2013 Nerf Sum Up

It's that time of year again, time to look back at everything Nerf in 2013.
And what a year is has been, with more blaster releases this year than any other year I've documented.

Also Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays and Happy New Year from all of us at Outback Nerf.

Nerf Elite Ammo Box Quick Review

This will be a small review on the Elite Ammo Box. Barely even a review to be honest, just a couple of pics I snapped.

Slydev Parts Review: Mini Rail to Rail Connector, 6 Dart Holder Solid

Now for a non-Nerf review, here is a review of some new Slydev parts that were put up in the store not too long ago.

This review will be covering the Mini Rail to Rail (called Nerf to Nerf in store) Connectors, and the 6 Dart Holder (Solid). Note that I covered the 4cm Nerf rail a while back. Also note that these parts were made in a new orange compared to my older parts, as well as in Slydev's new 3D printers since the ones that made my old parts broke and are currently being fixed.

Ultimate Nerf Blaster Book Review

Many of you will have heard of the Nerf Blaster Book before, with it being released in mid November. The publishers of the book, powerHouse Books contacted us and offered to send us copies of the book for review. Unfortunately, as we live in Australia they were unable to send us hard copies, but instead provided us with full digital copies of the book, and it is this on which I base this review upon.

Nerf Rebelle Pink Crush Review (20m Aus Grey Trigger)

Today I'll be getting back into reviewing things, starting off with the cheapest Rebelle blaster available in Australia, the Pink Crush.

Quick Apology for Recent Lack of Content

Hey guys, so you may or may not be wondering why there's been a distinct lack of major content for the past few months. So basically school. This year is (was) my final year of school, and I was completing my VCE for my ATAR. Anyone who knows the Victorian or Australian education system will know what that means.

But basically it's the most important year of school. And I've just recently finished, coming out of basically a month or two of full on intensive study.

So yeah, once I get my hands on some of the new gear some proper content will be coming up. Give it a couple of weeks, since I've got various things going on in the coming days and I haven't gotten any Nerf stuff in months.

-P13c30fch33s3

Nerf Collection Update/Video (P13c30fch33s3)

A video showcasing my updated Nerf armoury, since the last vid was filmed over 15 months ago.

Loadouts 11: Sniping Part 2

It's been a while since my last Loadouts post. This one'll be pretty short since I don't have much time these days, but hey, exams'll be over in around 3 weeks.

Scenario Description: Player is relatively well concealed, behind or near cover, and can hit enemy players/targets while not being within range of enemies.
Keys to Victory: Accuracy and patience. If you can't get a good shot off, don't waste your ammo and give away your position. Sure, if you really need to fire then go ahead, but if there isn't that urgency then keep your shots for when you can guarantee hits.
Unnecessary Burdens: Large, non-sniper primary blasters. As a sniper, you should be travelling light to be able to fire, then move from cover to cover to prevent being retaliated against. Alternatively, if you're good enough, you can prevent enemies from taking your hiding place, which is good if you've found a particularly good spot for sniping. To do this you'll need lots of ammo and quite a bit of skill. If you are constantly being shot at, then either the play field is unsuited to snipers, you're not being a good sniper, or you're holding a critical position.

Single Shot 1

Primary: (m) N-Strike Nitefinder EX-3 OR Elite Firestrike
Secondary: Mid range blaster of choice (e.g. Elite Alpha Trooper CS-12, Elite Strongarm)
Gear: Dart holders (e.g. pouch on belt), sling/holster for secondary, ammo holders for secondary
Ammo: Suitable darts - stefans if possible, ammo for secondary
Purpose: To provide compact, high power blasting with a single shot pistol

Strengths: Range (primary), accuracy (primary), lightweight, compact
Weaknesses: Reload time (primary), priming strength required (primary)
Description: Both the Nitefinder and Firestrike have reasonably large direct plungers, meaning that a good spring upgrade and proper rebarreling/couplering can get you an extremely powerful and surprisingly compact single shot blaster. In the modding community Nitefinders were quite popular due to their ease of modding, the great results and their low price and availability. Though Firestrikes are not quite as easy to mod, they can produce similarly impressive results, with both blasters being able of breaking 100ft (30m) with well done mods and strong springs.
Either way, if you want to be able to fire darts accurately at long range but do not have the money for a Buzz Bee Range Master, Longshot, etc, a Nitefinder or Firestrike can be a good alternative.





Single Shot 2
Primary: Dart Tag Sharp Shot
Secondary: Mid range blaster of choice (e.g. Elite Alpha Trooper CS-12, Vortex Praxis)
Gear: Dart holders (e.g. pouch on belt), sling/holster for secondary, ammo holders for secondary
Ammo: Suitable darts - stefans if possible, ammo for secondary
Purpose: To provide compact, high power blasting with a single shot pistol

Strengths: Range (primary), accuracy (primary), lightweight, compact
Weaknesses: Reload time (primary),
Description: The blue trigger Sharp Shot, although it has a reverse plunger, has a stronger spring than the original and can fire darts up to 17m flat on a good shot (average shots are around 15m), making it a good alternative to the traditional Nitefinder/Firestrike. For us Aussies with weak downtuned blasters, the blue trigger Sharp Shot is probably the best ranged dart blaster that has really good accuracy at good range, since all Elite blasters use somewhat inaccurate Elite darts.
Besides the Range Master this is probably the best you'll get for stock modern micro dart long range firing. Against other stock dart blasters this loadout will probably actually do decently.




Single Shot 3
Primary: Wipeout Chalk blaster (m optional)
Secondary: Mid range blaster of choice (e.g. Elite Alpha Trooper CS-12, Vortex Praxis)
Gear: Dart holders (e.g. pouch on belt), sling/holster for secondary, ammo holders for secondary
Ammo: Suitable darts - stefans if possible, ammo for secondary
Purpose: To provide compact, high power blasting with a single shot pistol

Strengths: Range (primary), accuracy (primary), lightweight, compact
Weaknesses: Reload time (primary),
Description: The Wipeout Chalk blaster, once available in Hot Dollar stores, was a very powerful direct plunger blaster, with average ranges of 17m and max ranges of 20m. It was also compatiable with streamlines and even those had decent accuracy. However, this blaster is now very rare in Australia and if you see one, pick it up as it is a very good alternative to Firestrikes and Nitefinders. Besides the Range Master and the Sharp Shot this is probably the best you'll get for stock modern micro dart long range firing. Against other stock dart blasters this loadout will probably actually do quite well. Modded, the Wipeout is even more beastly than the Nitefinder or Firestrike.

