Thief does not need Mantle.People are forgetting that it use UE3(2007) graphic engine.I didn't realize this but Thief is also integrated with the latest version of PhysX. Proprietary battleground!
As far as Mantle, I can't conclude anything from the recommended specs released by Edios. (GTX 660, R9)
AMD is just trying to match Nvidia optimization with Mantle and yes Mantle will provide additional performance improvements nothing more.