The Riot Helmet is the best melee helmet you can craft in Rust. It costs 50 metal fragments and 10 cloth at a Workbench 1, blocks 80% of melee damage and 25% of bullet damage to your head, and it lets you wear a bandana underneath for 30% bullet and 90% melee together. That makes it the go-to head piece for the first hours of a wipe, before guns take over.
This guide covers the Riot Helmet’s craft cost and blueprint price, its exact protection stats, how it compares with the Wolf Headdress, Bucket Helmet, Coffee Can and Metal Facemask, the bandana combo, armor insert slots, where to loot one, what a recycler gives back and when to swap it out.
riot.helmet) crafts from 50 metal fragments + 10 cloth at a Workbench 1 (15 seconds). Research it for 40 scrap or unlock it on the Workbench 1 tech tree. It gives 25% projectile, 80% melee, 13% bite, 6% cold and 5% radiation protection, has 150 durability and can be repaired. Wear a bandana under it for 30% bullet / 90% melee. Crafted helmets roll 0 to 3 armor insert slots. Best loot source: supply drops. Recycling one gives 25 frags + 5 cloth at a monument recycler.
- What It Is
- Stats
- Craft Cost
- Blueprint
- Protection
- vs Other Helmets
- Bandana Combo
- Insert Slots
- Where to Find
- Recycle
- Tips
- FAQ
What Is the Riot Helmet in Rust?
The Riot Helmet is a black half helmet with a clear visor, built from scrap metal and cloth. Its in-game description says it all: “A makeshift riot Helmet. Great at deflecting melee attacks.”
It sits in the outer head slot, the same layer as the Wolf Headdress, Bucket Helmet, Coffee Can Helmet and Metal Facemask, so you wear one of them at a time. Because it is a half helmet that leaves the face open, it does not block the face slot. That means a bandana fits under it, which is the main reason players still craft it. You can see how the head layers fit together in our Rust armor guide.
The Riot Helmet has no Workshop skins, so every one you see in game looks the same.
Rust Riot Helmet Stats
| Stat | Riot Helmet |
|---|---|
| Craft cost | 50 Metal Fragments + 10 Cloth |
| Workbench | Workbench Level 1 |
| Craft time | 15 s at WB1, 7.5 s at WB2, 3.75 s at WB3 |
| Research cost | 40 scrap (research table) |
| Tech tree | Workbench 1 tree, 1 Blueprint Fragment node |
| Projectile protection | 25% |
| Melee protection | 80% |
| Bite protection | 13% |
| Cold protection | 6% |
| Radiation protection | 5% |
| Durability | 150, repairable |
| Armor insert slots | 0 to 3 (crafted only) |
| Works with bandana | Yes (30% bullet / 90% melee together) |
| Recycle (monument) | 25 Metal Fragments + 5 Cloth |
| Despawn | 20 minutes on the ground |
| Rarity / stack | Uncommon / 1 |
| Shortname / Item ID | riot.helmet / 671063303 |
All other IDs are in our Rust item IDs list. On your own server, inventory.give riot.helmet 1 spawns one with the admin commands.
How to Craft a Riot Helmet in Rust
- Learn the blueprint. Research a looted helmet or buy the node on the tech tree (next section).
- Gather the materials. You need 50 metal fragments (smelt about 50 metal ore, or recycle a few road signs) and 10 cloth (hemp or animal kills).
- Stand at a Workbench 1. Any Workbench Level 1 or higher works. The craft takes 15 seconds at WB1, 7.5 at a Workbench 2 and 3.75 at a Workbench 3.
No sewing kit and no high quality metal are needed, which is what makes it so cheap compared with the Coffee Can Helmet (sewing kit, WB2) and the Metal Facemask (HQM, WB3).
Riot Helmet Blueprint: Research or Tech Tree
The Riot Helmet is not a default blueprint, so you need to unlock it once per wipe:
- Research table: put a looted Riot Helmet and 40 scrap into a research table. The helmet is used up.
- Tech tree: it is a node on the Workbench 1 tech tree, so you only pay for the nodes on the path to it.
If you have spare scrap on wipe day, the Riot Helmet and the Wolf Headdress are the two cheapest head unlocks that change your fights.
Riot Helmet Protection
The Riot Helmet gives 80% melee protection, the highest of any craftable helmet, plus 25% projectile, 13% bite, 6% cold and 5% radiation. All of it applies to your head only.
In practice, 80% melee means spears, bone clubs, machetes and salvaged swords barely hurt your head. That matters most in the first hour of a wipe, when everyone is fighting with spears, and against animals: 13% bite helps a little when a wolf or bear gets close. Against a bow, crossbow or gun, 25% is only average. A headshot from a rifle will still hurt.
Riot Helmet vs Other Rust Helmets
| Helmet | Bullet | Melee | Workbench | Bandana under it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bone Helmet | 25% | 40% | None | No |
| Bucket Helmet | 20% | 50% | Workbench 1 | Yes (25% / 60%) |
| Riot Helmet | 25% | 80% | Workbench 1 | Yes (30% / 90%) |
| Wolf Headdress | 30% | 60% | Workbench 1 | Yes (35% / 70%) |
| Coffee Can Helmet | 35% | 50% | Workbench 2 | No |
| Metal Facemask | 50% | 70% | Workbench 3 | No |
Riot vs Wolf Headdress: both are Workbench 1 crafts. The wolf gives 5% more bullet protection, the riot gives 20% more melee. On a normal server, once bows and guns come out, the wolf is slightly better. On a melee or primitive server, or in the spear fights of the first hour, the riot wins.