Clip (Mag) System 3
Primary: Mega Centurion
Secondary: Mid range blaster of choice (e.g. Elite Alpha Trooper CS-12, Elite Strongarm)
Gear: Mega clip (mag) holders, sling/holster for secondary, ammo holders for secondary
Ammo: Mega darts and clips (mags), ammo for secondary
Purpose: To provide the highest (stated) range of a currently available stock blaster

Strengths: Range (primary, on good shots)
Weaknesses: Dart cycling time (primary), accuracy (primary), dart fragility (primary), ammo incompatability (primary)
Description: Ah, the Nerf Mega Centurion. Quite possibly the biggest disappointment in the N-Strike/Elite era with its incredible jam rate, dart deterioration rate and general terrible performance. Nevertheless, its awesome design lends itself to being a sniper blaster, and on a lucky shot it actually fires near its advertised range of 100ft. That is, at an angle. A very high angle.
For us Aussies the range doesn't even go near 80ft, advertising a mere 20m and quoting Urban Taggers, "An N-Strike Nitefinder performs better.". So if you're dead set on getting a Centurion, get a full 100ft US version.
Seriously though, you're probably better off just using a lightly modded Longshot than a Centurion. It'll be far smaller and easier to handle, not to mention the Longshot can use existing common ammo types, and is much more consistent.


Why no Vortex you may ask? Simple, the velocity of Vortex discs is far slower than darts for blasters of equivalent range. Though Vortex blasters do fire much further than regular dart blasters, their low muzzle velocity makes it much easier to dodge incoming discs than darts. Additionally their vulnerability to the slightest change in conditions (darts are less temperamental) and tendency to veer off make them bad for proper sniping.

HFCBE - Nerf Maverick REV-6

A classic old blaster I absolutely despise, the Maverick is a simple 6 shot revolver. Being a six shot revolver, there is an expectation that you can quick-fire and quick draw it as you'd see in cowboy movies and all that. So just how well does the Maverick perform in this way?

Long story short, if it doesn't misrotate/misfire, decent. I still hate it. If you want guaranteed revolver rapid fire, a Strongarm is far better choice with its much more reliable rotation mech and slam fire.
Time: 1.1
No. darts: 4
Theoretical ROF: 2.73dps or 163.6dpm

HFCBE - Nerf Spectre REV-5

The Spectre REV-5 is in a sense a replacement for the Maverick, with a far more reliable rotation system which rotates on prime. This however results in misrotations of primed too quickly. With the rotation slip mech glued together to avoid this, can the Spectre match the Maverick's ROF?

Not quite. With less than a 0.3dps difference, the Spectre can nearly match the Maverick's ROF, but not quite beat it. Nevertheless the Spectre is far superior to the Maverick.

Time: 1.63
No. darts: 5
ROF: 2.45dps or 147.2dpm

Nerf Elite Alpha Trooper Slam Fire Demonstration

I did this video in reply to a skeptic, nickpro11 of Youtube. It's my method of slam firing the EAT. Accuracy goes out the window but ROF is very high.

HFBCE: Nerf Vortex Praxis

The Praxis was part of the first wave of Vortex blasters released late 2011. It was considered by many to be the best of the original Vortex, as it used Vortex mags, had good ranges and was pump action. However, the Praxis lacks the slam fire that makes the Pyragon so much more spammable. It was found though that holding the trigger down after priming back resulted in a psuedo-slam-fire style firing, which allowed drastically increased ROF at the cost of greatly increased jamming chance. So just how fast can the Praxis be emptied, both with and without psuedo slam fire?

Two test were completed: traditional pump action and psuedo slam fire.

Traditional Pump Action
Time: 3.13
No. discs: 10
ROF: 2.875dps or 172.5dpm

Psuedo Slam Fire
Time: 1.56
No. discs: 10
ROF: 5.769dps or 346.2dpm

Quick Apology regarding Ranges

I received a triplet of OMW springs for my EAT and Retals, and they're great. But that's not the point of this post.
When I was range testing them with a friend, I told him to ensure I was firing flat, and to my dismay it turns out my natural firing angle is much higher than I expected above flat. I believe it's around 15 degrees above flat.
So yep, all the ranges I've quoted in my reviews are probably 10-20% higher than they should be for true flat ranges. I apologise for that misinforming.
Anyway, in the future all ranges fired from natural firing angle will be quoted as 'roughly flat', and shot fired from true flat will be labelled simply as 'flat'.

EDIT: It appears that I hold the pistol type blasters (NF, Firestrike, Mav, etc) closer to flat than larger blasters like the Elite Alpha, so those ranges will just be quoted as flat.

Also a quick apology regarding the HFCBE that was supposed to go live today, one of the shots I did was terrible and really didn't work, so when I find time I'll be reshooting, and once that's done editing and uploading will follow quickly.

HFCBE - Modded Nerf Raider CS-35

This one's a little late, sorry about that. I was too busy playing Pokemon X which was released on Sunday. Anyway...
I absolutely despise the Raider. As Nerf's first slam fire blaster however, it is important to see how Nerf blasters have improved since 2009.

It is possible to get a good ROF out of the Raider, but its severe jamming problems limit the ROF you can get out of it. As you can see in the video, a serious jam occurs, tearing apart two Elite darts.
Time: 1.13
No. darts: 8
Theoretical ROF: 6.19dps or 371.7dpm

Additions to the Shopping Page

I've made a couple of additions and alterations to the Available Nerf Blasters in Aus page.
Firstly, products and lines which I deem to be 'discontinued', ie go out of stock and don't appear for a while, have their text shrunk to the smallest size possible to save space. I'm not going to delete the discontinued lines though because they are records of the past.
Secondly, each product now has a 'non-sale cheapest' price. Simply put, this is the cheapest price that you can find this product at, if there are no sales or clearances on.
Thirdly, each product has a list of major stores in which it can be purchased. The ones I've listed for the moment are Target, Kmart, BigW, Toys R Us, Toyworld and Myer, as they're the biggest retailers who sell Nerf. Blasters such as the Retaliator will have a number of stores inside it's availability bracket (ie [TA,KM,BW,TRU,MY]) while exclusives like the Elite Alpha will just have one (ie [TA]). Within these lists, at least one store is in bold, and is the store at which the product is available for the non-sale cheapest price.

Hopefully these alterations make the page even more useful.

Modification: Elite Dart Conversion

Ever wished that your streamlines were Elite darts but you're not bothered to buy a pack of Elites from your local Target? The answer is, make your own! Without using $8-12 on a pack of 30 Elite darts, use 2-5 minutes instead and convert your outmatched streamlines to more accurate darts for your Elite blasters!

Disclaimer: Mod at your own risk! Outback Nerf can't be held responsible for any damage to your darts/ and or blasters.

Anyways, on to the mod!

HFCBE: Nerf Alpha Trooper CS-18 (stock)

A while back I did an Elite Alpha slam fire vid, in which the Elite Alpha in question had a BT v2 spring of 8.5kg load, stock spring being around 2kg. So I went and got one of my stock ATs and slam fired that to see what kind of ROF I could get.

Time: 2.91
No. darts: 18
ROF: 5.842dps or 350.5dpm

Strangely enough, ROF with a stock AT is slower than ROF with my 8.5kg EAT. *genius*

HFCBE - Nerf Longstrike CS-6

The Longstrike is one of Nerf's bolt action clip (mag) system blasters, seemingly designed to be a sort of rifle. As it happens, the Longstrike is one of the weakest blasters in the N-Strike line, but we're not concerned with range at the moment. All we're concerned with is how fast it can empty an 18 clip (mag).

