As I navigate the neon-drenched, rain-slicked streets of Night City in 2026, one truth remains constant: when the red and blue lights of MaxTac flicker against the chrome and concrete, it's time to vanish into the shadows. The Maximum Force Tactical Division, NCPD's elite 'Psycho Squad,' isn't just a police unit; they are a walking arsenal, a collection of the most potent and perilous cyberware ever conceived. While joining their ranks remains a distant dream for mercenaries like me, becoming their most formidable adversary is a badge of honor, a rite of passage that earns you a legendary spot in the Afterlife. Thanks to the transformative Update 2.0 and the Phantom Liberty expansion, we can now claim a piece of that power for ourselves: the iconic MaxTac Mantis Blades, once wielded by the formidable lieutenant and former cyberpsycho, Melissa Rory. Obtaining them, however, is a journey as intricate and dangerous as the blades themselves, requiring precise choices, ruthless tactics, and a willingness to betray the very forces that keep the city's chaos in check.
The Path Through Phantom Liberty: A Deal with the Fixer
My quest for the blades began not with a bang, but with a quiet, consequential decision during the Phantom Liberty storyline. To set this intricate clockwork in motion, I had to complete the "Firestarter" mission and make the fateful choice to help the NUSA agent, Reed, capture Songbird. This decision felt like choosing the wrong wire to cut on a complex bomb—it sets off a chain reaction you can't control. Following this, the mission "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos" becomes available, and this is where the real game begins.
At the start of this mission, I contacted the ever-resourceful fixer, Mr. Hands. For a cool 15,000 Eurodollars, he granted me access to his specialist netrunner, Yoko. After navigating the quest's challenges and speaking with Yoko, she presented a tantalizing "business opportunity." All I needed to do was text Mr. Hands the location of a MaxTac convoy just before initiating the main assault. Sending those coordinates was like planting a seed in poisoned soil; you know something will grow, but you're not sure if it will be a reward or a curse. Mr. Hands' subsequent message, praising the day "V truly began to impress me," confirmed the deal was struck.
The payoff required patience. Several in-game days after completing the "Somewhat Damaged" quest and reaching a Phantom Liberty ending, Mr. Hands finally texted again, offering my "unique reward." I returned to my modest apartment in Megabuilding H10 in Little China, Watson. There, on the floor to the left of my wardrobe, sat an unassuming crate. Opening it revealed the prize: the legendary MaxTac Mantis Blades. They lay there, inert but humming with potential, like a captured thunderstorm waiting to be unleashed.
The Brutal Alternative: Confrontation in Junguji
For those who missed the Phantom Liberty path or simply prefer a more direct—and violent—approach, there is another, far riskier method. This involves the side job "Bullets." The job leads you to the Junguji store in the Downtown sub-district of City Center. Upon arrival, a cyberpsycho attack triggers, and after dealing with the threat, MaxTac arrives to secure the scene. This is a rare chance to interact with MaxTac outside of a full-blown firefight, and you even get a conversation with Melissa Rory herself, a specialist whose reputation with Mantis Blades is as sharp as the weapons she carries.
Here's the critical, missable step: before leaving the shop and completing the job, you must attack MaxTac. It's a suicidal move, a dance with death in a confined space against the city's most elite fighters. The fight is brutal, a whirlwind of chrome and lead where every mistake could be your last. Your sole objective is to kill Melissa Rory. Only by looting her body can you obtain her variant of the MaxTac Mantis Blades. This method is a high-stakes gamble, a gladiatorial challenge where the prize is taken directly from the hands of its master. Be warned: once both the cyberpsycho event and the side job are concluded, this opportunity vanishes forever.
Wielding the Power: Stats, Synergy, and the Relic
Once acquired, the MaxTac Mantis Blades are a Tier 5+ set of Arms Cyberware that can be installed by any Ripperdoc. They are not just weapons; they are an extension of your will, capable of transforming V into a whirlwind of destruction. Their core function allows for swift, deadly slashes and a powerful leap attack executed by holding and releasing the attack button.
Let's break down what makes these blades so fearsome:
MaxTac Mantis Blades Modifiers:
| Modifier | Effect |
|---|---|
| Damage Type | Physical Damage |
| Bleeding Chance | 20% |
| Melee Damage Bonus | +3.1% |
| Health Regen | +4.7 Health from defeating a bleeding enemy |
| Attribute Synergy | +0.5% damage per point in Reflexes (Max +10% at 20 Reflexes) |
To truly unlock their potential, you must build around them. The Reflexes attribute is paramount, acting as the fuel for this deadly engine. Investing Perk Points into the Blades skill tree is essential, enhancing damage, healing on kill, and even the range of your lethal leaps.
However, the real game-changer, introduced in Phantom Liberty, is the Relic Attribute Perk tree. The Jailbreak perk is a masterpiece of synergistic violence. It allows you to dismember enemies and perform finishers with the Mantis Blades, which then charges your next Leap Attack. This supercharged leap gains a staggering +30 meter range and massively increased damage, with the added benefit of cleaving through nearby targets. It turns combat into a gruesome ballet, where each kill powers the next devastating move. Paired with the innate stats of the MaxTac Blades, this synergy lets you tap into the true, terrifying power of the Relic, becoming a cyberpsychotic force that would give even MaxTac commanders pause.
A final note on aesthetics: while Melissa Rory's blades have a distinct visual flair, when installed on V, they adopt the standard, sleek appearance of the original MaxTac Mantis Blades. The power is undeniable, but the unique cosmetic signature of their previous owner remains hers alone—a ghost in the machine you now command.
In the end, securing the MaxTac Mantis Blades is more than just acquiring top-tier gear; it's a statement. It's proof that in Night City, the line between hunter and prey is drawn in blood and chrome, and with the right tools and the will to use them, even the most feared hunters can become the quarry. As of 2026, this legendary power awaits any mercenary daring enough to claim it in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.