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.

Aesthetics:
Both the AT and EAT share a shell design, but IMO the EAT looks better because of the blue, and the white stripe.But of course, no scoring here.
Accessories:
The AT comes with itself, an 18 dart drum, 18 Streamlines and some instructions.
The EAT comes with itself, a 12 dart clip (mag), 12 Elites and some instructions.
Obviously the AT wins.
Range/Power:
The AT can get anywhere between 9-12m, but most consistently around 10m.
The EAT gets 11-12m consistently.
The EAT barely wins this round.
Accuracy:
The AT, with Streamlines, has somewhat erratic accuracy, although is better than most other clip (mag) system blasters. Hitting a human target at 10m is likely but not guaranteed.
The EAT is surprisingly accurate partly thanks to the Elite darts, possible partly thanks to the rifling (but unlikely), and partly due to the firing mechanism. Hitting a human target at 10m is practically guaranteed.
The EAT wins this round.
Usability:
The AT and EAT, sharing the same shell and general design both are quite easy to fire, slam fire, reload and rarely, if ever, jam. The EAT and AT differ in one main aspect in usability - their respective clip (mag)/drum. The EAT uses a 12 dart clip (mag), which as a straight clip (mag) is capable of feeding darts quite fast, and pretty much never jams up. The AT uses an 18 dart drum, which like its bigger brother the 35 dart drum has a tendency to weaken over time. I speak from experience - I have four and all of them have weakened. They also have a much greater chance of jamming up or misfeeding, and because of that the EAT wins this round.
Rate of Fire:
The AT and EAT have identical designs, and thus equal ROF.
Capacity:
The AT holds 18 darts, while the EAT holds 12.
Obviously the AT wins here.
Value for Money/Availability:
Both the AT and EAT are Target exclusives, available for $29 AUD. The AT's higher capacity would normally give it the edge despite the EAT's slightly better blasting ability, but the 18 dart drum's misfeeding rate and its tendency to weaken over time make this round a draw.

Overall the N-Strike Alpha Trooper CS-18 has won 2 rounds, the Elite Alpha Trooper CS-12 3, with 2 ties. Thus the Elite Alpha Trooper is the superior Alpha, although barely. Either blaster is a great choice for ordinary Nerfer, but for the hardcore modder the EAT has a direct plunger vs the AT's reverse plunger, so the EAT is the better choice in that respect.

After the third Elite vs N-Strike post, the score is:
Elite: 3 -- N-Strike: 0
Although to be honest, a more accurate score would be 2.2-0.8 since the last two rounds have been really close.

After the alteration of a previous Elite vs N-Strike post, the score is:
Elite: 2 -- N-Strike:1