Time: 6.48

No. darts: 18
ROF: 2.623dps or 157.4dpm

HFCBE - Brass Breeched Nerf Longshot CS-6

As requested. HFCBE Brass Breeched Longshot.
The Longshot CS-6 is a popular blaster among modders due to its huge direct plunger tube. Brass breeches are popular because of their unique 100% air seal property. This combined with strong springs (14kg+ are popular) and shotgun grips to make priming easier and faster. With measly 8kg though and bolt action, how fast can you fire a brass breeched Longshot?

Time: 8.72
No. darts: 9
Theoretical ROF: 0.917dps or 55.0dpm

Note that this ROF is not indicative of what you or someone else can get from a Brass Breeched Longshot, as ROF is largely dependent on the quality of the brass breech and supporting mods. Mine were not that great hence my ROF is not great. Also note that with a shotgun grip ROF would increase dramatically.

HFCBE - Nerf Elite Triad EX-3

The Triad EX-3 is the first single shot blaster to use an air channel system to allow multiple shots without needing a rotating barrel or clip. Using an AR activated self advancing system, the Triad can be rapid fire simply by priming and firing quickly. So how fast can this multi shot single shot pistol fire?

Time: 1.07
No. darts: 3
ROF: 1.87dps or 112.1dpm


Note that this Triad is modded. To see a stock Nerf Triad in action view http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6M6Kf_S6iJo

Loadouts Vid: Elite Alpha Trooper and Stryfe

So jumping on the Loadouts Vids bandwagon, here I am with my first Loadouts vid.
This vid features primarily my Elite Alpha Trooper (with 8.5kg BT v2 spring) and my Elite Stryfe (with 2 Trustfires).
EDIT: Please don't use Trustfires, use IMRs instead. eFest, AW and Windyfire are the brands you're looking for.
Enjoy!

HFCBE - Nerf Stampede ECS

The Stampede ECS was Nerf's first full auto clip (mag) system blaster, and came with 3 of the extremely popular 18 clips. It is electric, meaning its ROF is totally independent of the user's strength or skill. So how fast can a Stampede fire?

7.2v
Time: 7.2sec
No. darts: 17
ROF: 2.22dps or 133.3dpm

~16v
Time: 3.97
No. darts: 18
ROF: 4.28dps or 256.9dpm

HFCBE - Nerf DT Snapfire 8

The DT Snapfire 8 is Nerf's first spring powered semi auto blaster. With its semi auto ability comes a ridiculously large and difficult trigger pull, especially on power mode. On speed mode though, just how fast can a Snapfire fire?

As it turns out, reasonably fast. Though of course not as fast as slam fire or the flywheeler semi autos, the Snapfire can still put out a decent number of darts quickly, especially for a sidearm.
Time: 1.93
No. darts: 8
ROF: 3.63dps or 217.6dpm

HFCBE - Nerf Elite Retaliator

The Retaliator is one of the first Elite blasters, being a remake of the old Recon CS-6. With it comes a slide priming which many people feel is awkward and uncomfortable. Additionally without slam fire it cannot fire as fast as an Alpha Trooper, but how fast can it fire?

Even without slam fire, the Retaliator can put out a very decent ROF.
Time: 5.53sec
No. darts fired: 18
ROF: 3.07dps or 184.4dpm

Loadouts 10: Personal Loadouts Part 2

Scenario Description: Loadouts that we use.
Keys to Victory: N/A
Unnecessary Burdens: N/A

P13c30fch33s3

Clip (Mag) System 1a (General use)

Primary: Elite Alpha Trooper CS-12 (Retal stock, EPPS, 12/18 dart clip [mag], Secret Strike Pocket Shotgun on side rail, BT V2 8.5kg spring)
Secondary: Elite Triad EX-3
Gear: N-Strike Tactical Vest
Ammo: 12/18 dart clips (mags), whatever suitable darts (most likely to be stefans or Elite darts) 
Purpose: To provide well rounded, tacticool and generally awesome clip (mag) system-ness.

Strengths: Range (primary), ROF, reloading is fast, SSPS provides emergency/spread shots at reasonable range, secondary is good and reliable, jamming is rare, looks amazingly tacticool and awesome
Weaknesses: Accuracy (unless use of stefans, primary specific), primary is useless while reloading
Description: Because the Elite AT uses a direct plunger over the N-Strike AT's reverse plunger, the EAT has more potential and is easier to get up to great ranges. Additionally firing it is much more quiet because the AR is still intact, and the EAT looks much better because it has had minimal modding done to it. I am awaiting the results of an AR removal test to see whether or not I should remove it.




Clip (Mag) System 2a (General use)

Primary: Elite Stryfe (whatever attachments I feel like, 12/18 dart clips [mags], 2 or 3 14500s, rewired)
Secondary: Elite Triad EX-3
Gear: N-Strike Tactical Vest
Ammo: 12/18 dart clips (mags), whatever suitable darts (most likely to be stefans or Elite darts)
Purpose: To provide tacticool flywheel goodness, which gives easy to get high ranges and spammability
Strengths: Range (primary), ROF, reloading is super fast, secondary is good and reliable, practically no chance of jams
Weaknesses: Accuracy (unless use of stefans, primary specific), primary must be revved up for max range, rapid fire reduces range temporarily, range lost over time due to draining of batteries
Description: As said earlier, the Stryfe is the most tacticool blaster I've used, beating the Recon by one tac rail. It's also very light, surprisingly thin and looks awesome, along with performing very well. Essentially it acts the same as a Rayven, but is more quiet, more tacticool and more smooth to use, which is why I prefer it over the Rayven.

Clip (Mag) System 3a (WIP, Sniper)

Primary: N-Strike Longshot CS-6 (brass breech, varying spring combinations, Scout IX-3 on bottom, N-Strike Pinpoint Sight, Slydev Front and Rear Iron Sights (no drop), Slydev Longshot Front Tac Rail, Slydev Tac Rail Sling Loop, Secret Strike Pocket Shotgun on side, 12 dart clip [mag])
Secondary: Spectre REV-5/Snapfire 8/Triad EX-3
Gear: N-Strike Tactical Vest
Ammo: 12 dart clips (mags), stefans
Purpose: To provide high power, high accuracy clip (mag) fed goodness from the revered Longshot.
Strengths: Range (primary), reloading, blaster can still be loaded while reloading, accuracy, can have shotgun effect by double/triple feeding
Weaknesses: ROF is lacking, Longshot is quite bulky
Description: Simply updating the tacticool on the Longshot. Thanks primarily to Slydev for allowing so much tacticool. Ranges with stefans are beyond 30m (100ft), and Elites/Streamlines are far to unstable to accurately measure range.

