2014 Nerf Sum Up

 Apologies how late this post is, but a holiday will do that if you're unprepared.
As usual, Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays to all of you.Another year, another bunch of Nerf releases, some cool and some less cool. Let's get straight into it.

HFCBE: Nerf Elite Strongarm

The Strongarm is the first revolver to have slam-fire, and has a much better rotation mech than the Maverick. How fast can you empty its 6 dart cylinder?

Time: 1.000
No. darts: 6
Theoretical ROF: 5dps or 300dpm

For a revolver, very fast. Most slide primed revolvers are limited to around 2-3dps, so 5dps is quite impressive. The ROF is just one of the several reasons why the Strongarm is a great sidearm, and a good blaster overall.

Loadouts 13: Heavy Fire Support Part 2

I haven't done a Loadouts post in a while, so here's a new one.

Scenario Description: Close-mid range team based encounters. General engagement ranges ~7-12m. Player has taken the role of "Heavy", who typically carries larger blasters that are usually more spammable and ammo hungry.
Keys to Victory: Rapid fire blasters with reasonably high capacity, preferably easy to reload. Reasonable range - does not have to shoot particularly far. Must be able to effectively spray darts at opponents, idealistically suppressing or tagging them. Large amounts of ammo. Fearlessly spray opponents, even when under heavy attack.
Alternative primary blasters are those that inspire great fear into opponents and consume lots of ammo/particularly large ammo, such as large shotguns and rocket launchers.
You won't be too capable of run 'n' gunning thanks to the inherent bulk of your gear, but it's not hard to walk 'n' gun, and if you're prepared enough, running with all your gear shouldn't be too hard. Practice is the key to coping with all the stuff you're carrying.
Unnecessary Burdens: Trying to cut down on weight somewhere by minimising ammo or some other useful objects. Face it, if you want to be a "Heavy" you  are going to be carrying a lot of stuff. That is the entire point of your role. If you don't want to be carrying so much stuff you probably shouldn't be a Heavy.

Mod: Modular Underbarrel Demolisher System

One of the things I wanted most from the Demolisher was a detachable rocket launcher, because I like underbarrel grenade launchers. Sadly the stock Demolisher rocket launcher is permanently integrated, so I did it myself.

Review: Nerf Elite Strongarm (15/20m Aus grey trigger)

The Strongarm is the Elite line's cheap revolver blaster, taking the price point, role and shelf spot of the N-Strike Maverick. Many of the Elite blasters are greatly improved from the original N-Strike blasters. With the disappointment of the breakage prone Elite Spectre, how does the Strongarm stack up?

Mod: Bullpup Elite Alpha Trooper

I've been a bit preoccupied the past few weeks which is why there have been no new reviews, but hopefully this post will tie you guys over until I can get the next one done.

N-Strike vs Elite Round 6: Nerf Elite Strongarm vs N-Strike Maverick REV-6

Today's comparison is that of Nerf's N-Strike 6 dart revolvers. One, the seasoned veteran the Maverick, and the other, a very popular revolver from the Elite line, the Strongarm.

Pic Spam: Nerf Elite Rayven CS-18

I received an Elite Rayven from the US. It was already modified and did not include the Firefly clip (mag) or the GITD Elites, so I can't do a proper review. I then further modified it because I wanted to be able to use it. Nevertheless, I can still provide some nice pictures of the Elite Rayven, so here we go.
For reference here's the N-Strike Rayven's review. An out of box Elite Rayven should only be different in range and colour.

Review: Nerf Elite Spectre REV-5

The Elite Spectre REV-5 is an Elite remake of the old N-Strike Spectre REV-5. The N-Strike Spectre was welcomed as a decent blaster as it fixed many of the flaws that the other revolver, the Maverick, suffered from. However, the release of the Elite Strongarm has also solved many of the Maverick's problems, so does the Elite Spectre still have a place as an Elite revolver?

Review: Nerf Zombie Strike Sledgefire (grey trigger)

Now for a different Nerf line, here's a review of the Zombie Strike Sledgefire. Sorry it took so long to get this review done.

The Sledgefire was one of the two blasters in Zombie Strike's first wave back in late 2013. Like its partner the Hammershot, the Sledgefire is a completely new design rather than a modified version of an older blaster. Unlike every other Nerf blaster though, the Sledgefire uses shells to allow for fast reloading of multiple darts. This concept has been around for a while, primarily from Buzz Bee, but has had mixed opinions. Some like the novelty/realism factor of the shells, while others hated how they drastically increased reloading time. So how does the Sledgefire stack up as a shell using blaster?

Game Report 17/10/14

Last game of the year with Tag Recon, as the Uni semester is finishing and exams are coming.

