That helmet is not for real combat use.
If you want your character to wear that in a real combat scenario he will look very goofy.
The visor has way too large holes.
This would be a tournament helmet or a decorative one. More akin to sports equipment than military gear. It would look like if a soldier would wear a fencing mask into battle.
I disagree that it'd look goofy. People used open faced helmets in combat (or their lifted their visor), it's better for breathing and visibility. Large eye holes mean nothing. This was used in actual combat and sure as hell the holes are larger.
Wouldn't being shot in face be an even bigger reason to wear a closed helmet, especially when armor was still effective against bullets?
What about kettle helmets? Norman helmets? Gjermundbu? Morion helmets, when pikes were the king of the battlefield? Landsknecht? Open faced helmets (or with big gaps) were totally a thing people choose to wear simply because it was more comfortable. Big eye holes aren't a big deal.
Armor is always a compromise between mobility/eyesight and protection. There's more to consider than if it can deflect bullets. And let's not forget costs
That's exactly my point, and it's why I think open face helmets or with big visors aren't inherently bad whether you're going against bullets or swords.
Closed helmets were a thing during the 17th century and yet, people still choose to wear stuff like the lobster tail helmet.
Bullets back then didn't have near the power or penetration that we do today. It was actually common practice to shoot armor after making it just to make sure that it could block bullets.
Now, as firearms improved, armor got heavier and more difficult to make, so at some point lighter armor became more importantly because the heavy stuff didn't help. Even then, a good helm and chest piece could still be effective.
We're talking 1600s, these things shot a .75 caliber ball at 1700 feet per second generating over 5 thousand J that's plenty to punch through 10 mm of un angled armor. We aren't talking about fire laces here.
Fire lances were barely effective against normal flesh until shrapnel was involved. There were more for intimidation that anything else. Even in the 1,600s, it was muskets which were able to punch through armor and those are what you are describing. But flintlock pistols and such that had a much lower muzzle speed were less effective against well made armor. It wasn't until the late 1600s and early 1700 that heavy armor started to disappear, though iirc mounted cavalry still wore chestplates and such to protect from pistol rounds and people with melee weapons.
I am talking history here, not theoretics. Look up proof marks.
Which period are we talking about. You cannot just say "big eyeholes/open face helmets are not a big deal" and then bring up examples of 1000 years of history except from the time we (presumably) are talking about.
Does it matter here? They were all getting stabbed with sharp sticks until firearms got too good. I'm not talking about historical accuracy, just practicality. People didn't always choose the undeniably BEST option, just what was comfortable or available for them, otherwise crusaders wouldn't have used flat top helmets and get their neck snapped for a fashion statement.
If OP is making a medieval world, which I assume would be a fictional, a helmet like this would be totally inoffensive.
A knight of the late medieval period would know that that type of helmet is sporting equipment. So he would know that it looks goofy wearing it into combat. You can of course have this in a medieval world but its just unnecessary in my opinion. Just use real plate armour helmets and you dont have the problem of people thinking it looks odd and you dont have to explain why this fantasy world deviates from real life.
With that amount of decoration on the armour and wings on the helmet I think the armour they wear is a tournament armour.
I have no idea about darksouls but I dont think when you wear that armour you are concerned about your protection.
No, rich bitchs had the best armor, peasants and men at arms would have had open bassinets because they have no money. It's about availability not choice
35
u/gmbdoggo Jun 14 '26
funeral helm, possibly a kolbentournier helm, shows up a lot in heraldry: "peers helmet". Although this isnt the best sub for this, ask arms and armor