7 Helmets

1. Neo-Soviet Concript Helmet

The Eurasian Alliance relies on a large amount of conscription, predominantly clone based. These basic infantry are considered expendable, and they have armor protection comparable with that line of thought. The helmet is stamped from a single piece of plasteel and has a number of button points on it. The only general issue equipment that comes with the helmet is a full face plastic mask that covers the face and offers token resistance to dust and debris. It has a place to hook a cartridge into it to protect the soldier from toxic fumes and gases. Soldiers can hook headlamps, small pouches, and other small gadgets to their helmets, which usually takes a morbid turn. Neo-Soviet infantry has a horrific turn over rate, and the soldiers are accordingly aware that the best place to get gear upgrades is from their own dead.

The Conscript Helmet is an antique, and is on par with the equipment issued through the beginning and middle of the 20th century, primitive at best.

2. TAC Commando Helmet

The Tactical Assault Corps Commando Helmet is bleeding edge technology. It offers full head protection, and doesnt even have a visor opening. The helmet, made of over a dozen pieces of aerospace grade ferro-composites, has multiple cameras, sensors, and scanners embedded in it, all short range. The TAC helmet has integrated SmartGun systems, internal short range comm links, and can be controlled entirely by eye movement. The helmets are tuned to the commando wearing them, so people cannot use other soldiers helmets without disorientation and data corruption. As most commandos have some sort of cybernetic augmentation, the helmet has standard neuro-jacks, allowing seemless integration between the helmet's HUD and the ops brain.

In fights with Amerikka Command, the terrorist faction has learned that unless they can force Commandos to take their helmets off they stand little chance in the fight, hence why the AC has started using static generators, ECM systems, and pulse and ion weapons to disable or damage the data feeds from helmets.

3. Spartan Helmet

The Spartan Helmet is an aftermarket accessory that was originally designed for use with light power armor suits. The helmet itself was well received, but the Spartan Armor left much to be desired. The helmet has an aerospace grade integrated HUD, and links to SmartGun systems. In many ways it is considered the Poor Man's TAC Commando helmet. it has many of the same features, but doesnt rely on external cameras and doesnt offer full head protection. The polarized visor offers good protection, but nowhere near and complete and effective as the TAC helmet.

The Spartan Helmet is the official helmet of Badassery, with it being popular among mercenary and security forces, and in entertainment feeds. The polarized visors are replaced with clear visors or are actually left open so that viewers can see the faces of their entertainment soldiers as they do missions.

4. Fishbowl Helmet

The Fishbowl is a unique helmet, a near perfect sphere of transparent aluminum (technically a form of synthetic sapphire) is used for space and aquatic operations. The helmet is enormously strong when handling pressure changes. It is more popular in space ops, as the metallic material can be given a phase charge to protect the wearer from space radiation, something unneeded underwater. Not a military helmet, it has low protection ratings.

The Fishbowl is a piece of highly popular RetroPunk gear, and is strongly favored by space dramas, so that actors and actresses can be seen while doing their scenes. It is also almost general issue for space tourism, as the helmet is incredibly easy to put on, and most have a maglink ring around the base so that when pulled over the head it automatically links the spacesuit.

5. Mimetic Helmet

The Mimetic Helmet is a 'Folding helmet' that can be kept in a pocket or some other discrete location. When deployed, the helmet wraps around the head like a flower, and forms an airtight seal, offering atmospheric protection, providing a small air supply, and a rebreather function. It has the ability to link with a neural implant giving the wearer a HUD projected into their field of vision, and terrain mapping and motion sensing tech. These are popular among aerospace pilots, frequent space travelers, and commandos who are working covertly.

Mimetic helmets are expensive, offer only moderate protection, and if damaged no longer work properly and have to be replaced rather than be replaced. They fit over the face and just the face, and do not protect the head. A second helmet is required for that.

6. APsi-Helmet

The APsi Helmet is an anti-parapsychic helmet that nominally protects the wearer from parapsychic attack. This is done by means of a phased mesh inside the helmet, making it a psionic version of a Faraday cage. These are prototypes, and many consider APsi helmets to be the CE equivalent of a tinfoil hat. Some people will put tinfoil or flexible ferro-graphite mesh inside their helmets if they think there might be psionic ops in the area.

APsi helmets don't work. Conventional tech is very poor for defeating psionics and arcanotech. Lead liners also do not work. A phase charged metallic helmet would block psionic powers, but it would require an external power supply, and it would really mess with the psyche of the wearer, causing psychosis, dementia, amnesia, and synesthesia.

7. Terror Helmet

The Terror Helmet is a EUdAS special used by their commandos and military police forces. The face of the helmet is shaped like a human skull and it has red LED lights near the eyes, giving it a fearsome appearance. The helmet has two secondary features to accentuate the appearance, a pocket MASER and an infrasound caster. This is projected in a tight cone in front of the helmet, so that when a EUdAS trooper specifically looks at a person, their skin will heat up and prickle from the MASER, and the tight cone of infrasound can cause inexplicable anxiety or even loose bowels.

The Terror helmet accessories are incredibly popular in the secondary market, but most regions have them listed as restricted tech. This doesn't keep them out of the hands of mercenaries and shadowrunners.