Aesthetics:
Both the Retaliator and EAT have assault rifle like design, with the Retaliator being more rifle-y and the EAT more carbine-y due to the Retaliator's larger barrel and the EAT's pump action and lack of stock.
I personally love both of them.
Accessories:
The EAT comes with itself, 12 Elites and a 12 dart clip (mag).
The Retaliator comes the base blaster, the barrel, the stock, the foregrip, 12 Elites and a 12 dart clip (mag).
Obviously the Retaliator wins this round.
Range/Power:
The EAT gets around 11-12m ranges, which are kind of mediocre for an Elite blaster.
The Retaliator without barrel gets 11-16m, and with barrel around 14m.
The Retaliator wins again, because on both accounts its average range is higher than the EAT.
Accuracy:
Both the EAT and Retaliator have great accuracy partly due to the Elite darts, barrel length and internal design.
This round is a draw.
Usability:
Both the EAT and Retaliator are easy to use and very reliable. The EAT's pump action and slam fire are both extremely easy and comfortable to use. The Retaliator's slide action, though many people hate it, I personally find it reasonably comfortable and easy, and allows for the blaster to be very compact. The one key difference that I feel is worth pointing out are the jam doors. The EAT's is a simple top mounted slide open jam door, which makes it easy to access any potential jams. The Retaliator's is a hinged door underneath the slide, and doesn't open 90 degrees, making it much harder to clear jams. Even though neither blaster jams often, the fact that the Retaliator's jam door isn't as good is the only reason why the EAT wins this round.
Rate of Fire:
The EAT, with slam fire, can exceed 5 darts per second.
The Retaliator does not have slam fire, and is thus restricted to around 2-3 darts per second.
Obviously the EAT wins this round.
Capacity:
Both the EAT and Retaliator come with the 12 dart clip (mag), and thus this round is an obvious tie.
Value for Money/Availability:
The EAT is a Target exclusive, and is available right now for $29. It was very recently released, so don't expect too much stock since it will have been snapped up quickly. The Retaliator is available for as little as $35, from all major retailers. Because the Retaliator comes with more stuff for a higher price, this round is a draw.
Overall the Elite Alpha Trooper has won 2 rounds, the Retaliator 2, with 3 ties, and therefore this comparison is a tie. If you're looking for a long range blaster, the Retaliator is a better choice because of its superior range. If you're looking for a rapid fire blaster the EAT is quite obviously better thanks to its slam fire.
Thanks
ReplyDeletewhat is your personal favourite?
ReplyDeleteMy favourite is the Elite Alpha Trooper. Comfortable, powerful (with mods), rapid fire, light, clip fed, it has just about everything I want.
DeleteCompared to the Retaliator it has a more comfortable prime and a higher rate of fire, though it has a lower stock range.
Thanks for the comparison. I use both in Nerf Wars with my nephews. EAT is the assault weapon and the Retaliator is the sniper.
ReplyDeleteshould i mod my eat o-ring by adding teflon tape to it. If so, how may layers
ReplyDeleteThe EAT plunger o-ring is actually pretty good. I wouldn't put any teflon tape under it.
DeleteAs for the o-ring that seals the breech to the plunger tube though, add a few layers there.
i was talking about the breech one. a lot a people say the one on the breech is horrible. if I do add Teflon tape. would I have to lubricate it?
DeleteYeah that breech one is pretty bad. Lubricant isn't needed but it's highly recommended.
Deletehow many layers, maybe. or just trial and error
Deleteand why is it highly recommended, lubricant/silicone grease
DeleteTrial and error. Since every blaster is slightly different, you can't just take how much someone else used for their blaster. Lubricant helps to seal up the breech-plunger tube if the o-ring does not fit perfectly where it's supposed to. It also makes movement much easier.
Deletemy household has Vaseline as a lubricant. will that work.
DeleteVaseline's probably not safe to use for the o-ring. I personally use tap lubricant, as they're designed to be safe for o-rings. I've heard people have success with food grade lubricant too.
DeleteIs the EAT still available? I never got the chance to pick one up in its prime. I think it would be a nice class for friends since I am a sniper usually.(i know it's spelled wrong).
ReplyDeleteI've heard some reports that it's discontinued, and others saying there's another wave of them coming. All I know is that at the moment there are no EATs in my nearest Target, and others have been having trouble finding them.
Deletewould you say the eat is a good blaster for running or is the swarmfire better
ReplyDeleteThey're very different blasters, so it's rather hard to compare them.
DeleteFor general Nerf war use the EAT is typically a superior choice to the Swarmfire because it's clip fed.
The Swarmfire is decent for on the run firing as it's full auto, and thus requires no priming action. However a blue trigger Swarmfire in particular has a pretty slow rate of fire, so you may struggle to hit your targets.
An EAT is a little harder to on the run fire as it's a pump action blaster, however its slam fire allows you to put out darts very quickly, and so you stand a much better chance of hitting a target with an EAT than with a Swarmfire.
It should be noted however that an EAT is restricted to Streamline style darts, that is darts with a tip smaller than the foam. The retail darts available of this style are typically less accurate than say the Whistler or Dart Tag dart, which the Swarmfire can use. Thus each shot from a Swarmfire is likely to be more accurate than each shot from an EAT.
The EAT is an AWESOME gun, with its slam fire you can practically deal with 3v1 every time.
ReplyDeleteIs the delta trooper slightly better than both now that it has almost the same accessories as the retaliator and the slam fire of the EAT?
ReplyDeletePersonally, I feel that the EAT's pump-grip still beats the Delta Trooper's top-slide, which gives the EAT the slightest edge in my mind.
DeleteHonestly I like both blasters I like the retaliator because of its attachments Butt i like the alpha trooper because of its slam fire so its a draw.
ReplyDelete