Review: Nerf Elite XD Demolisher 2 in 1 (22m grey trigger Aus)

The Demolisher 2 in 1 is one of the first Elite blasters to be released in the "XD" line, which claims to have 22m range here in Aus, as opposed to the old 20m range claim. So does the Demo live up to this claim?

Nerf Elite Comparison: XD Demolisher vs Rapidstrike CS-18

This is probably one of the most relevant comparisons right now, with the recent(ish) release of the Demolisher.

Pic Spam: Nerf N-Strike Longshot CS-6 (Blue)

Among other things, I received a blue Longshot from the US. I'm not going to review it since I already reviewed the yellow Longshot here, but I can give you all sorts of pretty pictures of the blue.
Note that the blue Longshot retail package contains 2 yellow 6 dart clips (mags), while the yellow Longshot contains just 1 orange 6 dart clip (mag).
As far as I'm aware, the blue Longshot never made it to Australia for retail, hence its high value among Aussies.

Game Report 12/9/14, 19/9/14

Report on two weeks of Tag Recon games.

HFCBE: Nerf Elite XD Demolisher 2 in 1

I do have a Demo review in the works, it'll take a couple days to get all the pictures and type it all up, but in the meantime here's a video of how fast you can empty a Demo.

Time: 1.833
No. darts: 18
ROF: 9.27dps or 556.5dpm

The Demolisher is the only blaster I've used so far that gets a ROF anywhere near that of a Magstrike, which is impressive considering the Demo is semi auto. It beats both the Stryfe and Rayven, though I've yet to test the Rayven with trigger mods for a smoother/easier trigger pull.

Review: Buzz Bee Extreme Air Max 1

While Nerf has seemngly forsaken the air tank/bladder in favour of the springer and flywheeler, Buzz Bee is here to save the day with their Air Max line of air tanked dart blasters. The smallest of these is the Air Max 1, formerly known as the Panther.
Once again, many thanks to Buzz Bee Toys for sending the Air Max blasters to me for review! These are US release blasters, I believe most of the world gets weaker blasters, and from what I've been told Australia isn't getting a regular retail release of Air Max blasters at all.

Game Report 5/9/14

This will be the last Tag Recon game I report on right after the event. The next ones will probably be condensed into once a fortnight or something. I should have a new review up before then though.

Game Report 3/9/14

Yeah, these things are pretty much weekly/twice weekly now. And as always with Tag Recon.

Game Report 29/8/14

Another game with the guys at Tag Recon.

"Koosh" Darts Review and Testing

 

The "Koosh" dart is one of the few aftermarket non-homemade darts that is popular and recommended in many Nerf circles. It has gained popularity in many groups that use stock darts. So should you use Koosh darts over your stock of Elite darts?

Just as a quick note, "Koosh" is not their actual name. These darts have no "official" name and have no known company producing them. The name "Koosh" was given to it by members of the NIC for reasons I do not know.

Game Report 13/8/14

Another report from a game with the guys at Tag Recon.

Review: Buzz Bee Extreme Blastzooka + Internals

We are proud to be able to present a review on Buzz Bee's new Extreme Blastzooka!
This unit was sent to us by Buzz Bee Toys, many thanks to them for that. Note that them sending this unit for review will not taint the review in any way.

Summary of Recent Happenings

Thought you guys would like to know some of the stuff that's been going on recently.
There's a couple of things, including a game report of a small game on 30/7/14, a look at some of my recent acquisitions, and just general news on what's happening.

Review: Nerf Elite Rapidstrike CS-18 (20m grey trigger Aus)

The Rapidstrike CS-18 was one of the most exciting Nerf releases of 2013 for many. Since the Stampede of 2010, there weren't any other similar "assault rifle" styled full auto blasters, and some people were modding their N-Strike Rayvens to be full auto. And of course, even from the initial leaked pictures, the Rapidstrike looked like a beast.
So does the Rapidstrike live up to all of its hype?

N-Strike vs Elite Round 5: Elite Rapidstrike CS-18 vs N-Strike Stampede ECS

Today's comparison post will be of Nerf's two full-auto clip (mag) system blasters. Hopefully this will keep you guys occupied until I get my Rapidstrike review done.

HFCBE: Nerf Elite Rapidstrike CS-18 (stock)

Nerf claims the Rapidstrike can empty an 18 clip (mag) in 5.62 seconds. I put that claim to the test in a quick video.

Batteries: 4 x Toys 'R' Us branded C batteries
Time: 4.923
No. darts: 18
ROF: 3.45dps or 207.2dpm

So yes, the Rapidstrike can achieve the claimed ROF. Considering Nerf's recent track record with performance claims, this is a surprise, and a good one at that.

Mod: Shortened Retaliator Barrel

This one's purely for tacticool, since it's been pretty well established that Nerf faux barrel are typically more detrimental to performance than helpful.

