In the group of LARP’ers I fight with, we have a ranking system in place that rewards people who go above and beyond both on and off the field, especially those who help the unit and the members within. The highest rank that you can get is an Elite Guard, and with it you are given a helmet that is designed specifically for you, that is loosely based on the helmet worn by the people who originally founded the unit. For the last few years, I’ve been the one tasked with making the Elite helmets.

This is the Monkey King’s Elite helmet, designed by me based on some of the other armor I had made him in the past. This helmet is the most unique of the Elite helmets due to it being think leather stitched in between two layers of soft leather, while still mildly keeping to the Elite helm look. The helmet bends well due to the soft leather joints, making it fit nicely to the King’s face, and instead of having braids at the back of the helmet, it has a mohawk going down the center. For a guy that isn’t a fan of hand stitching things, I seem to do it a lot.