Mantis blades and katanas are both deadly melee weapons in Cyberpunk 2077, but which one is truly superior? There are good arguments on both sides of this debate. Here is a detailed comparison of the pros and cons of each weapon:

Advantages of Mantis Blades

• Raw damage output: The mantis blades can be upgraded to do insane amounts of damage. With the right perks and cyberwar, they can quickly shred through enemies.
• Looks cool: The mantis blades look awesome when extended from V’s forearms. The twin blades look sleek and deadly.
• Better crowd control: The wide slashing arcs of the mantis blades allow you to hit multiple enemies at once. They are ideal for slicing through groups of enemies.

Other Pros

• Can punch through walls to access new areas
• Intimidating and visceral in combat
• Cool assassination and takedown animations

Disadvantages of Mantis Blades

• Limited attack speed: The mantis blades do not attack very quickly compared to katanas. Their heavy slashes have longer recovery times.
• Short range: The mantis blades have a very short effective range since they are attached to V’s arms. You need to get up close to enemies to use them.
• Less versatile: The mantis blades really only have one attack. They lack the variety of moves and techniques of a katana.

Other Cons

• Drain more stamina than a katana
• Require investing in Body attributes
• Cannot be thrown or used for ranged attacks

Advantages of Katanas

• Faster attack speed: Katanas are lighter and can be swung much faster than mantis blades. This allows more hits in a short time.
• Longer reach: Katanas have longer blades, allowing you to hit enemies from further away. Useful against dangerous enemies.
• More versatile: Katanas can be wielded in one or two hands for light or heavy attacks. There are also many katana-specific perks.

Other Pros

• Excellent critical hit chance
• Useful strong and weak attacks
• Can still punch through walls
• Katanas look awesome too!

Disadvantages of Katanas

• Lower base damage: Katana damage relies more on stacking bonuses and effects. Base katana damage is lower than mantis blades.
• Less impactful animations: Katana kills look cool but lack the visceral feeling of mantis blade executions.
• Harder to upgrade: Getting high-level katanas requires investing in Crafting or getting lucky with looted/purchased katanas.

Other Cons

• Short reach requires getting very close
• Light attacks may feel weak at low levels
• No flashy built-in takedowns

In Summary

While katanas have faster attacks and more versatility, mantis blades excel at raw damage and have more impactful animations. For pure damage potential, mantis blades come out slightly ahead. However, katanas are still extremely deadly with the right build and bonuses. It really comes down to playstyle preference. Katanas reward technical fighting, while mantis blades are all about getting up close and personal. Both are incredibly fun melee options!