Cyberpunk 2077: Oda Mantis Blades Build | Sandevistan + Camo (Patch 2.31)

Welcome to the best Mantis Blades Build for Cyberpunk 2077 (Patch 2.31), inspired by Sandayu Oda. Oda is Hanako Arasaka’s bodyguard and a cyber ninja trained by Takemura. He ends up as one more threat to V, but that doesn’t mean we can’t borrow his insane build: Mantis Blades, Optical Camo, a smart SMG, and his own iconic katana.

The Oda Mantis Blades Build combines Optical Camo, the Jinchu-Maru katana and 30 metre Mantis Blade leaps for guaranteed crits and constant finishers in Cyberpunk 2077.

Table of Contents for the Oda Mantis Blades Build:

• Build Overview
• Attributes
• Perks (Skills)
• Cyberware
• Weapons
• Gear
• Skill Progression
• Leveling Tips
  • Perfect Start
  • How to make Money
  • Upgrade Weapons
  • How Gear Scaling Works
  • How to get Perk Points Fast
  • Dogtown Consumables

Strengths and Weaknesses list for the Oda Mantis Blades Build:

Cyberpunk 2077 Oda Mantis Blades Build Overview

This Cyberpunk 2077: Oda Mantis Blades Build plays stealthy or loud. Optical Camo turns every Jinchu-Maru hit into a guaranteed crit, the Mantis Blades leap 30 metres across the battlefield with Jailbreak, and two SMGs cover anything you can’t reach. The Apogee Sandevistan gives Oda the speed he shows in the game.

Attributes – Oda Mantis Blades Build

Distributing Attributes correctly for the Oda Mantis Blades Build is important. Attributes delegate the direction of the build and give access to different tiers of perks depending on how many points you invest in each category.

The Cyberpunk 2077 Oda Mantis Blades Build’s Attributes are spread out between Reflexes, Technical Ability, Cool, and Body. Intelligence stays at 3, because Oda is definitely not a Netrunner.

Oda Start Attributes

At the start of the game, select the following Attribute allocation to give us the optimal start for the Oda Mantis Blades Build in Cyberpunk 2077.

Attribute	Points	Description
Intelligence	None	N/A
Technical Ability	None	N/A
Reflexes	+4	Reflexes is the core of the build. Gets you close to Dash and Lead and Steel at 9.
Cool	+1	Unlocks Feline Footwork and the rest of the stealth row.
Body	+2	Unlocks the health regen chain.

Max Level Attributes

At max level, you want to have the following distribution of Attributes for the Oda Mantis Blades Build in Cyberpunk 2077:

• 20 Reflexes
• 20 Technical Ability
• 20 Cool
• 18 Body
• 3 Intelligence

Flexible points: Body only needs 15 for Adrenaline Rush, and Cool only needs 15 for the stealth perks this build uses. The extra points are still useful, though: Optical Camo gains +0.1 seconds of duration per Cool point, and Pain Editor also scales with Cool. If you want the car quickhacks for story moments, you can move one point from Body into Intelligence.

Perks – Oda Mantis Blades Build Cyberpunk 2077

In this section of the Cyberpunk 2077 Oda Mantis Blades Build, I will explain the perks that we use for each attribute.

• Reflexes
• Technical Ability
• Cool
• Body
• Intelligence
• Relic

Perk Points: To get perk points, you can either simply level up or farm Perk Shards. Read our guide on all 13 Perk Shard Locations in Cyberpunk 2077, with map locations, screenshots, and the nearest fast travel point for each shard.

Spare Points: The bold perks are the core of the build, so pick them up before the non-bold ones. This build uses 79 of the 80 Perk Points available at level 60. For the last point, take Bullet Time: you already have Bullet Deflect, and whenever your Sandevistan slows time, deflecting bullets costs no stamina and every deflection hits an enemy for Crit Damage.

Reflexes Perks

The Reflexes Perk-Tree is the heart of this build, and we use almost all of it. The middle is movement, the right side is Blades for the katana and Mantis Blades, and the left side is Assault Rifles and SMGs for the dual SMG backup. Max it out to 20.

Perk Prioritization: Prioritize perks in bold.

Level 4 Perks

The whole bottom row of the middle path. Slippery also leads across to the Blades side.

Perk	Description
Slippery	The faster you move, the harder you are to hit. It also opens the path to the Blades branch.
Multitasker	Shoot while sprinting, sliding and vaulting.
Muscle Memory	Reload while sprinting, sliding and vaulting.
Power Slide	Longer slides.
Parkour!	Faster vaulting and climbing.

Level 9 Perks

Level 9 has perks in all three branches: Dash in the middle, Blades on the right and SMG handling on the left.