Single Shot 1a (Sniper)

Primary: Avengers Hawkeye Bow (modded to fire darts)

Secondary: Elite Alpha Trooper CS-12 (BT V2 8.5kg spring, 12/18 dart clip [mag])
Gear: N-Strike Tac Vest
Ammo: 12/18 dart clips (mags), suitable darts (Elites or Stefans)
Purpose: To provide high range and accuracy firepower, with clip (mag) fed rapid fire backup
Strengths: Range (primary), accuracy (primary), rapid fire (secondary), reloading (secondary)
Weaknesses: Reloading (primary), accuracy (secondary)
Description: A Stryfe is a great blaster, but the fact remains that because it's a flywheeler it need to be revved up to fire. In those times when you don't have time to rev up, you're left with the sole option of running away. To avoid this, you need a non-flywheel secondary, and thus the EAT was chosen. Why? Well, besides the EAT being an all round great blaster, most importantly it has no fire delay. While with the Stryfe you have to rev up to fire, with the EAT you can just whip it out and fire. Obviously the EAT is larger than the Stryfe, but as a sniper I don't really intend to do a lot of running unless absolutely necessary.

Airgun 1 (Sniper)

Primary: Buzz Bee Big Blast (couplered, Raider stock on pump)
Secondary: Elite Alpha Trooper CS-12 (BT V2 8.5kg spring, 12/18 dart clip [mag])
Gear: N-Strike Tac Vest
Ammo: 12/18 dart clips (mags), suitable darts (Elites or Stefans)
Purpose: When you just have to outrange everyone else by a ridiculous margin
Strengths: Range is absurd (primary), accuracy (primary), rapid fire (secondary), reloading (secondary)
Weaknesses: Reloading (primary), accuracy (secondary)
Description: Just a quick note to make this section make more sense, the average engagement ranges that my friends have is at most 15m, because the blasters we use are generally stock or lightly modded. Buzz Bee Big Blasts are well respected blasters in the modding community, because of their huge airtanks, low retail price and general modding potential and ease of modding. Anyway, when I say 'range is absurd', I mean it. My 4B can fire stefans beyond 55m (180ft), making it a true Nerf sniper. So we've got range well and truly covered, the EAT is for if someone gets too close. It's not like I actually want to hurt my friends...

EDIT: Don't pay the exact range claim too much stock, just know that 4Bs far outclass the blasters we normally use when it comes to range.


Airgun 2 (Psuedo-Sniper/NIC war)

Primary: Nerf Supermaxx 1500 (overhauled for stefans)
Secondary: Elite Alpha Trooper CS-12 (BT V2 8.5kg spring, 12/18 dart clip [mag])
Gear: N-Strike Tac Vest
Ammo: 12/18 dart clips (mags), suitable darts (Elites and Stefans)
Purpose: For a balance of high range and ROF
Strengths: Range (primary), accuracy (primary), ROF vs other airguns (primary), ROF (secondary), reloading
Weaknesses: Accuracy (secondary), ROF (primary)
Description: The Supermaxx 1500 is well known among the Nerf modding community for respectable ranges (100-130ft depending on stefan) as well as a higher than usual ROF for an airgun (has a turret as well as a small tank, meaning low pump count). This makes it superior against most other airguns at mid range encounters, but without the ridiculous range of (say) a 4B, it isn't a true sniper type blaster. Again, because of the inherent slow firing of an airgun plaguing the SM1500, I have an EAT for backup close-mid range rapid fire.

HFCBE: Nerf Rayven CS-18

As requested, a HFCBE video of the Rayven, as well as a demonstration of how I empty semi auto flywheelers so quickly.

Time: 2.23sec
No. darts fired: 18
ROF: 7.62dps or 457.4dpm

How Fast Can it Be Emptied Youtube Series, Magstrike AS-10 firing vid

So with the slam fire and rapid fire vids I've been making recently, I thought I'd make an actual YouTube series out of it, called How Fast Can it Be Emptied?
First up of the 'official' HFCBE videos is the Nerf Magstrike AS-10. As the fastest firing production Nerf blaster, I thought it'd be a good blaster to start off with.

Time to empty: 0.68sec
No. darts fired: 10
ROF: 13.2dps or 794.1dpm
To compare, a stock Stampede or Vulcan fires at 3dps, and although I dislike firearm analogies when regarding Nerf, I have to use this. The M16A3 assault rifle according to Battlefield 3 fires at 800rpm.
There is literally no Nerf blaster I've used that is anywhere near comparable to the Magstrike in terms of ROF.

Look out for HFCBE videos in the future!

Nerf Elite Stryfe Rapid Fire Vid

The second of the videos I recorded, I show how fast you can fire a semi auto flywheeler when you really put effort into it.

Time: 2.1sec
No. darts: 18
ROF: 8.10dps or 485.7dpm

For reference a stock Stampede or Vulcan 3dps or 180dpm, and the 16.8v Rapidstrike featured in RandomShadow09's video empties an 18 clip in 2.2 seconds.
Also the EAT slam fire vid features around 7dps or 420dpm.

Nerf Elite Alpha Trooper Slam Fire Vid

It's been a while since my last vid, so I thought since I had a bit of spare time I'd shoot some quick vids for you guys.
First up is a slam fire vid of my EAT. Now you may be wondering "It's just an Alpha. What's so special about slam firing it?" Well, this is my modded EAT with the 8.5kg BT spring in it, over 3 times stronger than the stock spring.



Time to empty: 2.58sec
No. darts fired: 18
ROF: 6.59dps or 395.3dpm

For reference, my Pyragon slam fire vid has a ROF of around 6.8dps and a stock Stampede or Vulcan is around 3dps.

Just a note on modding the EAT, I would not recommend removing the AR as with the 8.5kg BT v2 spring it gains hardly any range (with Elites) and of course without the AR there is more internal stress. Average range does get pushed up to the magical 30m (100ft) mark though.
EDIT: Don't pay that range claim too much stock.
Muzzle velocity is increased so if you're a stefan user ranges will be increased more significantly.
It does make an awesome sound so if you're into that sort of thing go ahead, but otherwise I'd leave the AR in there for use with Elites.

Pump Action Nerf Retaliator

Back when the Recon first came out (2007-2008?), people criticised it's uncomfortable top slide priming and some modders (me included) made the useless included light into a pump to make a pump action Recon. This not only improved its ROF and comfort of usage, but also rapid-fire accuracy. Fast forward to 2009 and the Raider comes out, with foregrip pump action and slam fire. This made priming much more comfortable and gave the Raider a much higher ROF, although the side magwell was a criticised point for many, including me. A bit further forward to 2010 and we have the Alpha Trooper, with pump action slam fire like the Raider, but with a vertical magwell instead of a horizontal one. That combined with above average stock performance, the AT's other features and its low price made the Alpha Trooper an extremely popular blaster. Some however preferred the foregrip pump action of the Raider.
Now recently in 2012, when the Elite line was first launched, two of its blasters were revamped versions of old blasters, namely the Retaliator (Recon) and Rampage (Raider). While the Retaliator was well received by many, the Rampage has a number of fans but seemingly not as many as the Retaliator. They shared similar problems to their predecessors, namely the awkward top slide action for the Retaliator and side magwell for the Rampage.
To improve the Retaliator's ROF several people did the same pump action mod as they did with Recons, except with the Retaliator's foregrip, making the Retaliator a foregrip pump action blaster like the Rampage, but with a vertical magwell and without slam fire.

I am one of those people, although I performed the pump action mod in August 2013 rather than upon Elite release in 2012.