This shortened barrel is pretty easy to make. Just cut a regular Retaliator barrel down the middle, just in front of the screw ports. Then add useless tacticool things to make it look cooler. In my case I added barrel's iron sight and the muzzle from an Alpha Trooper.
One important feature I kept was the bottom tactical rail. Because of the blocks that usually keep a grip forward, these blocks now serve to keep attachments from falling off, since the usual tactical rail lock has had to be removed.
More pics after the break.

Review: Nerf Mega Magnus (22m grey trigger)

Today's review, the Nerf (N-Strike Elite) Mega Magnus.

The Magnus is just the second blaster in the Mega line, yet the Mega line has already had a heap of press. Originally with claimed 100ft ranges and the longest blaster ever, the Centurion, the Mega line had a lot of people excited, only to shatter most people's dreams when people actually got a hold of the Centurion. Flimsy and squishy darts, hopeless accuracy, constant jamming and dart shredding, and with no consistency whatsoever, the Centurion was possibly the biggest modern Nerf failure ever. The Magnus has a lot to prove then, so how does it fare?

Nerf Rebelle Wrist Quiver

 So this is apparently a new thing for Rebelle.

Yep, an armband type thing that holds a few darts and the decoder for the Secrets and Spies subline.
Found for 8AUD at BigW.

Left Handed Sweet Revenge Holster

The Rebelle Sweet Revenge comes with its own cheap plastic holster. Unfortunately for lefties and dual wielders, the holster only supports right handed holstering. Though left handers are a minority of the population, being right side only compatible means that you have to go out and buy a left handed holster just to dual wield Sweet Revenges. So I set out to fix that.

Behold, the terribly cheap, messy, ugly and terrible mod to make your Sweet Revenge holster left handed.

Dual Wield Time!

Today I went off to BigW to take advantage of a 10% off coupon. The two things I had any interest in there were the Sweet Revenge Kit and the Mega Magnus.
The SR naturally gives me the ability to dual wield , since I already have one, and is also ideal for the Nerf group at Uni, since revolvers are great for newbies.
On the other hand, the Magnus was cheaper, and also new to me as I haven't gotten any Mega blasters yet (no way am I getting a Failturion). It also packs more power and better modability thanks to its huge direct plunger. Not to mention the awesomeness of firing huge darts.

So the winner of this contest? Well...

A wild Zombie Strike Longshot appears!

Thanks to Basic Nerf for the post, a new ZS blaster!
Normally I don't post new blaster posts, but I thought this one deserved it.

Source link: http://www.smythstoys.com/nerf-251sc/nerf-zombie-strike-longshot-136151itm.aspx?qwSessionID=7e3d20de-e870-44a7-b4ce-93374c0aaa6e

True Flat Ranges to Come!

So some time ago I posted that my ranges were not true flat. But behold!

Future ranges will all be "true flat". I may go and revise past ranges, provided those blasters are still stock.

Just as an example of true flat vs perceived flat ranges, here are some numbers.
(blaster, true flat, perceived flat)
EAT, ~20m, ~25m
W/O Longstrike, 12-13m, 15m
Retal 1, 15-20m, ~20-25m
Retal 2, 18-20m, ~25-30m
Stryfe, 16-17m, ~20m
Sweet Revenge, 17m, 17m

Note that of all the blasters tested, the only one that was actually held flat before the level was the Sweet Revenge, the only blaster that was held like a pistol.
Thanks to trig, I've also determined that for clip (mag) system blasters with the Stockade stock, I naturally hold the blaster 9.65 degrees above the horizontal.

Conclusion? I'm a scumbag for giving non-flat ranges, yet asserting that they were flat. Sorry about that.
Future ranges will be true flat as they will be measured using the above device. Of the past ranges I've given, the ones for pistol type blasters are probably more accurate than the ones I've given for larger blasters, since I seem to hold pistol blasters more level than larger blasters.

Nerf N-Strike vs Elite Round 4: Nerf Elite Stockade vs Nerf N-Strike Barricade RV-10

Today's comparison will be of one of the first Elite blasters released, and one of the later N-Strike blasters.

Nerf Elite Stockade Review (15m Aus grey trigger)

Behold, my first review in ages! This review will be of one of the first Elites to be released, and like a lot of the early Elites, it is a remake of an N-Strike blaster.

The Stockade is a remake of the N-Strike Barricade. Unlike some of the other Elite remakes, the Stockade includes its own unique accessory that the Barricade didn't have, a stock. Besides that stock though, the Stockade is the same as the other Elite remakes, with a near identical shell and new internals.
Due to their similarities, consider reading my review of the Barricade.