Perk	Description
Dash	Rank 1 cuts dash stamina cost, rank 2 unlocks the Dash itself.
Mad Dash	+100% dash range toward enemies. Together with Seeing Double it unlocks Flash and Thunderclap.
Steady Grip	Attack while dashing. Works with your blades as well as your guns.
Can’t Touch This	+100% mitigation chance while dashing.
Mean Streak	Restores 40% stamina when you neutralize an enemy while dashing.
Lead and Steel	Lower stamina cost for Blade attacks, then the ability to block incoming bullets with your blade. The gateway to the whole Blades branch.
Seeing Double	Required for Flash and Thunderclap, along with Mad Dash.
Bullet Deflect	Deflect blocked bullets back at enemies. Combine it with Bullet Time from the spare point.
Flash and Thunderclap	Strong Attacks automatically leap at enemies within range, even in midair, with more damage the further you leap. The leap with the katana is extremely long. It is super broken.
Ready, Rested, Reloaded	Lower stamina cost for SMGs and faster reloads above 50% stamina. Max it out, it gates the SMG branch.
Tunnel Vision	More effective range and accuracy.
Spice of Life	Faster weapon swaps and less bullet spread after swapping. Perfect for juggling a katana and two SMGs.
Mind Over Matter	Less recoil while aiming.

Level 15 Perks

Blade finishers on the right, SMG stacks on the left, and Air Dash in the middle.

Perk	Description
Finisher: Bladerunner	Unlocks the Blade Finisher for your katana and Mantis Blades. Finishers deal massive damage, restore health and make you invincible during the animation. Max it out.
Flash of Steel	A big movement and attack speed boost after every finisher.
Opportunist	Bleeding, staggered, stunned or blinded enemies are more susceptible to finishers. Slaughterhouse makes everything bleed.
Going the Distance	Doubles your finisher activation range.
Sharpshooter	Every successful SMG shot grants a stack of Sharpshooter for +7% stamina regen, stacking 7 times. Max it out.
Shoot to Chill	Armor penetration per Sharpshooter stack.
Spray and Pray	Lower stamina cost for hip fire.
Practice Makes Perfect	Crit chance and crit damage per Sharpshooter stack.
Gundancer	Aiming no longer slows your movement.
Air Dash	Lower dash stamina cost, faster dashes and the ability to dash in midair.
Aerial Acrobat	Better midair maneuverability.
Aerodynamic	Much higher mitigation strength while in midair.

Skip: Air Kerenzikov links the middle and left branches, but this build does not use the Kerenzikov cyberware, so save the point.

Level 20 Perks

Reflexes is at 20, so we take three capstones, one for each branch.

Perk	Description
Slaughterhouse	All attacks, counterattacks and deflected bullets apply Bleeding, which increases dismemberment chance and makes enemies more susceptible to finishers. Bleeding can’t kill, but it sets up every finisher, and dismemberments restore stamina.
Submachine Fun	Swapping SMGs is faster and automatically reloads them, plus +22% fire rate after swapping. Reloading normally ends the effect, so just keep swapping between your two SMGs. This is why we carry two.
Tailwind	Air dashes cost no stamina, and air dashes and double jumps restore stamina. We want to cut stamina costs as much as possible.

Technical Ability Perks

The Technical Ability Perk-Tree is only used for its middle branch, which is all about Cyberware. Max it out to 20 for Edgerunner.

Perk Prioritization: Prioritize perks in bold.

Level 4 Perks

We don’t use any level 4 perks.

Level 9 Perks

The Cyberware perks.

Perk	Description
All Things Cyber	+10% to all cyberware stat modifiers and lower Cyberware Capacity cost for Integumentary System and Skeleton chrome. Max it out.
Driver Update	Adds a secondary stat modifier to all cyberware.
Renaissance Punk	+4 Cyberware Capacity for every Attribute above the threshold.
Chrome Constitution	Reduces incoming damage by 5% while your Integumentary System and Skeleton slots are full.
Lucky Day	More crafting components from looting.

Tip: when you upgrade cyberware, swap Lucky Day for Chipware Connoisseur so you get two stat modifier options instead of one, then swap back when you are done.

Level 15 Perks

Armor and two extra Cyberware slots.

Perk	Description
License to Chrome	+10% to all cyberware stat modifiers, +40 armor and an extra Skeleton slot. Max it out.
Ambidextrous	An extra Hands cyberware slot, so you can run Smart Link and Shock Absorber together.
Cyborg	Reduces cyberware cooldowns by 15% when all available slots are filled.
Extended Warranty	+15% duration for active cyberware, including Optical Camo and your Sandevistan.

Skip: Built Different is not needed, since this build does not use the Cellular Adapter.

Level 20 Perks

One capstone.