Outback Nerf reaches 300,000 views

So I woke up this morning, checked my blog and saw this:

Yes that's right, this humble Aussie blog has hit 300,000 total pageviews.
A quick thanks to all my affiliates, in particular Qi of Awesomely Nerf, Link of SOFT and Ash of MLD, all of whom I talk to often.
And of course thanks to you for reading this blog. 300,000 views could not have been possible without you.

The End of a Legend

It is a sad day indeed when you read that Pocket of Urban Taggers will no longer be blogging. He was one of the biggest and most popular bloggers out there, along with SG Nerf and Nerf Mods and Reviews. He brought us many first looks, such as the Barricade RV-10 and the Rayven CS-18. Pocket was an awesome Aus based blog, and has paid ludicrous amounts of money just to be able to get blasters to review them for all of us in the Nerfing community.
Pocket was one of the bloggers who inspired me to create this blog. He brought me my daily fix of Nerf news, and when I got bored a fantastic read about blasters he'd reviewed. Also the fact that he was an Aussie

From one blogger to another, I salute you sir, and wish you all the best for your future endeavors.

My Modded Nerf Supermaxx 1500

Outback Nerf's not much of a modding blog, but this particular blaster is special/important enough that I've decided to give it a post.

It's taken a long time, but I've finally gotten my Supermaxx 1500 to a point I'm happy with.
Mods:

• 20cm (8") PETG barrels with suitable spacer and turret mods
• Rear loading slot and necessary turret mods
• Pump plugged (allows for higher pressures to be stored in the tank)
• Trigger spring glued (allows for faster air release with proper trigger discipline, trigger action feels smoother and sharper)
• Tank to turret airflow improved

All these result in ranges of 30-40m (100-130") depending on the quality of the stefan, at an angle of at most 5 degrees above the horizontal at 3 pumps.
EDIT: Probably don't pay these ranges too much stock, given that no exact stefan specs were provided.
Personally I'm quite proud of it because it's not an easy mod unless you're an experienced modder and have all the right tools and materials. It's the first turreted airgun I've modded and also the first rear loading turret I've done.

Full 2013-2014 Zombiestrike Line, My Opinion & Conjecture

NOTE: Now that all of these blasters have been released, all of this conjecture and speculation is now irrelevant.

So my blog feeds and FB have just been saturated with posts on the full Zombie Strike line for 2013 and 2014.
Original credit goes to io9, but I got my first info from Basic Nerf and FFA (links left).
EDIT: Release dates in Aus thanks to UT.
Anyway, keep reading for all the pictures and my opinions of each blaster.
NOTE 1: Much of the following is conjecture and may not be true. DO NOT USE THIS ARTICLE AS A RELIABLE REFERENCE REGARDING BLASTER PERFORMANCE OR MECHANICS. Instead use it for thought provocation and inspiration, as well as eyecandy borrowed from other sites. It could be that everything I say in this article is completely and utterly wrong.
NOTE 2: I have not actually participated in a HvZ game, but I have read a number of articles describing tactics and all that. Do not use this article as a reliable HvZ reference.
NOTE 3: In the HvZ Practicality sections, I am making the assumption that the blaster being described is the only blaster you're using, for arguments' sake. With multiple blasters there's so many possibilities that describing just a small fraction for just one blaster would take a novel to fully describe.
NOTE 4: It has been said by several people in HvZ that having a good blaster does not guarantee survival. Many have said that tactics and skill are far more important, and the same applies to standard Nerf wars. Thus this article is written with the assumption that the player has a reasonable amount of skill, but not so much as to make them an expert and able to survive with any blaster they are given.

Modded Elite Triad EX-3 Range Test

I range tested my modded Triad. Also, I finally got around to making an intro vid.


Mods:

• 6kg OMW Vulcan spring
• Barrel post removal

Ranges:

• Lowest shot: 15m (50ft) - dived into the ground
• Cluster - 20.5m (67ft)
• Top shot - 22m (72ft) 

I'm quite happy with it, especially since it's just a sidearm/backup.
EDIT: Don't pay those range claims too much stock, they probably weren't measured properly and the Triad probably wasn't totally flat.

My iPod Touch Tactical Rail Mount

With all the (minor) buzz about Nerf's tactical app cradle whatever they are things, I thought I'd show off my custom iPod Touch holder that I made back in 2012. If you want proof I made them then and not after Nerf's one, look at this vid.



Anyway, for those looking to get their own and not fork out lots of money for something that can be done super cheaply, you can either get Slydev's one (link left) or make your own. Even better, this custom one can be used to hold your device of choice. Sadly it cannot hold different devices, but hey, total cost is around $5.

AN1999 unboxes, pic spams, test fires and reviews Elite Spectre; My opinion

As many of you know the Elite Spectre has been released in Singapore as part of their Nerf Powerplay Tournament.
A good friend of mine, AwesomeNerfer 1999 has managed to get his hands on a set, and has given us plenty to drool over and be jealous of, in the forms of an unboxing video, some pic spam, and a review.
I stress right now, the following content is not mine, and belongs to AN1999.

Nerf Elite Triad EX-3 Review (20m grey trigger Aus version)

Having finally found a Triad in my local Kmart, I instantly fell in love with it and thought I would share my thoughts.

Loadouts 9: Offence - Scouting 1

Full on offensive or defensive play might work in a small area, but for games like campus-wide HvZ games and the like, you don't know exactly who is where, and so you need scouts to know what the opponents are up to. Many of the loadouts will be similar but not quite identical to CQC, due to a lot of CQC's loadouts being focused on light weight and maneuverability.
Scout/Recon loadouts are also suited to run and gun players, because they are very light and maneuverable.
Scenario Description: Extremely large playing field, long game time, player intends to scout playing field (or specific area) to observe opponent's movements and plans, player is prepared to combat a few enemies but not many
Keys to Victory: Light, maneuverable loadouts, high fitness level (expect a lot of running), certain level of stealth such as light footsteps (light footwear recommended), long-range communication such as walkie talkies recommended but not always necessary, ability to either take out opponent quickly or escape easily, retreating if the conflict is taking too long or you're outnumbered
Unnecessary Burdens: Large amounts of ammo, large and heavy blasters, large amounts of fancy gear, any train of thought saying that you have to win every engagement

Clip (Mag) System 1

Primary: Elite/N-strike Alpha Trooper CS-12/18 (12/18 darts clips [mags], minimal tacticool)
Secondary: Powerful single shot (e.g. Nitefinder EX-3)
Gear: Tactical Vest/custom made belt, small dart pouch
Ammo: Few backup clips (mags) (max size 18 darts), darts for secondary
Purpose: To provide versatile and light clip (mag) system goodness
Strengths: ROF, maneuverability, capacity, reloading
Weaknesses: Accuracy (primary), clips (mags) take up significant space and can rattle about
Description: The AT is a lightweight and well performing blaster which can also be obtained for very reasonable prices. It is ideal for many purposes, one of which is mobile firepower due to its minimal weight and smallish size. It can put out quite a few darts very quickly at a reasonable range, and as a scout you'll want to be able to finish your conflicts quickly, lest you be overrun by opponents. A powerful single shot is helpful for providing potshots in the event that you have to psuedo-snipe an opponent to avoid being spotted and caught. Sure you don't have quite the same power as a proper sniper, but as a scout you don't have the space or time to waste on a sniper which you won't use too often.

