Arena Breakout - Starter Guide for Sound-Blocking Helmets

Sound-blocking is a debuff that is applied when you wear specific helmets that contains said debuff. This debuff can’t make you equip headsets (excluding the IND70, which has Low Sound-blocking if no headsets are equipped. But only the IND70 can do this in the game). Sound-blocking can range between Low, Moderate and Severe. This debuff will shorten your hearing distance, making you more vulnerable to sneaky and quiet opponents.

Low sound-blocking is the least punishing, decreasing your hearing just by a slight margin.

Moderate sound-blocking greatly decreases your hearing. Compared to low, you can really tell by how affected your sound range is.

Severe sound-blocking is the worst one. Crippling you with it’s miniscule hearing range. You can hardly hear anyone near you unless they make some really loud noise, so be careful when using them!

Now, “why would you even use them?” you may ask. And that’s really simple, they’re very tanky compared to other helmets! Either being made by the strongest material, which is Hardened Steel, or/and providing you with all-round head coverage with their provided face masks. Making headshots not viable to your opponents. They are mostly used in aggressive loadouts because of how good their protection is. No more getting one-tapped when you’re peeking! Unfortunately at the cost of being half deaf that is..

The Sensory Stimulant

The Sensory Stimulant is a white and yellow stimulant injection sold by faction contact Andre from the MNST and it costs only 400 Tevila Krowns. It takes around 6 seconds to apply it but increases your hearing for around 120 seconds or 3 minutes.

This enhancement can be used as a countermeasure to Sound-blocking but the value is fixed, meaning the stimulant can appear to be more weaker if you have, say, SEVERE sound-blocking. This enhancement can also be stacked with headsets, if you’re wondering.

T1-T2 Sound-blocking Helmets

Now I will round these up quickly because these are beyond useless. Only used by Covert Ops and militants. No extra face coverings as well.

Tanker Protective Cap (Tier 1)

Durability (New): 20.0
Weight: 1.3kg
Material: Aramid
Sound-blocking: Low
Protective Area: Head, Ears

Aviator Helmet (Tier 2)

Durability (New): 20.0
Weight: 1.2kg
Material: Polyethylene
Sound-blocking: Low
Protective Area: Head, Ears

Security Riot Helmet (Tier 2)

Durability (New): 22
Weight: 1.2kg
Material: Polyethylene
Sound-blocking: Low
Protective Area: Head, Ears

Unfortunately I will not be covering any Sound-blocking Tier 3 Helmets because there are none at the time I’m writing this (Season 6).

Tier 4 Sound-blocking Helmets

These helmets aren’t too bad, but they’re not good either. I recommend using them on Tactical Ops and rarely, Lockdown Zones. Operators in Forbidden Zones will always carry Tier 4 and above ammo to shred these helmets.

SH40 Military Helmet (Tier 4)

Note: These helmets can be seen being worn by Elite PMC’s inside the Armory Bunker and TV Station in general.

Durability (New): 50.0
Weight: 3.6kg
Material: Hardened Steel
Movement Speed: -3%
Ergonomics: -4
Sound-blocking: Moderate
Protective Area: Head,Ears

It also provides a glass mask for face protection which is the SH Universal Bulletproof Mask (Tier 3)

Durability (New): 30.0
Weight: 0.7kg
Material: Glass
Protective Area: Face

SH18 Military Helmet

Durability (New): 45.0
Weight: 2.9kg
Material: Titanium
Sound-blocking: Low
Protective Area: Head,Ears
No face shield is available for this helmet.

In conclusion to this chapter, it is better off that you use the SH40 as it has harder material and a face shield compared to the SH18 with it’s lesser material, durability and it’s inability to equip a face shield even though it is lighter and has lower sound-blocking. Again, most of these ratings will be determined by how well it could protect the user from all angles of the head.

Tier 5 Sound-blocking Helmet

These ones have a more wider variety in case you wouldn’t like to choose the other. Due to it’s high tier, this is the most recommended to use for Lockdowns and sometimes, Forbidden Zones.