Perk	Description
Edgerunner	Exceed Cyberware Capacity by up to 50 points at 0.5% max health per point. Kills then have a chance to trigger Fury: +10% damage, +30% crit chance and +50% crit damage. Essentially cyberpsychosis on demand.

Cool Perks

The Cool Perk-Tree is all about stealth here: crouch sprinting, mitigation while sneaking, and rewards for kills under Optical Camo. We use the middle branch and the small row at the bottom right.

Perk Prioritization: Prioritize perks in bold.

Level 4 Perks

The stealth basics in the middle, plus the bottom right row.

Perk	Description
Feline Footwork	Better crouched movement. It unlocks everything else in the middle branch.
Blind Spot	While crouched, the higher your Mitigation Chance, the longer enemies take to detect you.
Small Target	Extra Mitigation Chance while crouched and not moving.
Unexposed	Extra Mitigation Chance while aiming from cover.
Killer Instinct	+25% damage with knives, axes and silenced guns outside of combat, plus a damage preview. Great for stealth missions.
Gag Order	Hitting an enemy right after they detect you delays detection by nearby enemies. Kill them fast, especially during your Sandevistan, and you pretty much stay undetected.
Quick Getaway	+10% movement speed after neutralizing an enemy while undetected, stacking twice.

Level 9 Perks

We don’t use any level 9 perks. They cover pistols, precision rifles and throwables.

Level 15 Perks

Ninjutsu and the perks around it.

Perk	Description
Ninjutsu	Faster crouched movement, more mitigation when crouched, then crouch sprinting. Max it out.
Creeping Death	Neutralizing an enemy while Optical Camo is active or while undetected grants a big chunk of Health, Stamina and +10% movement speed for 6 seconds. You can be detected, pop your camo and still get all of it.
Serpentine	A large Mitigation Chance bonus while crouch sprinting.
Shinobi Sprint	Much lower stamina cost for crouch sprinting in combat.

Optional: Vanishing Act automatically activates Optical Camo while crouch sprinting or sliding. Not necessary, but some players love it.

Level 20 Perks

We don’t use any level 20 perks. None of the Cool capstones help a blade build.

Body Perks

The Body Perk-Tree sits at 18, and we only use the middle branch. You need at least 15 for Adrenaline Rush.

Perk Prioritization: Prioritize perks in bold.

Level 4 Perks

The full health regen row.

Perk	Description
Painkiller	Unlocks passive health regeneration during combat.
Comeback Kid	The lower your health, the faster you regenerate.
Dorph-head	A burst of mitigation chance right after using a health item.
Speed Junkie	More health regen while sprinting.
Army of One	More health regen for each nearby enemy.

Level 9 Perks

We don’t use any level 9 perks.

Level 15 Perks

Adrenaline Rush and the perks attached to it.

Perk	Description
Adrenaline Rush	+35 max health, +20% to all health regen, then Adrenaline Rush itself. Health items now also give Adrenaline equal to 30% of your max health, shown at the top left as a second health bar.
Calm Mind	A 3 second delay before Adrenaline starts decaying.
Unstoppable Force	Immunity to movement penalties, knockdown and blinding while Adrenaline Rush is active. Even a car won’t knock you down.
Juggernaut	More movement speed and +10% damage while Adrenaline Rush is active.

Level 20 Perks

We don’t use any level 20 perks. Body sits at 18.

Intelligence Perks

We leave Intelligence at 3 and spend nothing here. Oda is definitely not a Netrunner.

Relic Perks (Phantom Liberty DLC)

The Relic skill tree only exists if you own Phantom Liberty. This build uses all three branches: Optical Camo, Mantis Blades and Vulnerabilities.

Relic Perks

Perk	Description
Emergency Cloaking	Activating Optical Camo during combat makes enemies lose track of you, giving you a chance to exit combat. Take this first.
Sensory Protocol	When crouched, being detected temporarily slows time. Dodge or dash out of the enemy’s line of sight to exit combat immediately. Basically the Synaptic Accelerator without needing the cyberware.
Jailbreak	Unlocks new abilities for Arm cyberware. For the Mantis Blades, dismembering an enemy or performing a finisher charges your next leap. Hold Strong Attack for a charged leap with +30 metres of reach that deals massive damage in a wide slash and dismembers whatever it kills.
Spatial Mapping	All Mantis Blades leaps cripple enemies and increase your dismemberment chance against them. You can practically bounce from one side of the map to the other.
Vulnerability Analytics	Shows Vulnerabilities on enemy armor and cyberware. Hitting one gives 100% crit chance and +25% armor penetration, and destroying it sets off an EMP blast.
Machine Learning	Destroying a Vulnerability makes new ones appear more often and grants crit damage against them, stacking five times with the effects doubled at max stacks.