Clip (Mag) System 2

Primary: Recon CS-6/Elite Retaliator (12 darts clips [mags], no tacticool or just stock)
Secondary: Powerful single shot (e.g. Nitefinder EX-3)
Gear: Tactical Vest/custom made belt, small dart pouch
Ammo: Few backup clips (mags) (max size 12 darts), darts for secondary
Purpose: To provide versatile and light clip (mag) system goodness
Strengths: Maneuverability, capacity, reloading
Weaknesses: Accuracy (primary), clips (mags) take up significant space and can rattle about
Description: While I do say that the AT/EAT is probably the best all rounded CS blaster you can get, the Recon/Retaliator can still be useful, especially when you'll be running a lot. It's even smaller and lighter than the AT, although loses some ROF to do so. The Recon/Retal still performs decently, and as a scout you don't need fantastic performance.

Clip (Mag) System 3

Primary: Elite Stryfe/Rayven / N-Strike Rayven (12/18 darts clips [mags], little or no tacticool)
Secondary: High capacity single shot (e.g. Elite Triad EX-3)
Gear: Tactical Vest/custom made belt, small dart pouch
Ammo: Few backup clips (mags) (max size 18 darts), darts for secondary
Purpose: To provide versatile and light clip (mag) system goodness
Strengths: Maneuverability, capacity, reloading, ROF
Weaknesses: Accuracy (primary), clips (mags) take up significant space and can rattle about, revving up to fire

Description: Clip (mag) system flywheelers are small, compact and surprisingly powerful blasters capable of putting out a good amount of darts very quickly. As a scout this can help you get out of engagements quickly, as you don't have the armament or ammo to take on several opponents. As with the other CS blasters listed above, the small size and low weight make for minimal hindrance when running around. It can be a pain to rev up, but taking advantage of some cover to rev up can let you take out your opponent in one burst, without using up all your ammo. Because the flywheelers are even more inaccurate than ordinary CS blasters, and due to the ability to empty clips (mags) extremely quickly, you'll be relying a lot on your single shot for accurate shots and for cover during your frequent reloads.

Vortex 1

Primary: Vortex Praxis/Lumitron (little or no tacticool, 10/20 disc mags)
Secondary: Powerful single shot (e.g. Nitefinder EX-3)
Gear: Vortex Ammo Belt or similar
Ammo: Few backup mags (max size 20 discs), ammo for secondary
Purpose: To provide versatile disc firepower that is light
Strengths: Maneuverability, reloading, range, accuracy
Weaknesses: ROF not as good as slam-fire

Description: The Praxis, without the stock, is a surprisingly compact blaster with somewhat of a shotgun like design. It is light and performs extremely well, making it ideal for scouts who want a little more performance from their primary. Obviously because it's disc blasters, finding ammo will be harder than with dart blasters, but the improved range and accuracy over dart blasters means you can make more of your shots count. You shouldn't be relying as much on your secondary for precision shots due to the accuracy of Vortex blasters, and you should instead use it for long range potshots, saving your discs for close combat or well placed shots.

Multishot 1

Primary: Elite RoughCut 2x4
Secondary: High capacity single shot (e.g. Elite Triad EX-3)
Gear: Dart pouch of reasonable size
Ammo: Suitable darts
Purpose: To provide the ability to put out several darts quickly simultaneously with low weight
Strengths: ROF, maneuverability, multishot
Weaknesses: Low amount of shots (4 effective shots), reloading is slow, accuracy

Description: The RoughCut is capable of putting out several darts very quickly thanks to its multishot ability and slam-fire, making it extremely dangerous if you can get close to your opponent. As a scout, you should be prepared to do a lot of running, so running up to your opponent to barrage them with darts should not be much of a problem. You should be able to ensure at least 2 hits on opponents in this way, giving you time to reload and/or retreat. You'll definitely be relying on your secondary for accuracy and range, since the RoughCut is quite inaccurate. You'll also need to keep your secondary loaded up, because the RoughCut is extremely easy to empty and has a low capacity considering its double shot ability.

Multishot/Vortex 2

Primary: Vortex Diatron
Secondary: High capacity single shot (e.g. Elite Triad EX-3)
Gear: Ammo pouch of reasonable size
Ammo: Suitable darts/discs
Purpose: To provide multishot disc ability with low weight
Strengths: Multishot, range, accuracy
Weaknesses: Low amount of shots (5 effective shots), reloading is slow, ROF not as good as RoughCut
Description: The Diatron is capable of more accurate sustained fire than the RoughCut, due to a higher capacity, lower ROF and better accuracy. This can make its suppression fire more effective in some circumstances, as well as giving you more time to retreat should you need to escape from combat. In times when you decide to stand and fight, the Diatron's superior accuracy and range compared to the RoughCut means you can get good shots off more consistently and from further away, but the reduced ROF compared to the RoughCut means that you aren't as effective in close quarters. Again you'll be relying on the single shot for long range shots because of the ammo wastage caused by the Diatron's multishot. You'll also want to rely on your single shot when low on ammo, because you have to load two discs into the Diatron for it to fire.

Dart Tag 1
Primary: Dart Tag Quick 16
Secondary: Powerful single shot (e.g. Nitefinder EX-3)
Gear: Dart pouch of reasonable size
Ammo: Suitable darts
Purpose: To provide high capacity slam-fire without clips/mags
Strengths: Capacity, ROF, accuracy, reloading a few darts
Weaknesses: High jam rate/chance, reloading lots of darts, range
Description: Though the Quick 16 is an older blaster, it still has its uses, being one of very few high capacity blasters which is not clip/mag fed. It has slam-fire and 16 dart capacity, allowing for significant spraying, and the accuracy offered due to it not being clip/mag system means you can get more hits more quickly. The Quick 16 is notorious for jamming, but by taking good care of the blaster and using it properly, jam rates should be minimised, enough to take down at least one opponent with no jams. As a non-Elite/Vortex blaster, and the only DT blaster not upgraded, the Quick 16 can't compete against other blasters in terms of range, but the accuracy, ROF and capacity let you spray down opponents from close range quickly and accurately.

Dart Tag 2

Primary: Dart Tag Furyfire
Secondary: Powerful single shot (e.g. Nitefinder EX-3)
Gear: Dart pouch of reasonable size
Ammo: Suitable darts
Purpose: To weigh down the user as little as possible with decent firepower
Strengths: Accuracy, superlightweight, maneuverability
Weaknesses: Reloading
Description: The Furyfire is a small, light blaster with decent capacity and good performance, making it ideal for scouts, and also is not clip/mag fed making it one of the lightest loadouts here. Though you won't be spraying down opponents or firing long range suppression shots repeatedly, the Furyfire gives a balance of range, ROF and capacity allowing you to hold your own in CQC against a small number of opponents. Without a high ROF or capacity, you'll eventually be overrun by several opponents, but for small skirmishes the Furyfire can hold its own.

