A praying mantis costume is a type of Halloween costume that resembles the insect known as a praying mantis. The costume usually includes a green or brown bodysuit with long antennae and sometimes wings. Some people also choose to add green face paint or makeup to complete the look. To get the pale green color, I slathered each wing with watered-down green paint and let it dry. The very tops of the wings were painted a little darker. For example, tour guides might dress up as characters from the history of the place they’re giving tours of, or actors in historical reenactments will obviously need to be dressed appropriately for the time period they’re portraying.

A smart collection of books, magazines, electronics kits, robots, microcontrollers, tools, supplies, and moreI duplicated the eyeball using the saran wrap and tape method and taped that to the other side of the mask. After, I used strips of brown paper and wood glue to paper mache the whole thing. Later on, after being a bit unhappy with the shape, I added a few strips of cardboard to reconfigure it, then did paper mache again.

There was a lot of fiddling to be done, with strips added and removed, etc, to account for comfort and fit. There's no right or wrong way to make the harness, so long as whoever is wearing it feels secure and comfortable, and the attached costume piece sits where you want it to. While in the Dossier it is shown to have small hands at the second joint in their arm, and this is supposed to be how it holds items, it does not match the in game model. The mantis has two pairs of wings. For each set, I made a pattern of one side, then cut two of each out of the foam wood underlayment. It comes in a giant roll and is very light and easy to work with, as well as being slightly see-through.If it’s too tight, it will be uncomfortable and you won’t be able to focus. The ideal fit is snug but not too tight, with no gaps between your face and the foam cushioning. To put on a compression garment, simply slip it over your head or step into it, then zip or Velcro it closed. Depending on the style of the garment, you may need help getting it all the way on. The top of the headpiece was made from cardboard and papier-mâché, with halved styrofoam balls for the eyes. The mantis face and eyes were painted with acrylic paints, with a bit of clear coat on top for added water-resistance in case the weather on Halloween turns a bit wet. Pipe cleaner antennae finish the look. All process photos: Emily Rose

Once inside the lair, you’ll be given the optional objective to learn more about The Mantis. Without spoiling too much about the actual character’s story, they’re essentially a well-tooled vigilante. After clearing out plenty of Spacers, you’ll eventually encounter someone by the name of Livvy, who’ll beg you to spare him. Talking to him reveals that no Spacer has managed to actually breach the lair’s inner sanctum, thanks to a fiendishly booby trapped corridor. The corridor itself features 8 rows of tiles, each with a letter on them, and you must find the correct word to make your way across, otherwise the four turrets on the other end will turn you into mulch. Note that after the creature is tamed it gets bonuses on some stats depending on the taming effectiveness. This makes it hard to retrieve the levels on a tamed creature, so this tool is only for wild ones, but gives a first impression, how well the stats are distributed. Combat General I made everything out of cardboard first. It was a lengthy process of matching it to her arm, keeping the overall mantis look, and making it fit the other pieces when she moved her arm. I added paper, cut paper, etc, until I got the shape I desired.

To complete the arm assemblies, they attached the claws at an angle and added some functional structure to the inside of the forearm. The pipe cleaner in the center maintains the structure of the forearm and the two elastic straps keep the arm assemblies on, while still leaving room for free hand movement. The arm structure consists of two parts: forearm and claw. The forearm is a piece of tri-folded cardboard and the claw is a cardboard tube cut and taped into a pointier, more insect-like shape. The outside of the forearm was painted with green acrylic and topped with a polymer clear coat, but the rest they covered with green felt. Jagged edges in the felt were added to the edges to give a more accurate look. In the hat-down configuration, the mantis mask completely covers Zoe’s face. Emily and Zoe had talked about using mesh on the front in the same color, but Zoe didn’t think that would look good. So this is the “at-the-door” configuration for Halloween night. A friend with a 3D printer (not necessary, but was nice. He made the spikes for the mantis arms, using my model. Could also use claw beads, etc, or just foam to make spikes)