Cyberware for the Oda Mantis Blades Build in Cyberpunk 2077

Mitigation beats armor: armor stops scaling well at high values, so the strongest defensive stat for a melee build is Mitigation. This build already gets 100% mitigation windows from Dorph-head and Can’t Touch This, and mitigation bonuses from Small Target, Unexposed and Serpentine.

Important: Priority Cyberware is marked in bold.

• Operating System (Most Important)
• Frontal Cortex
• Face
• Arms
• Hands
• Skeleton
• Nervous System
• Circulatory System
• Integumentary System
• Legs

Operating System

Cyberware	Description
Militech “Apogee” Sandevistan	Easily the best Sandevistan. Slows time by 85% and boosts headshot damage, crit chance and crit damage. Kills while active extend the duration by 20%. The big one: +22 stamina on kills, so neither your katana nor your SMGs run dry against big groups. Oda is fast in every fight he shows up in, so a Sandevistan fits him.

Location of items:

• Militech “Apogee” Sandevistan: Ripperdoc, level 40+

Frontal Cortex

Cyberware	Description
Axolotl	Iconic Newton Module. At Tier 5++, -12.5% cooldown for all cyberware instantly after neutralizing an enemy. After about nine kills, all your cyberware is back to 100%, including Optical Camo.
Mechatronic Core	Increased damage to drones, robots, mechs and turrets.
Self-ICE	Automatically negates an enemy quickhack, with a 35 second cooldown that Axolotl shortens.

Location of items:

• Axolotl: Reward from Regina Jones for completing her gigs in Watson, or from Ripperdocs with Phantom Liberty.
• Mechatronic Core: Ripperdoc, level 10
• Self-ICE: Ripperdoc, level 20

Face

Cyberware	Description
Kiroshi “Cockatrice” Optics	The damage alternative: +35% Crit Chance. Jinchu-Maru already crits under Optical Camo, so this mostly helps your SMGs and the Mantis Blades outside of camo.

Location of items:

• Kiroshi “The Oracle” Optics: Ripperdoc, from level 30.
• Kiroshi “Cockatrice” Optics: Iconic, Dogtown Ripperdoc, level 35

Arms

Cyberware	Description
Thermal Mantis Blades	Oda’s blades are an unknown variant, but they glow red, so the Thermal version is the closest match. Thermal damage with a 20% Burn chance. They count as Blades, so all the Reflexes Blade perks apply, including Finisher: Bladerunner. With Jailbreak, finishers and dismemberments charge a 30 metre leap attack. Spatial Mapping makes every leap cripple its target.
MaxTac Mantis Blades	A Special Mantis Blades variant with a 20% Bleeding chance and an extra stat that restores health on kills.

Location of items:

• Thermal Mantis Blades: Sold by Ripperdocs across Night City, with availability scaling to your level and Street Cred.
• MaxTac Mantis Blades:
  • Drops from MaxTac Melissa Rory if you kill her at the end of the gig ‘Bullets‘ before leaving.
  • Is left as a gift in V’s apartment by Mr. Hands after the pro-NUSA/Yoko Tsuru path through the Phantom Liberty ending.

Hands

Cyberware	Description
Smart Link	Enables smart targeting for the Prototype: Shingen Mark V, with longer target lock and bonus crit damage with Smart weapons. Smart rounds travel slower than Power rounds, so the tracking matters.
Shock Absorber	Less recoil for your SMGs.

Location of items:

• Smart Link: Any Ripperdoc upon reaching level 10.
• Shock Absorber: Ripperdoc, level 10

Skeleton

Cyberware	Description
Epimorphic Skeleton	A percentage bonus to Max Health. Edgerunner takes some of your health away, and this gives it back.
Dense Marrow	+24% melee damage at the cost of +20% melee stamina cost. Totally worth it.
Bionic Joints	Solid armor for very little Cyberware Capacity.
Spring Joints (Alternative to Bionic Joints)	+16% Mitigation Strength. Swap it in for Bionic Joints: mitigation scales better than armor on a melee build.

Para Bellum or its iconic version, Rara Avis, are armor options too, but I prefer the health bonus to offset Edgerunner.

Location of items:

• Epimorphic Skeleton: Any Ripperdoc upon reaching level 30.
• Dense Marrow: Any Ripperdoc from level 10.
• Bionic Joints: Any Ripperdoc upon reaching level 10.
• Spring Joints: Any Ripperdoc.

