🕷️ Mantis Blades Build Guide for Cyberpunk 2077 2.0

If you’re ready to get up close and personal in Cyberpunk 2077 2.0, there’s no better way than going full melee with the Mantis Blades. These iconic cybernetic weapons turn V into a high-speed killing machine — capable of dismembering enemies with stylish slashes, deadly leap attacks, and brutal finishers.

The 2.0 update and the Phantom Liberty expansion introduced new perks, cyberware changes, and relic abilities that make a Mantis Blades build more viable and fun than ever. Whether you prefer raw aggression, stealthy assassinations, or fluid parkour-based combat, this guide will walk you through everything you need to build the ultimate Mantis Blades melee specialist.

⚔️ Why Use Mantis Blades?

Mantis Blades are classified as Blades weapons, meaning they benefit directly from perks in the Reflexes attribute tree. Their playstyle is fast, aggressive, and acrobatic — ideal for players who like to charge into combat, leap across the battlefield, and dismember enemies in a flurry of attacks.

They also:

Allow for leap attacks (charged heavy attack).
Benefit from finisher perks in the Relic and Reflexes trees.
Come in multiple elemental types: physical, thermal, electric, and toxic.
Are compatible with Sandevistan for high-speed combat control.
Scale extremely well when paired with Adrenaline Rush and cyberware boosts.

🧬 Attribute Allocation

A proper Mantis Blades build requires a focus on the following:

🌀 Reflexes (20):
This is your core stat. It boosts blade damage, movement speed, and unlocks vital perks like Dash, Air Dash, Blade Runner, and bullet deflection.
🔧 Technical Ability (20):
Crucial for maximizing cyberware capacity and unlocking powerful cyberware perks like Edgerunner. It also gives access to armor and tech-based survivability boosts.
💪 Body (18–20):
Invest here to increase max health, stamina, and unlock Adrenaline Rush for improved health regen, movement speed, and tankiness.
😎 Cool (9–18):
Allocate at least 9 points to unlock Bullet Deflect, allowing you to block or return enemy fire. Go higher if you want to blend in stealth or throwing knives.
🧠 Intelligence (3):
Not needed. This build doesn’t focus on quickhacks, so you can skip investing here.

🧩 Key Perks by Attribute

🌀 Reflexes

Dash / Air Dash: Essential for movement, dodging, and gap-closing in melee combat.
Lead and Steel / Bullet Deflect: Lets you deflect enemy bullets with your blades, turning ranged threats into opportunities.
Flash and Thunderclap: Increases blade attack power and finisher efficiency.
Blade Runner Finisher: Unlocks brutal melee finishers that deal massive damage.
Slaughterhouse: Dismembered enemies take more damage.
Slippery: Increases movement speed during dashes and improves survivability.

💪 Body

Painkiller / Comeback Kid: Increases in-combat health regeneration based on missing health.
Adrenaline Rush: Activates a combat-focused state that boosts health, regen, and movement speed.
Juggernaut: Provides additional armor and melee damage while Adrenaline Rush is active.
Rip and Tear: Mixes melee strikes with quick attacks for extra stagger damage.

🔧 Technical Ability

All Things Cyber / Licensed to Chrome: Increases the number of cyberware pieces you can equip.
Extended Warranty: Prolongs cyberware effects like Sandevistan or Optical Camo.
Edgerunner: Lets you exceed your cyberware limit at the cost of max HP — great for squeezing in more power at the high end.

🧬 Relic (Phantom Liberty)

Jailbreak: Charging a leap attack after a dismemberment or finisher boosts damage and range by up to 30 meters.
Spatial Mapping: Improves the leap attack’s precision, increases dismemberment chance, and makes Mantis Blades truly lethal.

🤖 Recommended Cyberware

💻 Operating System:

Apogee Sandevistan: Slows time by 85%, extends with kills, and boosts Crit. Perfect for chaining kills and avoiding damage.

🧠 Frontal Cortex:

Axolotl: Reduces cooldowns on cyberware per enemy killed — works brilliantly with Sandevistan.
Kerenzikov Boosters: Enhances movement speed while cyberware is active.

❤️ Circulatory System:

Microrotors: Increases melee attack speed — essential for Mantis Blades.
Adrenaline Booster: Regains stamina and health with each kill.
Blood Pump / Biomonitor: Great for healing mid-fight. The Biomonitor automates the process below 35% HP.

🦾 Skeleton:

Dense Marrow: Boosts melee damage and adds armor.
Epimorphic Skeleton: Increases maximum health and armor.

🧥 Integumentary System:

Optical Camo: Grants invisibility — use for repositioning or escaping.
Carapace: Improves armor when attacked from the sides or behind.

🦿 Legs:

Reinforced Tendons: Enables double-jumping, excellent for vertical mobility and accessing high ground.

🧠 Nervous System:

Stabber: Increases Crit Chance with blades and throwing knives.
Synaptic Accelerator: Slows time automatically when spotted — perfect for stealthy approaches.

🗡️ Playstyle Tips

Use Dash and Air Dash to close distance quickly or dodge incoming fire. Combine with Sandevistan for ultimate control.
Leap Attack + Jailbreak: After dismembering an enemy or using a finisher, charge a leap to deal massive damage and reach enemies across large gaps.
Start fights with Optical Camo to position, then activate Sandevistan before unleashing a combo of heavy and light strikes.
Bullet Deflect is essential when fighting ranged enemies. Use it while dashing to close the gap safely.
Chain kills with Sandevistan active to keep the time-slow going longer. Axolotl reduces cooldowns so you can reactivate sooner.
EMP grenades are highly recommended to neutralize turrets and mechs — melee-only builds struggle against automated enemies.
Use finishers frequently. They trigger Jailbreak, increase your survival rate, and look incredible.
Play vertically. Use double jump to find flanking paths, rooftop approaches, and quick escape routes.

🔥 Pros and Cons of the Build

✅ Pros:

High mobility and damage.
Unique leap attacks with dismemberment potential.
Excellent synergy with Sandevistan and Adrenaline Rush.
Fun, fast-paced, and flashy melee combat.
Compatible with stealth if Cool is invested further.

⚠️ Cons:

Weak against turrets and bots unless grenades are used.
High skill ceiling — needs good positioning and timing.
Lower range compared to katana builds.
Can be squishy if overinvesting in Edgerunner without health support.

🧠 Final Thoughts

The Mantis Blades build in Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 offers an aggressive, high-risk, high-reward playstyle that rewards speed, precision, and awareness. With support from Reflexes, Body, and Technical Ability, V becomes a blur of death on the battlefield — slicing enemies apart before they can react.

Pair this with the Apogee Sandevistan, Axolotl, and Microrotors, and you’ll have the tools to take down even the most fortified enemies. Whether you're leaping across rooftops or tearing through enemies in Dogtown, the Mantis Blades build is one of the most exciting melee builds available.