Weapons & Smithing: Mantis Weaponry   Are you a blade-wielder? Would you like to get hold of one of the most rare weapons there is? Are you willing to risk your life and limb and go out on a killing spree to get it? If the answer to all these questions is "Yes" then boy, do we have a winner for you...         If you haven't heard of the dungeon known as Smugglers Den, you really have missed out on something. Not only is this the perfect place to get Mantis eggs, used in the process of making the Virral Triumvirate Egg and Decranum armor - the choice of a new generation (tm) but it is also where you can find two very nice weapons, the Queen blade and the Mantis Scissors. The dungeon is located in Southern Foul Hills at 1750 x 850. Getting there might be an ordeal all by itself, but the real challenge lies within it. Traversing the dungeon without a calmer often enough means death unless you have a really nice group. We strongly recommend a calmer for undertaking this, as some of the mobs in the dungeon can hit pretty hard, and they do come in numbers rather than taking turns hitting you like in those old earthen Bruce Lee-movies. You are looking for two mobs in particular for these weapons. Den Mantis Breeders, and the Den Mantis Queen.   Den Mantis Breeder These drop the Mantis Scissors now and then, and also has a chance to drop one of those coveted eggs. These are the easier of the two, as you might have figured out already, and a good team can take these down without any major hassle. The trouble is, of course that they do tend to come en masse and not alone, so keep those calms ready, or you might end up flatter than if an atrox running challenger sat on you.   Den Mantis Queen This one is the really hard one to get, since she hits for an average of around 1000 points of damage. However - its not impossible, especially if you have a lot of pets. Its perfectly possible to take her down if you have a team of four people, but we strongly recommend that you are at least six, since its no easy business. The Queen drops the real beauty here - the Queen Blade. (Queen picture courtesy of Faunlore, the ultimate creature guide to Rubi-Ka - Thanks Krystanova!) If you are really lucky and you kill a lot of Mantis Breeders - you will now be the proud owner of two of the more deadlier weapons in the game. Well, soon to be at the very least, since this isn't all there is to it, namely these...     Mantis Scissors A deadly blade made from the mandible of a Mantis Breeder.     Queen Blade This massive blade is made from the mandible of a Mantis queen.   The Mantis Scissors are dual-wieldable, hitting for lower damage but faster than the Queen blade. Most people prefers the Queen Blade however since it doesnt make you look like a mutated Manteze on the prowl. Something to remember here is that the weapons are nodrop ones, which means that you really should let your blade-wielding companion get it and not try to pick it up yourself, unless you want to look a bit daft when trying to hand it over to them. Now that we have the basis for the enhanced versions of the mantis weapons, what we need now is an item known as the Diamond-Matrix Mesh, and believe it or not, this is the hard part.   Diamond-Matrix Mesh A compact, yet flexible diamond mesh. It has been specially treated to bond to certain genetic blueprints. It looks like you could attach it to weapon made from sand mantis parts, like the Queen Blade or Mantis Scissors, to enhance that weapon's damage. As you see on the description of the item, you can use this to enhance both the Scissors and the Queen blade, so you might want to think twice before doing the Scissors since the oncoming fight will be a hard one. In order to get the mesh, you will have to visit Eastern Foul Plains, which is to the north of Southern Foul hills, so yalma up and fly there, because its clobbering time! You will need to visit a place called The Fort, which is an Omni-Tek outpost in the middle of Eastern Foul Plains at 1900 x 1450. This outpost can be quite dangerous if you are clan - if you are Omni, its a walk in the park to get inside. However - regardless of side, you have a long and hard fight on your hands soon enough.   At the far end of the outpost, on the ridge, you can see the Diamondine Trainee, guarded by two of her Valkyries. These are the mobs you have to hit. The Trainee itself is a level 250-300 mob and will have no problem cramming those Mantis Scissors down your throat if you are not prepared for her. You will need a very strong team, and calms are preferred, since the Valkyries will come to the Trainee's help. The best way, as in the case with the Obediency Inspector, is to first calm the Valkyries, and then start pounding on the Trainee the good-old-fashioned way with pets and heavy tanks. If possible, use more than one team, this is a tough customer. In testing this, it looks as if the Diamondine Trainee drops the Diamond-Matrix Mesh quite rarely. However, sometimes a higher-level mob called the Diamondine Soldier will spawn (tougher than the Trainee) and this mob has a 100% droprate of the Mesh. Now, all you have to do is to combine the Diamond-Matrix Mesh with the weaponry of your choice. This takes no skill to do, so even Jimmybobs the fierce Atrox Warrior should be able to do it.   + =   Enhanced Mantis Scissors A deadly blade made from the mandible of a Mantis Breeder. This blade has been further strengthened by a Diamond-Matrix mesh.   + =   Enhanced Queen Blade This massive blade is made from the mandible of a Mantis queen. This blade has been further strengthened by a Diamond-Matrix mesh. There! Now you are a proud owner of an Enhanced Mantis Scissor or two or the Enhanced Queen Blade. Possibly all three - it all depends on how many bloodstains you are willing to wash out of your armor later on and how much time you have on your hands. So is it worth it? Suffering the pain of having your legs and arms removed and your bones pulverized by the Diamondine Trainee, her Valykries and the Mantises? Well, lets compare, shall we.   Mantis Scissors Enhanced Mantis Scissors Queen Blade Enhanced Queen Blade     Attack time 1.96 s Recharge time 1.15 s Range 3 m Damage 95-346(110) Melee AC Attack time 1.96 s Recharge time 1.15 s Range 3 m Damage 109-394(110) Melee AC Attack time 4 s Recharge time 7.2 s Range 4 m Damage 417-1083(66) Chemical AC Attack time 4 s Recharge time 7.2 s Range 4 m Damage 619-1383(66) Chemical AC     Requirements 1H Edged 1007 Fast Attack 705 Sneak Attack 405 Multi Melee 880 Level 146 Requirements 1H Edged 1027 Fast Attack 805 Sneak Attack 505 Multi Melee 1003 Level 176 Requirements 2E Edged 1023 Brawl 486 Dimach 263 Level 161 Requirements 2H Edged 1033 Brawl 786 Dimach 363 Level 185     Effects Health 30 Poison AC 100 Effects Health 30 Poison AC 100 Effects Health 320 Chemical AC 150 Poison AC 150 Effects Health 320 Chemical AC 150 Poison AC 150   Final word The stats on the Enhanced Queen Blade is truly remarkable, however - worth noting is that the Enhanced Queen Blade has been the talk of Enforcers in particular for a little while now, and it might not be long before the gods of Rubi-Ka decreases its power. As to what extent noone knows of course. Last updated 05.January 2003 See what others have said about this article, or post your own comments regarding this in our forums.