Nervous System

Cyberware	Description
Neofiber	More Mitigation Chance and Mitigation Strength, so you simply take less damage.
Reflex Tuner	Slows time by 60% for 4.5 seconds when your health drops below 25%.
Adreno-Trigger	Iconic Adrenaline Converter: +30% movement speed for a long window when entering combat.
Stabber	Patch 2.3 upgrade: +20% Crit Chance with Blades for only 12 capacity. Jinchu-Maru already crits under Optical Camo, but your Mantis Blades and the katana outside of camo benefit from it all the time. Swap it in for the Adreno-Trigger.
Deep-field Visual Interface	Patch 2.3 upgrade: Iconic. Its Cool attunement adds crit damage, and that works on melee weapons too. With 20 Cool this is a strong pick for the Reflex Tuner slot.

Location of items:

• Neofiber: Any Ripperdoc upon reaching level 20.
• Reflex Tuner: Any Ripperdoc.
• Adreno-Trigger: Iconic, Phantom Liberty Dogtown Ripperdoc, level 35
• Stabber: Any Ripperdoc from level 10.
• Deep-field Visual Interface: Iconic, Dogtown Ripperdoc (Phantom Liberty DLC).

Circulatory System

Cyberware	Description
Heal-On-Kill	Health back on every kill.
Microrotors	+25% melee attack speed for your katana. I only count on it for the Jinchu-Maru, since the Mantis Blades don’t seem to benefit from it.
Adrenaline Booster	+25% stamina when you neutralize an enemy with a melee weapon. The katana burns stamina fast if you aren’t getting kills.
Biomonitor	Alternative: automatically uses your health item when your health drops low.
Isometric Stabilizer (Alternative to Adrenaline Booster)	-20% stamina cost for all attacks, plus lower stamina costs per Reflexes point. At 20 Reflexes it is a huge boost to stamina management. Replace the Adrenaline Booster with it if you have the capacity.

Location of items:

• Heal-On-Kill: Ripperdoc upon reaching level 10.
• Microrotors: Any Ripperdoc.
• Adrenaline Booster: Any Ripperdoc.
• Biomonitor: Stocked by Ripperdocs.
• Isometric Stabilizer: Sold by Ripperdocs across Night City, with availability scaling to your level and Street Cred.

Integumentary System

Cyberware	Description
Optical Camo	-90% visibility to enemies for 7 seconds at Tier 5++, with a 50 second cooldown that Axolotl shortens on every kill. While it is active, every Jinchu-Maru hit is a crit, and kills trigger Creeping Death. It takes the Combat Gadget quickslot, so you can’t use grenades with this build.
Pain Editor	Reduces all incoming damage, scaling with Cool.
Subdermal Armor	Solid armor for low Cyberware Capacity.
Countershell	Patch 2.3 upgrade: +50% Mitigation Chance for 4 seconds whenever you lose 35% health within 3 seconds. Only 12 capacity, and it saves you exactly when burst damage hits. Swap it in for Subdermal Armor.
Peripheral Inverse	Iconic ProxiShield: up to -45% damage from enemies within 3 metres. Fits a katana and SMG build that lives at close range.

Chitin is also an option here if you have the capacity: a lot of armor plus extra health regen.

Location of items:

• Optical Camo: Sold by Ripperdocs from level 10.
• Pain Editor: Ripperdoc from level 30.
• Subdermal Armor: Any Ripperdoc upon reaching level 10.
• Countershell: Any Ripperdoc.
• Peripheral Inverse: Iconic, Dogtown Ripperdocs (Phantom Liberty DLC), also found in Dogtown airdrops.

Legs

Cyberware	Description
Reinforced Tendons	Double jump. It’s all about midair movement with this build.

Location of items:

• Reinforced Tendons: Any Ripperdoc upon reaching level 10.
• Lynx Paws: Any Ripperdoc from level 10.
• Leeroy Ligament System: Iconic, Dogtown Ripperdocs (Phantom Liberty DLC), also found in Dogtown airdrops.

Weapons for the Oda Mantis Blades Build in Cyberpunk 2077

Oda carries his iconic katana and a TKI-20 Shingen smart SMG in the game, so this build does the same, with a second SMG to make use of Submachine Fun.

• Reflexes Blade perks like Finisher: Bladerunner and Slaughterhouse boost katanas and Mantis Blades.
• Reflexes SMG perks like Sharpshooter and Submachine Fun boost both of your SMGs.

Upgrade: Weapons can be upgraded when you go to the crafting section and then swap to upgrades.

Item	Description
Jinchu-Maru	Oda’s own iconic katana, and it is broken. The last hit in a combo guarantees Crit Damage. While Optical Camo is active, all hits are crits and let you leap toward your target. It also deals increased damage to Elite enemies, MaxTac included.
Prototype: Shingen Mark V	The iconic version of Oda’s TKI-20 Shingen. Fires explosive rounds, and its modified targeting system guides bullets to up to 3 targets while aiming. Perfect when you are outnumbered out in the open.
Shingen	The regular TKI-20 Shingen that Oda carries in the game, if you want the canon version. Drops from plenty of enemies in Cyberpunk 2077.

