforward fight through the facility, but be sure to loot the body of every enemy you kill. You will find Data Pads that have vital information for later in the quest.
The Lair of the Mantis
As you fight your way through the facility, you’ll come to a large room with closed doors at one end and a scared NPC standing next to them. Fight your way through the enemies — there should be at least one mini-boss among them — and go talk to the frightened NPC next to the doors.
Dialogue options are commonplace in Starfield, and when you meet Livvey, you will decide his fate. Livvey will off you his help as you make your way deeper into the Lair of the Mantis, and if you haven’t looted everything, you might need it.
Ultimately, you’ll have these choices:
- Take Livvey with you — he will want a share of the loot at the end
- Kill him
- Tell him to get lost — he will resist this option
Starfield — A Tyrannical Puzzle
You’ll then come to the room where you have to solve a deadly puzzle. If you’ve brought Livvey along, he will help you figure out what to do. If not, the Data Pads you have hopefully collected during the mission contain hints.
To successfully navigate the room and get to the door on the other side, you will need to spell out the word “TYRANNIS” by walking over the corresponding letters on the floor. If you make a mistake, it triggers turrets in the room that will quickly shred you to bits. Think of it as a Starfield version of Indiana Jones in the idol temple in Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Once you’ve successfully made it through the room, press the button on the far end by the door to open the door and deactivate the turrets. Then, it’s on to more fighting — but you’re in the home stretch for the Mantis ship and suit.
Once you’ve cleared the TYRANNIS puzzle, you’ll enter the actual Lair of the Mantis. Your hard work is about to be rewarded with an awesome ship and set of armor, not to mention a new identity as The Mantis.
Get That Loot
Stay on the left until you get to a computer terminal. Interact with it to activate the Razorleaf, the ship of The Mantis. Activating the ship using the terminal will raise a platform with the ship on it to a place above you that you will be able to access once you leave the Lair of the Mantis.
But you’re not ready to leave yet. Follow the mission indicator on your map to a mannequin that has the Mantis armor. Take that as well — it will likely be a significant upgrade over whatever you were using to that point. Don’t forget the jetpack too.
Once you’ve both gotten the armor and activated the ship, head to the elevator and take it up to where you can exit the building. Once outside, make your way to the landing platform where the Razorleaf awaits.
Activating the Razorleaf as your new ship will move all of your crew and stored inventory to it. There is no need to worry about losing them or your old ship.
Key Points About the Mantis Mission in Starfield:
- Activate the mission by locating the “Secret Outpost!” Data Pad, randomly located on a Spacer.
- The Mantis mission in Starfield is designed for players at or around Level 20. You can definitely complete it at lower levels, but be aware that it will be a challenge.
- Be sure to loot every enemy as you make your way through the facility. Some have Data Pads that contain clues.
- The Mantis armor and jetpack are considerably heavy and will take up a lot of your inventory. Plan accordingly.
Are you going to travel the galaxy as the Mantis? Tell us about your experience in the comments. Also, while you make your way through the game, take our Starfield guides and our Starfield review with you!
Starfield is available now on PC, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox Game Pass.
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