What is the Starfield Mantis puzzle solution? The Starfield Mantis quest takes you through the Lair of the Mantis, a challenging location packed to the brim with strong enemies. Perhaps most challenging of all though is the Starfield Mantis puzzle that will almost certainly lead to your death if you can’t figure out the correct floor puzzle solution. But with such good rewards up for grabs, including the Razorleaf ship and Mantis armor, you’re going to want to know how to complete the Mantis quest in Starfield.
The Mantis quest is a great opportunity to explore more of the universe at your fingertips alongside your Starfield companions. Given how hard this quest can be, you’ll need them. At the very least, you will want to have one of the best Starfield builds and best Starfield weapons at the ready as there will be robots, turrets, and plenty of bandits waiting for you when you arrive at the Lair of the Mantis. Our experience with the Mantis quest is based on our time with the game for our Starfield review.
Starfield Mantis puzzle solution
The Starfield Mantis puzzle solution is to spell out the word ‘Tyrannis’ using the floor tiles, stepping on the following tiles from each row:
- 1. T – 3rd from the left
- 2. Y – 1st from the left
- 3. R – 5th from the left
- 4. A – 6th from the left
- 5. N – 4th from the left
- 6. N – 7th from the left
- 7. I – 2nd from the left
- 8. S – 3rd from the left
Beware though, as stepping on the wrong tiles will trigger defensive laser turrets that will inevitably kill you. Once you’ve stepped on the correct tiles, however, you will be able to reach the door unscathed, at which point you can press the button to the right of the door to open it.
Despite the laser turrets dealing significant damage – enough to kill most players, at least early on – it is possible to reach the button to open the door even after having triggered the defenses. This is most important if you accidentally stand on the incorrect final tile and don’t have to run far while taking damage.
As you’ve likely already noticed, these floor plates are very sensitive. Don’t try to speed through the Mantis puzzle. To come out unscathed, make very slow and deliberate movements to ensure you don’t accidentally trigger an adjacent plate. We’d also recommend you save before attempting the puzzle so you can quickly reload if you die.
If you’re wondering how you were supposed to know about the Mantis puzzle solution naturally, this information can be gleaned from one of the many audio logs in the Lair of Mantis, titled ‘Leon Voclain – Sic Semper Tyrannis’. Like many audio logs though, we expect many players will have skipped these and then entered the Mantis floor puzzle confused as to how to solve it. After all, the messy spray paint can be misleading if you’re not aware that you’re supposed to spell a specific word.
That’s not the end of the Starfield Mantis quest, however. Read on below to find out how to start the Mantis quest, a full Mantis quest walkthrough, as well as an overview of the stellar Mantis quest rewards.
How to start the Mantis quest in Starfield
To start the Mantis quest in Starfield, you must find and read the ‘Secret Outpost!’ data entry obtained by looting Spacer enemies. This is a random quest drop from this enemy type, so defeat everyone you see and loot their body.
Chances are, you’ll obtain this side quest during The Old Neighborhood main mission as there are lots of Spacers onboard the facility you visit during the mission. This gives you lots of opportunities to loot the ‘Secret Outpost!’ item from defeating the enemies. Given it looks like a standard item, it’s worth going into the Notes section of your inventory to double check you don’t already have the Mantis quest.
Once you’ve found the ‘Secret Outpost!’ item, go into your inventory and read the text log. This will formally give you the Mantis side quest and send you to Denebola I-b in search of an outpost.
Starfield Mantis quest walkthrough
Travel to the secret outpost now marked on your map on Denebola I-b and clear out the hordes of Spacers before entering the Lairs of the Mantis. With enemies ranging from level 8 all the way up to level 30 in this area, you’re in for a fight.
Entering the Lair of the Mantis, you’ll then make your way through the corridors. Again, there are lots of challenging enemies here, so bring plenty of ammo and grenades if you’re underleveled. Along the way, you can also find several audio logs to learn more about the Mantis, Doriane Voclain, and her son, Leon Voclain. This will progress the optional mission to learn more about the Mantis and the Lair of the Mantis.
Continuing to follow the corridors and defeating the enemies blocking your path, be on the lookout for loot boxes that contain ammo, armor, and powerful new weapons. Not only will this be great for resupplying yourself from the tough fights, but these weapons will also deal lots of damage to the high level enemies coming up.
Eventually, you might come across a character named Livvey. If you didn’t already kill him, then he will give you a hint that will help you complete the Mantis puzzle.
On that note, you will then have to solve the Mantis puzzle using the solution we highlighted above, opening the door at the end of the corridor before heading further into the Lair of the Mantis. Check out the short video below by ‘100% Guides’ if you’re still stuck on the Mantis puzzle:
Eventually you will reach the final room, a large atrium housing a few more enemies and the rewards for completing the Mantis quest. Once you’ve collected the Razorleaf ship and Mantis armor – both of which are marked by objective markers – head back to the entrance of the Lair using the elevator in the hangar area. Then, walk out to the landing pad to find the Razorleaf, marking the end of the Mantis side quest.
Starfield Mantis quest rewards
The Starfield Mantis quest rewards are:
- Razorleaf class-A ship
- Mantis armor set
The unique Razorleaf is perhaps the best reward for completing the Mantis quest. This is one of the best Starfield ships you can get and, most importantly, you can get it early on and completely free of charge through this quest.
Thanks to a Shielded Cargo hold, the Mantis is also a great gateway into the world of Starfield contraband, letting you make money by smuggling goods. Besides this, it’s also got much better stats than your starting ship, and that’s before considering the benefits of Starfield ship customization.
The Mantis armor set – composed of the Mantis Pack, Mantis Space Helmet, and Mantis Spacesuit – is a great set of Legendary gear. While its effects are randomized, it boasts high stats that will likely be an upgrade, especially if you entered this quest early on in your playthrough. Check out our guide to the Starfield Legendaries and Starfield armor for more information.
Besides these standout rewards, there are also several loot containers during this mission and onboard the Razorleaf ship that you can loot for even more great rewards.
And that’s how to solve the Starfield Mantis puzzle, as well as a full walkthrough of the Mantis quest. With all this new gear, including a fancy new ship, why not hunt down all the Starfield magazine locations for more ways to improve your character? Otherwise, you could always complete the Starfield factions storylines.
Still looking for more? While a good Starfield wiki can be a handy source of information, our new Starfield Database goes further, offering you daily news, searchable databanks, and even interactive tools.