Second SMG: really any SMG works here, use whatever you prefer. I recommend the Raiju Iconic SMG.

Jinchu-Maru (Iconic Katana)

The purest essence of a katana: no add-ons, no modifications, only razor-sharp steel. With Optical Camo up, every hit crits, which is how this build can kill MaxTac right as they spawn with just the sword.

• Prerequisites: Act 2, main job Play It Safe.
• Where: The fight with Sandayu Oda near the end of Play It Safe, while you are getting Takemura onto Hanako’s float.
• How to Get It: Loot it from Oda after you defeat him.
• What to Do: Search his body before moving on with the quest.
• Note: If you miss it, you can buy it from Herold Lowe at the EBM Petrochem Stadium in Dogtown.

Prototype: Shingen Mark V (Iconic Smart SMG)

An Arasaka prototype that won’t hit the market for a few years. Its explosive rounds and three-target tracking make it the answer to anything your blades can’t reach, and Smart Link makes the tracking even stronger.

• Prerequisites: None.
• Where: Arasaka Industrial Park, Northside, Watson.
• How to Get It: It is inside trailer 667 at the exterior loading dock.
• What to Do: The area is guarded by Arasaka, so go in with Optical Camo or come back once you are higher level.
• Note: Iconic weapons can also be bought from Herold Lowe at the EBM Petrochem Stadium in Dogtown.

Gear for the Oda Mantis Blades Build in Cyberpunk 2077

Since gear is mostly cosmetic, you can wear whatever you want. All of this build’s defense comes from cyberware instead, mainly Optical Camo, Pain Editor, Epimorphic Skeleton and the mitigation stack.

If you want to replicate Oda’s looks the closest you can get is with the following cosmetics:

• Outer Torso: Arasaka Polycarbonate-Laced Bulletproof Aramid Vest (guaranteed drop from looting Oda).
• Inner Torso: Arasaka Waterproof Combat Turtleneck (frequently in Oda’s loot pool) or Composite Arasaka Netrunning Nanoweave Suit.
• Face & Head: Oda’s glowing red holographic helmet is NPC-exclusive in the base game. The closest base-game combo is the Menpo with Durable Lining (samurai demon half-mask) paired with a Kogane no Yume Titanium BD Wreath or a dark tactical balaclava.
• Legs: Dark Anti-Puncture Neotac Pants or black tactical cargo trousers.
• Feet: Heat-Resistant Military Boots (Black/Arasaka).

Skill Progression in Cyberpunk 2077

This is often overlooked; in the character menu, you can actually click on “Skill Progression”. This will send you to a very powerful mechanic in Cyberpunk 2077.

By leveling up these trees you gain powerful effects.

For our Cyberpunk 2077: Oda Mantis Blades Build you want to focus on Shinobi, Engineer, Headhunter and Solo. Shinobi is the big one, since it boosts crit chance for blades. Engineer level 30 also gives free Cyberware Capacity.

Shinobi (Reflexes)

• Level 5: +5% Movement Speed
• Level 10: -5% Dodge/Dash Stamina cost
• Level 15: +1 Perk Point
• Level 20: Better accuracy after dodging/dashing
• Level 25: +5% Movement Speed
• Level 30: -10% Dodge/Dash Stamina cost
• Level 35: +1 Perk Point
• Level 40: Increased Mitigation Chance the faster you move
• Level 45: +25% Fast Attack damage
• Level 50: Sliding & Air Dashing reload 20% of your weapon
• Level 55: Mid-air/Slow-mo: low stamina does not penalize combat
• Level 60: Sandevistan Mode: +40% Crit Chance; No movement Stamina cost

How to Level Up Shinobi (Reflexes)

• Looting Skill Shards from chests and enemies.
• Defeat enemies using blade weapons (Katanas, Machetes, Chainswords, or Mantis Blades).
• Actively dodge, dash, air-dash, slide, and vault while in active combat.
• Defeat enemies using Assault Rifles or Submachine Guns (SMGs), especially while moving at high speeds.

