Mantis

Utility Gatherer

The Mantis can equip a pick or hatchet, or even a sickle, allowing it to gather resources using these tools rather effectively when one does not have specialized mounts for such. Due to its ability to equip tools the Mantis can be used as a mobile light source by equipping it with a torch. (Level up Weight and Damage).

Element Node Harvester

While you would need to port one from another map as the Mantises on Extinction are only found in a cave and therefore not tameable, the Mantis is an invaluable asset when it comes to harvesting element after completing an Element Node event. Equipped with a strong Metal Pick and melee/weight investment you can harvest all of the element veins much faster than if you were to do so on foot. This also conserves player stamina which therefore preserves food/water. Since…

Soldier/Shock Trooper

The ability for the Mantis to wield melee weapons, including the , allows it to be a fearsome combatant, but this also allows them to change up their tactics entirely by using a , inflicting damage against opponents as needed. Better weapons from better blueprints can massively increase the effectiveness of the mount's attacks, making this one of the only mounts where the quality of items other than the saddle is of great consequence. (Level up Health, Stamina and Damage).

PvP Fighter

With the ability to turn in place and its lunging attack, the Mantis can hold a position very well in narrow areas, making it a good defensive creature to deter raiders, especially in caves. It can either go full damage with a Sword or utilize a Wooden Club to knock out the raiders and allow you to cage them, preventing them from respawning.

Taming Mount

Using simple primitive s, a high-level Mantis with average is a competent taming mount. It can easily knock out most smaller creatures such as Pulmonoscorpius and Raptors with a pounce and a few standard bash attacks. With higher end clubs and higher melee, the increased torpor could allow for Mantis to be used on more difficult tames. With high quality clubs and mutation stacking it can easily KO high level es and , though creatures with low health-to-torpor ratio will likely be…

Organic Polymer Farm

Having a Mantis breeding line could be beneficial both to get a powerful Mantis and to take advantage of bad offspring to obtain with a or with high stat and all harvesting leveling into organic polymer. It is recommended to wait until the Mantises reach the adolescent or adult stages in order to get more resources from their bodies.

Turkey Killer

While wielding a , or similar weapon, The Mantis ignores the damage reduction of the , making them perfect for mass turkey slaughter during the Turkey Trial event.

Boss DPS

A highly mutated mantis can be (mainly on boosted unofficial servers) a great DPS in boss fights, possibly outperforming any other creature that can enter boss arenas in terms of both DPH and DPS. Spamming the jump (right click) attack can do massive damage to anything in its path. It can be particularly useful against the as it is so small that when below it, the will not be able to do damage to it (beware of its minions). You have to, however, pay close attention to positioning of…

Genesis 2 knock-out mission specialist

Using a high quality , inflicts massive using the leap ability (right click). can be used to help with Bulbdog Fetch, Maewing Poach and especially Paracer Roundup, where it seems to completely ignore the resistance on Baby, Juvenile and Adolescent , applying full torpor as if they were Adult. The amount of inflicted scales with melee damage and damage.