Comparison: Nerf Rebelle Sweet Revenge vs Nerf Dart Tag Snapfire 8

This post is a somewhat overdue one, but hopefully will entertain you guys long enough to get my Stockade review done. It's a comparison of Nerf's two one-handable revolvers, the Snapfire and the Sweet Revenge/Hammershot.

For the most part the Sweet Revenge will also serve as a good indicator of the Zombie Strike Hammershot for this comparison.

Loadouts 12: Personal Loadouts 3

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

B'day Presents 2014

It's that time of year again.
Stuff I got:

• Elite Stockade (mainly for the stock)
• Zombie Strike Sledgefire (added 13/4/14)
• Some Elite darts
• A new wallet
• Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright (3DS game)
• Lego Star Wars Kashyyyk Troopers (75035)
• Lego Star Wars Droid Gunship (75042)
• MONEYYYYYYY

Not much Nerf stuff this time round. My mum thinks I have too many blasters so I haven't been getting much new stuff recently.

BOOMco. Line to Come to Australia

I emailed Mattel regarding whether or not the BOOMco. blasters would come to Australia, and this was the response:

So look out for the BOOMco. blasters later this year. I asked if they had any estimated retail prices, but as in the email, they have no details on that at the moment.

New Mattel BOOMco. Line

It seems Mattel wants to get back in on the blaster action. With the old but legendary Mattel Ultimator with supposed 120ft ranges being the last notable/memorable Mattel blaster, they're finally coming back in 2014 with the BOOMco. line of blasters. They're trying to compete with the Elite line, with claimed 70ft ranges.

Props to Buffdaddy Nerf for compiling all of the information so far into a single post.

Boom Co. does have a website at http://www.boom-co.com/comingsoon but there's not much besides a video.

This is the "Clipfire", a small single shot pistol with a claimed range of 60ft. Seems pretty standard.
  

These are "Farshot" blasters, with the double pack being called "Dual Defenders". These seem to be ordinary slide action single shots, with dart storage in the handles supposedly.

Now this is one I'm excited for, the "Rapid Madness". A twenty dart clip and a pump? Looks to be the new Magstrike, and judging by the video on the website, it is the new Magstrike. Probably the most expensive of the lot, but for me definitely the most exciting.

The last of the non-watermarked images, the "Twisted Spinner". Due to lack of a trigger, it seems to be perma slamfire, and judging by the video the turret spins around a lot before reaching the next dart. Cool, but impractical.

A better picture of the clip and darts. These darts look longer and thinner than Nerf dart, so probably no compatability there, which is a shame. The tips have been designed to stick to the provided targets, and nothing else. Also note the ribbing just beneath the head of the darts. The clip looks pretty similar in design to the Magstrike mag.

Also to note, the grey handguard looking shell pieces actually flip up to form shields which the darts are meant to stick to.

The following images are watermarked, and probably weren't for public distribution, but they managed to sneak out anyway.

Modified Nerf Big Bad Bow Overview (video)

It's been a while since my last video (or post for that matter) so I thought I'd make a video looking at my modded Big Bad Bow (BBB).

Custom Tactical Rail Laser Attachment

I made this very quickly and easily, using the Longstrike's sight base and a laser I took from another toy gun. Add some hot glue, and you have a quick and very easy tac rail laser attachment.
Obviously being attached to Nerf blasters, the laser has no use except in extremely low light close quarters where the laser dot can actually be seen and used.

This particular laser unit has a simple on/off switch rather than a push button.

On a few different blasters. It certainly looks cool, but it only has use when you can clearly see the laser dot, and that only really occurs in very low light (such as night time) and in close quarters (where darts have not yet dropped significantly). Not to mention laser light that is too intense can cause serious damage to human eyeballs if shined directly into them. For these reasons this laser attachment is both impractical and unsafe for game use. Use it for tacticool photo shoots and fun, but don't use it in a Nerf war.

SOFT: Orange vs Grey Trigger Magni Range Test

Crispy over at SOFT has provided us with a range comparison of the orange and grey triggered Magni. See for yourself the results:

Nerf Elite Roughcut 2x4 Review (20m Aus grey trigger, White paintjob)

I present to you a review of one of Nerf's few shotguns, the Elite Roughcut 2x4, in its Psuedo-Whiteout (henceforth called "White") paintjob no less!

Nerf Rebelle Sweet Revenge Review (20m Aus grey trigger)

This will be a review of the Rebelle Sweet Revenge (Kit), formerly known as the Wildshot. Along with its brother the Hammershot, the Sweet Revenge (SR) is a hammer action revolver that was highly anticipated since its unveiling. So just how good is this new revolver?

NOTE: Since the Sweet Revenge and Hammershot are effectively the same blaster, this review can apply in most respects to the Hammershot as well.