Engineer (Technical Ability)

• Level 5: +15 Armor
• Level 10: +5 Cyberware Capacity
• Level 15: +1 Perk Point
• Level 20: +10% Grenade damage & explosion radius
• Level 25: +25 Armor
• Level 30: +10 Cyberware Capacity
• Level 35: +1 Perk Point
• Level 40: Increased Shock chance when charging Tech weapons
• Level 45: +15% Health Item effectiveness
• Level 50: +30% to all Cyberware stat modifiers
• Level 55: +10% Bolt damage, +40% Bolt burn, Chain Lightning burns
• Level 60: Fury Mode: You occasionally release a massive EMP blast

How to Level Up Engineer (Technical Ability)

• Looting Skill Shards from chests and enemies.
• Defeat enemies using Tech weapons, especially by firing fully charged shots or Bolt shots.
• Get kills using damage-dealing grenades or the Projectile Launch System (PLS) cyberware.
• Craft new weapons, quickhacks, and item components.
• Upgrade weapons and cyberware at Ripperdocs or through your crafting menu.
• Dismantle weapons, armor, and junk items into crafting components.

Headhunter (Cool)

• Level 5: -10% Visibility to enemies
• Level 10: +10% Headshot & Vulnerability damage
• Level 15: +1 Perk Point
• Level 20: No weapon sway when crouched
• Level 25: -10% Visibility to enemies
• Level 30: +15% Headshot & Vulnerability damage
• Level 35: +1 Perk Point
• Level 40: Optical Camo is active while grappling enemies
• Level 45: -30% Recovery time after a throw
• Level 50: +30% Crouch walk & sprint speed
• Level 55: Undetected damage bonus lasts 3s in combat
• Level 60: +15% Optical Camo charge on stealth/special kills

How to Level Up Headhunter (Cool)

• Looting Skill Shards from chests and enemies.
• Perform stealth takedowns and neutralizations on unaware enemies.
• Get headshots and hit enemy weakspots using any weapon type.
• Defeat enemies using pistols, revolvers, sniper rifles, precision rifles, or thrown weapons (knives and axes).
• Deal damage and secure kills while crouching or using Optical Camo.

Solo (Body)

• Level 5: +50 Carrying Capacity
• Level 10: +10 Max Health
• Level 15: +1 Perk Point
• Level 20: +20% Fist/Gorilla Arms damage & speed (Fists bleed)
• Level 25: +100 Carrying Capacity
• Level 30: +15% Max Health
• Level 35: +1 Perk Point
• Level 40: +10% Crit Chance within 5 meters
• Level 45: +25% Strong/Quick Melee damage
• Level 50: +25% Health after performing a Finisher
• Level 55: Adrenaline decays 50% slower, min 10% floor
• Level 60: Berserk Mode: +30% Finisher threshold, +50% Finisher heal, +30% duration

How to Level Up Solo (Body)

• Looting Skill Shards from chests and enemies.
• Defeat enemies using Heavy Weapons (Shotguns, Light Machine Guns, and Heavy Machine Guns).
• Defeat enemies using blunt weapons, Gorilla Arms, or bare fists.
• Force open locked doors, rip heavy turrets from their mounts, and pass physical Body attribute checks in the world.
• Execute physical melee finishers.

Netrunner (Intelligence)

• Level 5: +5% RAM Recovery Rate
• Level 10: +1 Max RAM
• Level 15: +1 Perk Point
• Level 20: +20% Smart Weapon lock-on range
• Level 25: +5% RAM Recovery Rate
• Level 30: +1 Max RAM
• Level 35: +1 Perk Point
• Level 40: -20% RAM cost for hacking devices/vehicles
• Level 45: +15% Control/Convert duration; +5% Combat hack damage
• Level 50: +40% Overclock duration
• Level 55: -10% Health loss during Overclock
• Level 60: Overclock Mode: Reveals enemies (10m) & hacks through cover

How to Level Up Netrunner (Intelligence)

• Looting Skill Shards from chests and enemies.
• Use offensive, control, or covert quickhacks on enemies during combat.
• Hack environmental objects, security cameras, and devices to distract enemies or trigger explosions.
• Successfully jack into and hack Access Points (Data Terminals) using Breach Protocol.
• Defeat enemies using Smart weapons or the Monowire.

Leveling Tips for the Oda Mantis Blades Build in Cyberpunk 2077

Here are a few general leveling tips for the Oda Mantis Blades Build in Cyberpunk 2077.

• Perfect Start
• How to make Money
• Upgrade Weapons
• How Gear Scaling Works
• How to get Perk Points Fast
• Dogtown Consumables

Perfect Start in Cyberpunk 2077

Here are the steps that I recommend taking with a new Cyberpunk 2077 playthrough.

Starter Build: You can also check out my Cyberpunk 2077 Starter Build that takes you from level 1 to level 15.