Loadouts 8: CQC 2

Scenario Description: Close range combat with lots of walls and other obstacles in the way. Range not particularly important. Usually few players, thus usually small or no teams.
Keys to Victory: Mobility/maneuverability, adapting quickly to changes in scenario, fast firing blasters with short reload times.
Unnecessary Burdens: Weight, bulk, excessive amounts of ammo, slow firing blasters, large blasters, unnecessary sidearms, unnecessary attachments.

Clip (Mag) System 3

Primary: Elite Stryfe/Rayven / N-Strike Rayven (12/18 clips [mags], small tacticool if desired)
Secondary: Small single shot pistol (e.g. "Elite" Jolt, Elite Triad)
Gear: Small clip (mag) carrying ability (e.g. Tac Vest), small dart pouch
Ammo: Few backup clips (mags), darts for secondary
Purpose: To provide rapid fire ability from clip (mag) system flywheelers
Strengths: ROF, reloading, capacity, maneuverability
Weaknesses: Accuracy, have to rev up
Description: Clip (mag) system flywheelers are quite small, and thus are ideal for running around in close quarters. They are capable of spewing out darts extremely quickly, which can be lethal in close quarters. The need to rev up can be a pain, but in close quarters you don't need a high flywheel RPM to be effective with a flywheeler, since range is not particularly necessary. Thus you can rev up the flywheel only to about a third of its maximum RPM, and still be devastatingly effective in close quarters.

Multishot 1

Primary: Elite RoughCut 2x4
Secondary: Small single shot pistol (e.g. "Elite" Jolt, Elite Triad) or revolver (e.g. Elite Strongarm)
Gear: Dart pouch
Ammo: Suitable darts
Purpose: To provide rapid fire multishot provided by the RoughCut
Strengths: ROF, multishot, maneuverability, reloading while still loaded
Weaknesses: Accuracy, reloading
Description: The RoughCut is the first modern Nerf blaster to be able to fire multiple darts several times (ie 2 darts 4 times). The multishot ability makes it incredibly dangerous in CQC, and slam fire means you can take down several opponents quickly. The RoughCut does not have as many shots as a lot of blasters, being only 4 effective shots, so you'll need a decent backup blaster for while you reload.

Multishot/Vortex 2

Primary: Vortex Diatron
Secondary: Small single shot pistol (e.g. "Elite" Jolt, Elite Triad)
Gear: Dart/disc pouch
Ammo: Suitable darts/discs
Purpose: To provide high capacity multishot ability
Strengths: Multishot, reloading while still loaded, capacity, accuracy
Weaknesses: ROF is slightly lacking (lever action)
Description: The Diatron is the Vortex equivalent of the RoughCut, and has a higher capacity but lower ROF. Nevertheless, multishot ability is always incredibly dangerous in close quarters. Although the Diatron can't put out discs as fast as the RoughCut puts out darts, it can spew discs out for a little longer, potentially allowing for more hits on opponents and more effective suppression/blind potshot fire.

Nerf N-Strike vs Elite Round 3: Alpha Trooper CS-18 vs Elite Alpha Trooper CS-12

 A comparison of the two Alpha Troopers, the latter of which is my current favourite blaster.

Nerf N-Strike vs Elite Round 2: Firestrike (Aus version) vs Nitefinder EX-3 (EDITED 3/7/14)

The second round of Elite vs N-Strike will be their single shot equivalents, the Nitefinder and Firestrike.

EDIT 3/7/14: Having picked up a pair of non-freak Firestrikes, the comparison will be altered accordingly.

Comparison: Nerf N-Strike Alpha Trooper CS-18 vs Raider CS-35

A long overdue post.
This is a comparison of the two first slam-firing Nerf blasters ever.

Nerf Elite Comparison: Alpha Trooper CS-12 vs Retaliator (grey trigger)

I'll be comparing the Elite Alpha and the Retaliator, because of their similarities and ancestor, the Recon CS-6. That and so I can justify why you should get one over another.

Nerf Elite Triad EX-3 Usage Tips

Just some extra tips on my favourite single shot.

1. Take out the dart post. Using needle nose pliers, grasp the tip of the dart post in each barrel, twist and pull them off. Make sure to not bend the posts, otherwise darts may get stuck in the barrel. It allows you to use streamlines effectively. Trust me, I've actually won a TDM game with the Triad.
2. Always keep it topped up with darts. 3 darts isn't much, and you can run out of ammo very quickly especially when you're rapid firing the Triad. Also because of the 'intelligent' AR system, it doesn't matter which barrel you load.
3. When modding the Triad DO NOT take out the ARs. Unless you're planning to turn your Triad into a pocket shotgun, don't take out the ARs, as that can destroy the whole 'smart' firing system.
4. If you can't fit the Triad in your pocket, then make a holster. Link for how to make the holster is here. While the Triad does perform very well, it does not have the ROF or capacity to take on larger 'primary' blasters in a straight firefight, and hence you should use it as a backup blaster.
5. Take advantage of the Triad's high ROF. No other single shot blaster is capable of putting out several darts quickly. With the Triad's ROF, you can hold out against more than one opponent, which is near impossible with other single shots. Additionally, in a single shot vs single shot war, you can exploit the Triad's ROF by rushing after your opponent fires.
6. Do not use the Triad offensively against primary like blasters. Examples of such primary blasters are Elite ATs, Longshots and Retaliators. Although the Triad is superior to single shot pistols, capacity and ROF wise it is still inferior to most primary blasters. 3 shots in 2 seconds from the Triad is nothing compared to 12 shots in 2 seconds from an EAT, or 25 shots in ~5 seconds from a Rampage.
7. If you have the space/ability to wield two Triads, dual wield. Because Triads are easy to prime with just a single finger and have a very short priming stroke, they are much more suited to dual wielding than traditional blasters like the Maverick/Strongarm. Additionally dual wielding doubles your capacity and potential dart output, while not drastically decreasing accuracy or mobility. Triads are small enough to run, roll and fire comfortably even when dual wielded, and their low weight means they can be aimed effectively with one hand.

And... that's about it. 

I'll update this post as I discover more.

Elite Spectre REV-5

From this (presumably official) Nerf site: http://nerfpowerplay.sg/ (which is a Nerf Tournament site in SG)
I spotted this:

Nerf Elite Pinpoint Sight Review and Pic Spam

The N-Strike Pinpoint Sight was one of the most highly sought after accessories, due to the extreme tacticool of it being a red dot sight. The Elite Pinpoint Sight then came out, but so far has only been available in New Zealand and Singapore (and a few other countries, but notably NZ and SG). Thanks to Raiden at Nerf Canterbury on Facebook, I was able to get myself an EPPS.
Not a whole lot to say, so enjoy the pics and the short text.

Tek Recon Kickstarter/Pre Production Things

EDIT: This post is being used for archival purposes for everything before Tek Recon's official retail launch.

A lot of you will already have heard of Tek Recon, but some of you might not have. Basically they are super awesome looking and functional rubber band blasters. Like those ones you used in primary school (possibly secondary school and even Uni), except far cooler looking and far more functional.

EDIT 4/6/13: Tek Recon is fully funded!

Pictures of their first two blasters, the Hammerhead (pistol) and the Havok (rifle).