SH Matzka 2 Helmet

Durability (New): 65.0
Weight: 3.9kg
Movement Speed: -4%
Ergonomics: -10
Material: Hardened Steel
Sound-blocking: Severe
Protective Area: Head,Ears

This helmet also comes with their respective face shields, which is the SH Matzka Mask

Durability: 50.0
Weight: 2kg
Material: Hardened Steel
Protective Area: Face

Note: This helmet can be seen being used by the Mine boss Porrerro and Armory boss Renoir both with their signature skins.

Renoir

Porrerro

SH60 Military Helmet

Durability (New): 50.0
Weight: 3.2
Movement Speed: -3%
Ergonomics: -9
Material: Composite
Sound-blocking: Low
Protective Area: Head,Ears

This helmet also has their respective face shield, which is the SH60 Mask (Class 4)

Durability (New): 35.0
Weight: 1.5kg
Protective Area: Face

Note: This face mask can also be applied to the SH40 Helmet we talked about in the previous chapter.

SH50 Military Helmet

Durability (New): 60.0
Weight: 3.2kg
Movement Speed: -4%
Ergonomics: -7
Material: Hardened Steel
Sound-blocking: Low
Protective Area: Head,Ears

This helmet comes with a glass face shield. But it is the SH Universal Bulletproof Mask that we have talked about in the previous chapter.

RSP Heavy Tactical Helmet

Durability (New): 55.0
Weight: 2.5kg
Movement Speed: -4%
Ergonomics: -2
Material: Composite
Sound-blocking: Low
Protective Area: Head,Ears

This helmet is peculiar, being able to attach the DK Series mask from the DK5, DK6 and DK8

In conclusion to this chapter, the Matzka definitely has better durability and protection as the rest, providing the user with an entire face armor compared to the rest being only able to apply glass face masks. Unfortunately the Matzka 2 has severe Sound-blocking, which is not very great. The helmets with Composite as their material (RSP H., SH60) are much the same, but due to their durability, they couldn’t be able to uphold as long as the others with better material for the purpose of tanking.

This leaves us with the SH60. Although it has a glass Tier 3 face shield, this is the most viable one to choose because of it’s low Sound-blocking and strong material. But you could also choose the Matzka as well. But because of it’s Severe Sound-blocking, just be aggressive like the absolute juggernaut you are! While being cautious.

Tier 6 Sound-blocking Helmets

This is where things get spicy. Highest armor tier, highest protection, and possibly the tier with the most variety! Bring it to anywhere, as long as the enemy isn’t using M61’s, you’re pretty much unstoppable in any mode. Though they can be really expensive, but it’s a good price to pay!

6BNT Helmet

Durability (New): 75.0
Weight: 4.1kg
Movement Speed: -4%
Ergonomics: -9
Material: Hardened Steel
Sound-blocking: Severe
Protective Area: Head,Ears

This helmet also has it’s own face armor. Which is…

6BNT Blast Mask

Durability (New): 70.0
Weight: 2.3kg
Material: Hardened Steel
Protective Area: Face

DOD9 Blast Helmet

Durability (New): 75.0
Weight: 3.1kg
Movement Speed: -8%
Ergonomics: -10
Material: Composite
Sound-blocking: Severe
Protective Area: Head, Ears, Face

Unlike other helmets, this helmet has an already built-in face armor that doesn’t charge you for extra. Even though it’s material is Composite, I’d say this one does an exceptional job as a headshot tanker.

RST Special Forces Helmet

Durability (New): 75.0
Weight: 2.6kg
Movement Speed: -6%
Ergonomics: -10
Material: Aluminum
Sound-blocking: Moderate
Protective Area: Head,Ears

This helmet comes with it’s own face armor, which is…

RST Special Forces Mask

Durability (New): 70.0
Weight: 1.4kg
Material: Aluminum
Protective Area: Face

HG84 Offensive Helmet

Durability (New): 70.0
Weight: 2.7kg
Movement Speed: -4%
Ergonomics: -3
Material: Composite
Sound-blocking: Moderate
Protective Area: Head,Ears

This helmet doesn’t have it’s own face armor nor shield. But can mount the T7 Thermal Imager instead. But either way, there’s better helmets to mount thermals on than the HG84.