1. Regular Start (Don’t skip ahead to Phantom Liberty).
2. Immediately after the prologue, once you are out of your room and go downstairs before you enter the elevator.
   1. Weapon Vendor: Buy the Iconic pistol Dying Night.
   2. Coach Fred: Capacity Boosters (in case you get over capacity so you can still move).
3. Buff Routine: Sleep & Shower. This gives you 20% Skill XP acquisition and Health Regen.
4. Watson Clean Sweep (NCPD Missions):
   1. Watson is the first district you play in.
   2. Clearing all missions takes 1-2 hours. This will give you at least 10 levels, 15 Street Cred and over 150k Eddies Cash. 
   3. Loot all enemies and either disassemble for materials or sell them at the vendor for extra Eddies.
5. Get the Fenrir SMG from the monk mission. This SMG is insanely good at the start because it often stuns enemies.
6. Visit a Ripperdoc at level 10: After you have enough money, its time to get chromed up.
   1. Reinforced Tendons (Legs): Allow you to double jump
   2. Kerenzikov (Nervous System): Slows Time by 60% for 2s.
   3. Synaptic Accelerator (Nervous System): Slows time by 20% for 2s when enemy detection reaches 50%.
   4. Whatever else you can fit!
7. Time to start playing for real. The Pickup mission is waiting for you!

How to make Money

It is actually fairly easy to make money in Cyberpunk 2077. The best way to make money is to clear all the NCPD and Cyberpsycho missions in each district. As previously mentioned, clearing most of the Watson district NCPD mission alone already gives you approximately 150k Eddies Cash.

Upgrade Weapons

This often gets overlooked, but you can upgrade early-game weapons in Cyberpunk 2077. Go to the crafting section, then move to the Upgrade tab. Here you can upgrade all weapons if you have the necessary crafting components.

Gear Scaling in Cyberpunk 2077

Gear scaling is automated in Cyberpunk 2077. The moment you reach a certain level, you will start finding more and more high-quality items. Meaning the faster you reach a higher level the sooner you will find better gear from chests or enemies. That counts for Gear, Weapons, Cyberware, Outfits, etc.

• Tier 1: Level 1-9
• Tier 2: Level 10-19
• Tier 3: Level 20-29
• Tier 4: Level 30-39
• Tier 5: Level 40-44
• Tier Iconic: Level 45-50

How to get Perk Points in Cyberpunk 2077

You need Perk Points to unlock additional Perks for the Oda Mantis Blades Build in Cyberpunk 2077. Perks are the bread and butter of any CP2077 Build, as they significantly enhance your power.

1. You get one Perk Point per character level.
2. Skill Progression awards you with Perk Points.
3. You can farm up to 13 Perk Shards (10 base game, 3 Phantom Liberty DLC)

Perk Point per Character Level

Not much needs to be said here; leveling up gives you one extra Perk Point.

Skill Progression

This is often overlooked; the Skill Progression system also awards you Perk Points at 15 and 35. So you can get an additional 10 Perk Points from this.

Character menu > bottom right Skill Progression.

Perk Shards

There are 10 base-game Perk Shards and 3 Phantom Liberty DLC Perk Shards you can collect to earn additional perks in Cyberpunk 2077.

Read Guide: All 13 Perk Shard Locations in Cyberpunk 2077

Here is the full list, click on the hyperlink of each location to see images, it will send you to the full Cyberpunk 2077: Perk Shards Location Guide.

Dogtown Consumables (Phantom Liberty DLC)

During the starter quest of the Phantom Liberty DLC in Cyberpunk 2077 called “Dog Eat Dog” you eventually enter the marketplace area (You can also access the area later at any time). Here you can buy various new stuff that isn’t available in the base game. his will also still be availabl

Some vendors also sell permanent consumable upgrades, 12k each. Best you go talk to all the vendors in that area and see what they offer.

• Bartender Shop: Dendritic Protoplasma Supplier permanent +1% Ram Recovery Rate.
• Netrunner Shop: Dendritic Protoplasma Supplier permanent +2% Ram Recovery Rate.
  • Note: The items are called the same, but they both work, so you get a total of 3% Ram Recovery Rate.
• Food Vendor: Prototype Pseudo Embryonic Cell Builder permanent +2 Health.
• Meds Vendor: Prototype Pseudo Embryonic Cell Builder permanent +3 Health.
  • Note: The items are called the same, but they both work, so you get a total of +5 Health.
  • Note: You find the Meds vendor on the opposite side of the Netrunner Vendor in a hallway.
• Food Vendor: Military-Grade Lactic Acid Recyclers: +1% Stamina Regen Rate.
• Herold Weapon Vendor: Sells you all the Iconic Weapons you have missed during your playthrough.
• Marcin/ Michal Kicinski Junk Vendor: 1 Perk Shard and 1 Progression Shard of each type.

Additionally, make sure to check all other vendors in Dog Town. For example at the Longshore Stacks fast travel point, you also have vendors that sell you permanent upgrades.

Related Cyberpunk 2077 Content

• Cyberpunk 2077 Builds Database