Slydev 4cm Nerf Rail, Nerf Rail Blank, Rail to Rail Connector Review

Yet another Slydev review, this time on some more general Tac Rail related pieces.

Modded Nerf Elite Alpha Trooper Range Test

I wasn't content with the EAT's meager 12m range, so I chucked in a BT V2 Retaliator/Rampage spring (http://black-tactical.com/store/weapon-accessories-foam-gun-parts-c-69_30/spring-for-nerf-elite-retailator-and-rampage-v2-p-4469) and took it for a test run.
Needless to say I was very happy.

Nerf Elite Alpha Trooper CS-12 Review (20m grey trigger Aus)

The N-Strike Alpha Trooper CS-18 was an extremely popular blaster, combining the compact design of the Recon with the slam fire of a Raider. It won over many hearts, notably Urban Taggers and myself. Naturally then, you can imagine the reaction when pictures of the Elite Alpha Trooper surfaced. Even among the Rapidstrike and Mega Centurion rumours, the EAT has maintained some hype. Does it live up to its high expectations?
For reference, since the EAT has so many similarities to the Retaliator and Alpha Trooper, I've linked their reviews.

Zecong Toys Photon Storm Review

IMPORTANT NOTE: The black foregrip seen on the Photon Storm IS NOT INCLUDED and IS NOT PART OF THE PHOTON STORM. It is a custom foregrip glued onto the Photon Storm.
Second NOTE: Any reference of "China-brand" is not a racial slur, rather a reference to the company's relative obscurity in Western countries, as well as its Chinese printed box art, bad English box art, and presumed location of the company in China.

The Photon Storm is a unique blaster from Zecong Toys (a China-brand). Unlike most other blasters, it is modeled seemingly after an M4 (or maybe an M16 or something, I don't know). It first started making waves in the NIC when SG Nerf got his hands on one, and from there has become highly sought after among those looking for awesome looking blasters. It is a semi auto flywheeler, and an incredibly simple one at that.

Nerf Elite Firestrike Review (grey trigger, 15m and 20m Aus) (EDITED 3/7/14)

IMPORTANT NOTE: The Firestrike you see in the pictures has been modified. The dart peg has been sliced off, which allows the use of Streamlines. This mod is not evident in the pictures besides the ones which look directly down the barrel.

The Elite Firestrike is the Elite-ified version of the classic N-Strike Nitefinder EX-3, incredibly popular due to price, power and accuracy, and mod capability. As the Nitefinder's natural successor, the Firestrike has had high expectations put on it. So does the Firestrike live up to expectations?

EDIT (3/7/14): I picked up a pair of non-freak Firestrikes, and so their performance will replace the freak Firestrike's performance.

Loadouts 7: Offence - Moar Rushing (2)

With all sorts of new blasters out now, the old loadouts needed some updating. I've started with rushing because I just got the Stryfe, an ideal blaster for rushing.
Scenario Description: Combat with high concentration of enemies. Player is playing offensively with intent to tag as many as possible, or tag specific player(s). May or may not have backup teammates, depending on situation, severity and importance. Generally will not involve game factors other than players. Player intends to run in and tag as many enemies as possible and may sacrifice themself.
Keys to Victory: Rate of fire is key. Range and accuracy not as important because the player will be close enough to opponents to ensure tags. Fearlessness is helpful, especially with the loadouts that involving running. Fitness is important as you will be running a lot as an offensive player.
Unnecessary Burdens: Sidearms. Normally an attack will end one of two ways: total victory (all or majority of enemies tagged, few or no allies tagged) or failure (few or no enemies tagged, all or most allies tagged). As a result, you will either be alive to reload your primary(ies), running away or returning to base to respawn, and thus have time to reload.

Clip (Mag) System 3
Primary: Elite Stryfe / Elite/N-Strike Rayven x 2 (dual wield, 18 dart clips [mags])
Secondary: Small single shot (e.g. Jolt, Elite Firestrike)
Gear: Anything that holds clips (mags), small dart/disc pouch
Ammo: 18 dart clips (mags), suitable ammo for secondary
Purpose: To make maximum use of the semi auto blasters provided by Nerf, by dual wielding
Strengths: ROF will be insane (combined ROF of two fast firing blasters), reloading clips (mags), ranges are decent
Weaknesses: Extremely vulnerable if both primaries are out of ammo, inaccurate, ranges drop from rapid fire, revving up to fire

Description: The Stryfe and Rayven are both semi auto flywheel clip (mag) system blasters. As such both have potential for high rates of fire, and are small and light allowing for running without heavy burden. Both characteristics are ideal for rushing. Although dual wielding blasters will reduce their accuracy, I feel that the added capacity, ROF and dart output is well worth it, especially for rushing where range and accuracy are not essential.

Multishot 1
Primary: Elite RoughCut 2x4
Secondary: Elite Stryfe / Elite/N-Strike Rayven (12/18 dart clips [mags])
Gear: Anything that holds clips (mags), dart pouch
Ammo: 12/18 dart clips (mags), darts for primary
Purpose: To make maximum use of the multishot capabilities of the RoughCut
Strengths: Dart output of RoughCut (slam-fire + multishot), secondary allows for more prolonged rapid fire, reloading (secondary)
Weaknesses: RoughCut only effectively has 4 shots, reloading (primary), accuracy (primary)
Description: The RoughCut is one of few blasters capable of firing more than one dart at a time, firing 2 at once from 8 barrels. Couple this double shot ability with the slam-fire from its pump action handle, and you have a blaster that can effectively output 8 darts in about a second. As noted by RoughCut users, the darts tend to swerve quite a lot when fired, meaning accuracy will be terrible. For a rusher though, the ability to fire out 2 darts at once and fire all 4 sets in about a second is very useful, meaning that you could easily take out 3 or 4 opponents with the RoughCut with the right timing and application of slam-fire. The RoughCut only effectively has 4 shots, so a backup blaster is needed. As a rusher, you are best off with fast firing and small clip (mag) system blasters, namely the Stryfe or Rayven. Between the RoughCut's multishot and a Stryfe/Rayven's clip (mag) system rapid fire you'll be able to take out 5 opponents or more within 30 seconds.

Vortex 1
Primary: Vortex Pyragon (40/20 disc drum/mag)
Secondary: Nothing/Small single shot (e.g. Elite Triad, Vortex Proton)
Gear: Vortex Ammo Belt or similar ammo holding device
Ammo: 10/20 disc mags, spare ammo for secondary
Purpose: To make maximise on the ridiculous slam-fire ability of the Pyragon
Strengths: Disc output during slam-fire, range, accuracy, reloading
Weaknesses: Vulnerability when mags are empty
Description: The Pyragon is so far the only Vortex blaster to slam-fire, and it pulls off slam-fire very well,
allowing a ROF of nearly 7dps when properly applied. This allows for a veritable storm of discs which even for extremely skilled persons would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to dodge. For longer ranged shots the Pyragon can be single fired for more effective suppression/potshot fire. In the even the Pyragon runs out of ammo, you could carry a secondary, but as a rusher it is much more likely you'll be tagged before running out of ammo if you are well supplied.