SH65 Military Helmet

Durability (New): 65.0
Weight: 3.7kg
Movement Speed: -4%
Ergonomics: -7
Material: Composite
Sound-blocking: Low
Protective Area:Head,Ears

This helmet actually has 2 signature face shields. Which are…

SH65 Military Mask A (Tier 5)

Durability (New): 55.0
Weight: 0.7kg
Material: Glass
Protective Area: Face

And

SH65 Military Mask B (Tier 6)

Durability (New): 65.0
Weight: 0.8
Material: Composite
Protective Area: Face

Though I would rather choose the B Mask. The A Mask is fine to use too if you’re uncomfortable with the B Mask because of it decreasing your vision more compared to the A Mask. But Tier 5 bullets would be a problem to you if they hit your face.

Helmet Tier List

This is my personal tier list of all the sound blocking helmets that I have used. I will elaborate my reasons on why I put them in their places here.

Now obviously. All low tiers will be thrown away at the bottom as they give absolutely no help at all.

Then, the helmets with no attachable face shields are then put at the C tier. They can protect only the head but never the face.

At the B tier, they are helmets that provides extra protection for the face but they could only attach low-tier glass face shields which are not really ideal for a tank build.
At A tier, these are the best helmets for tank builds as they have full-on face armors, making your face as less of a prominent target for the enemy compared to helmets in the B tier. But these helmets unfortunately have Severe Sound-blocking. Hence, their place at A.
At S tier, these helmets give you face armor as said in the A tier, but give less Sound-blocking and for a bonus, the SH65 has two face shields in case if you’re not comfortable with the other.

Countering Opponents with Sound-blocking Helmets

Now that I have been glazing about these helmets for the past few chapters, it’s about time I give out tips to counter any opponent who has the helmet as well since you can’t be the only one wearing them.

Now first and foremost, look at which map you’re playing at and figure out if enemies with Sound-blocking are more likely to appear or not.

For example, TV Station Forbidden Zone will have players get on tanky gear because of it’s map design focusing on more PvP, making any armor that shreds quickly be disintegrated halfway through either by the aggressive PMC’s or excessive PvP’ing throughout the raid. On the other hand, there’s Northridge, a very large map that needs you to listen for any folk lurking around the bushes to snipe you. In this case, there will be less people that’ll bring in Sound-blocking helmets and bring something more lightweight instead. (Unless if they’re rushing the Hotel for some reason, but this could probably only be for my lobbies)

Now that you have actually met someone with a Sound-blocking helmet peeking menacingly around the corner waiting for you to strike, you should first be aware of your surroundings and find anything that’ll give you some advantage. For example, throw a grenade that’ll make the enemy panic and give you a chance to strike. Or flank and reposition quickly so you could get a better shot at them. Because of their Sound-blocking disadvantage, they are more prone to sneaky enemies. Hence why they are aggressive and rush alot most of the time. If you managed to identify their mask, either shoot them there if you’re confident it would break. OR, shoot at their bodies instead if the tier is lower. Figure out which one you should attack depending on what they wear, a quick glance should be enough to identify them.

Conclusion

Now that I have explained a handful of things about the Sound-blocking Helmets. Should you even use them in a raid? That’s simple, the answer lies at your choice whether to use them or not. It’s not like the other lightweight helmets are bad, too. They offer good protection as well. I can’t stop you from what you want to use. Sure, they are very durable and are cheaper than most other helmets. But are you willing to sacrifice your hearing for it? That, again, is up to you too.

Arena Breakout – Starter Guide for Sound-Blocking Helmets