Riot vs Bucket Helmet: the riot is better in every stat that matters for 30 more frags and 10 cloth. Only pick the bucket helmet if you are short on cloth.
Riot vs Coffee Can and Metal Facemask: these cover the face, so they block a bandana. The coffee can beats riot plus bandana on bullets by 5% but loses badly on melee. The Metal Facemask is the real upgrade at Workbench 3. Full kit picks are in our Rust armor guide.
Riot Helmet and Bandana Combo
A Bandana Mask costs 5 cloth, needs no workbench and adds 5% projectile and 10% melee to your head. Under a Riot Helmet that makes 30% bullet and 90% melee, the highest melee protection you can get on your head in Rust, all for Workbench 1 materials.
Always wear the bandana when you have a riot helmet on. It is the cheapest protection in the game. Just take it off when you upgrade to a Coffee Can or Metal Facemask, because the game won’t let you wear it with those.
Riot Helmet Armor Insert Slots
Since the armor inserts update, a crafted Riot Helmet rolls a random 0 to 3 insert slots. Along with the Bucket Helmet it is one of the only helmets that can roll three, while the Metal Facemask and Coffee Can roll one at most. Helmets you loot from crates or supply drops come with no slots.
Fill the slots with metal, wooden, lead or asbestos inserts to push the helmet’s numbers up. A crafting quality tea before you craft improves your odds of a high roll. Full numbers per insert are in our Rust armor inserts guide.
Where to Find a Riot Helmet in Rust
- Supply drops: the best source by far, with roughly a one in three chance per drop. See our Rust airdrop guide for how to call and steal them.
- Christmas presents: about a 10% chance during the December event, see Rust presents.
- Underwater advanced crates: around 1% at the Underwater Labs.
- Scientists and crates: well under 1% from scientists and military crates, so don’t farm them for it.
Because looting one is slow, most players research the first helmet they find, or just buy the tech tree node.
Recycling a Riot Helmet
| Recycler | Efficiency | Metal Fragments | Cloth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monument recycler | 50% | 25 | 5 |
| Monument, grid powered | 60% | 30 | 6 |
| Power Plant red recycler | 75% | 37 | 7 |
| Safe zone recycler | 40% | 20 | 4 |
Recycling a riot helmet gives no scrap. Only recycle spares you already researched. More on efficiency in our Rust recycler guide.
Rust Riot Helmet Tips
- Always add the bandana. 5 cloth for +5% bullet and +10% melee.
- Make it your wipe day helmet on melee servers. On primitive or bow-only servers, riot plus bandana is the best head setup you can wear.
- Repair, don’t recraft. It has 150 durability and repairs at any workbench for part of the craft cost.
- Craft it, don’t wear a looted one forever. Your own craft can roll insert slots, a looted one never does.
- Swap on a gun wipe. Once your group farms AKs, move to a Wolf Headdress, then a Coffee Can at WB2 and a Metal Facemask at WB3.
- Pick it for animals. 13% bite protection plus 80% melee helps when farming cloth and leather near wolves and bears.
Planning a full set? Try our Rust outfit builder, and keep the next Rust force wipe date in mind so you know how long your kit has to last.
Rust Riot Helmet FAQ
How do you craft a Riot Helmet in Rust?
A Riot Helmet needs 50 metal fragments and 10 cloth at a Workbench Level 1. The craft takes 15 seconds at a Workbench 1, 7.5 at a Workbench 2 and 3.75 at a Workbench 3. You need the blueprint first.
How much scrap is the Riot Helmet blueprint?
Researching a Riot Helmet costs 40 scrap at a research table. It is also a node on the Workbench 1 tech tree.
What protection does the Riot Helmet give in Rust?
The Riot Helmet gives 25% projectile, 80% melee, 13% bite, 6% cold and 5% radiation protection to the head.
Can you wear a bandana with a Riot Helmet?
Yes. The Riot Helmet leaves the face slot free, so a bandana fits under it. Together they give 30% bullet and 90% melee protection.
Is the Riot Helmet better than the Wolf Headdress?
For melee, yes: 80% melee against the wolf’s 60%. For guns, the Wolf Headdress is slightly better with 30% bullet against 25%. Both are Workbench 1 crafts and both work with a bandana.
How many insert slots does a Riot Helmet have?
A crafted Riot Helmet rolls 0 to 3 armor insert slots. Looted helmets have no slots. Crafting quality tea improves the chance of more slots.
Where can you find a Riot Helmet in Rust?
Supply drops are the best source, with roughly a one in three chance. Christmas presents, underwater advanced crates, scientists and military crates can also drop one, but rarely.
What does a Riot Helmet recycle into?
A monument recycler gives 25 metal fragments and 5 cloth. A grid powered recycler gives 30 frags and 6 cloth, the Power Plant red recycler about 37 frags and 7 cloth, and a safe zone recycler 20 frags and 4 cloth.
What is the Riot Helmet item ID in Rust?
The Riot Helmet uses the shortname riot.helmet and the item ID 671063303.
Sources and Further Reading
- Protection values, craft times and recycle yield: Facepunch Wiki, Riot Helmet
- Recipe, workbench, research cost, despawn and item ID: Rust game item files (items.craft.json, Rust-Items.json)
- Insert slots and item data cross-check: RustClash Wiki, Riot Helmet
- Loot chances: RustHelp, Riot Helmet