The Mantis is a Rare Grade 4 ship from the advanced civilization of Majalis (the site catalogs it as a Battleship-class hull), built to hunt Actian hostiles and disrupt enemy ships in both PvE and PvP. It unlocks at Ops Level 33. There are 17 Actian Hostile systems, ranging from level 33 to 49, and difficulty scales with your Mantis's own tier (1-12), your research, and your crew -- you'll need an Ancient Beacon, claimable daily once the Mantis is built, to access them.
Defeating Actian Chrysalis and the tougher Actian Apex hostiles grants Actian Venom, which refines into Mantis upgrades, Mantis research, Syndicate XP, and Hull Fragments -- some hostiles also drop temporary combat buffs. In PvP, the Mantis plays a support role in multi-ship fights: its Venomous Puncture ability debuffs enemy ships, which can swing an otherwise even fight, and it's particularly strong in Incursion events or coordinated team attacks. Venomous Puncture costs Condensed Venom, claimable daily from the refinery or purchasable in the store.
Synthetic Nitrium upgrades the Mantis's components, while Synthetic Ion unlocks its Mantis-specific nodes in the Starships Research Tree. Progress through the full 1-12 tier range while refining Actian Venom to keep both rewards and combat effectiveness climbing.