Review: Gavinfuzzy Retaliator Pump Grip

Probably the biggest flaw holding back the Retaliator is its awkward top slide prime. Not only is it relatively uncomfortable (compared to most preferred priming mechanisms), but it's also a relatively awkward motion and gets in the way of aiming. The solution to this problem is, naturally, to convert the Retaliator to a pump action, and the included barrel piece is a perfect mounting platform. Gavinfuzzy Customs provides one such pump grip.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Loadouts 6: Personal Loadouts Part 1

Although there have been a large number of loadouts already featured previously, none of them have actually been designed specifically for ourselves, but rather for an ordinary Nerfer. Some of these may suit some of you out there, but chances are you'll have to tweak them slightly for your own needs.

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

Clip (Mag) System 1 (General use)

Primary: N-Strike Alpha Trooper CS-18 (Pinpoint Sight, Retal/Barricade stock, 12/18 dart clip [mag], Secret Strike Pocket Shotgun on custom side tac rail, no AR, OMW spring)
Secondary: Spectre REV-5/Snapfire 8/Elite Firestrike
Gear: N-Strike Tactical Vest
Ammo: 12/18 dart clips (mag), 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
Weaknesses: Accuracy (unless use of stefans, primary specific), primary is useless while reloading, reloading Firestrike
Description: It's no secret that the AT is my go-to blaster and one of my all-time favourites, so it's only fitting that it features first. The AT is somewhat low profile, has slam-fire, a great stock seal and great ranges, as well as a decent amount of customisation. Accuracy is somewhat lacking, but because everyone uses clip (mag) system blasters it's not a disadvantage. The SSPS is for backup shots, and I rarely use it (which is good), but it has been very helpful. The secondary is for use when I lack the ability to reload my clips (mags) when they're empty. Expect an update on this loadout when I get an Elite AT.

Clip (Mags) System 2 (General use)

Primary: N-Strike Rayven CS-18 (whatever attachments I feel like, 12/18 dart clips [mags], 2 or 3 14500s, rewired)
Secondary: Spectre REV-5/Snapfire 8/Elite Firestrike
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, reloading Firestrike
Description: Besides the AT, the only other CS blaster I would consider using that I have used (until my Longshot gets fixed up) is the Rayven (and to a certain extent, the Retaliator). No other blaster I've used has had the same blend of range, ROF, spammability and awesome factor, which is provided by flywheeling goodness. In particular, the Stryfe also offers what I consider to be the greatest tacticool potential of any blaster so far, featuring a stock attachment point, barrel extension muzzle, 2 tac rails (one on top, one on bottom) and clip (mag) compatability. Despite having to rev up (which I consider to be a firing delay) I still find the Rayven and its cousins to be really fun to use. Admittedly as of writing this post I've only used the N-Strike Rayven, but the Elite Rayven is essentially the same (if not better), and many, many people say the Stryfe is awesome so expect an update of this loadout in the future.

Clip (Mag) System 3 (WIP, Sniper)

Primary: N-Strike Longshot CS-6 (brass breech [which must be fixed], +AT spring, whatever tacticool I feel like, 12 dart clips [mags])
Secondary: Spectre REV-5/Snapfire 8
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: My current Longshot has been brass breeched badly, and is not getting the range or accuracy it should. I intend to rectify this ASAP by getting replacement brass, allowing it to reach maximum potential. Longshots are reknowned for their huge plunger tubes which result in awesome ranges with strong springs and good stefans, and I intend to use a somewhat watered down version more suitable to my wars. The Longshot's one key weakness is lack of ROF, which most other clip (mag) system blasters have, but the sheer power of the Longshot gives it an advantage to hide its disadvantage. A special feature of using a brass breech is that you can double or even triple feed, yet have all the darts leave the barrel at a reasonable velocity (obviously reduced from a single shot but still usable), effectively turning the Longshot into a shotgun. This sort of makes up for the lack of ROF, in that multi-shots can be just as deadly in close quarters as rapid fire.

Clip (Mag) System 4 (CQC)

Primary: Elite Retaliator (no attachment or just Retal stock, 12 dart clip [mag])
Secondary: Elite Jolt
Gear: None
Ammo: 12 dart clips (mags), Elite darts/stefans
Purpose: To allow for maneuverability in close quarters while still providing good blasting ability
Strengths: Range (primary), reloading, ROF, extremely light, maneuverability
Weaknesses: Vulnerability when reloading, accuracy (with Elite darts)
Description: A number of the wars I have are hosted in a house, so ranges aren't totally necessary and maneuverability is much more important. Thus I crafted this super easy to get loadout which is powerful and rapid fire, but light and small so I don't knock any walls or doorframes, chairs, vases etc. The Retal gets good ranges and can fire reasonably quickly when required, and is light and easily maneuverable. The Jolt and spare 12 clip(s) (mags) fit easily in a number of pockets in my various pants, so I have no need for the tac vest. Also because most of these battles are quite short, I have no need to scavange darts and store them for future use.
This loadout is not too well suited for larger wars I have at the playgrounds you see in many of my war vids, because one of my Retals is stock, and the other only lightly modded and thus lack the range of the above blasters, and the Elite Jolt is not powerful compared to say, my Firestrike.

Vortex 1 (General Use)
Primary: Vortex Pyragon (40 disc drum)
Secondary: Spectre REV-5/Snapfire 8/Elite Firestrike
Gear: Vortex Ammo Belt
Ammo: 10 disc mags, darts for secondary

Purpose: To provide high range and accuracy which can be spammed about, and make maximum use of Vortex discs
Strengths: Range (primary), reloading, blaster can still be loaded when reloading, accuracy, capacity (primary)
Weaknesses: Discs vulnerable to wind and rain, discs curve, reloading Firestrike
Description: The Pyragon is widely accepted as the best Vortex blaster so far, boasting a ridiculous capacity of 40 discs in a huge drum, ranges beyond that of ordinary vortex, consistent disc curving (and thus accuracy) and an insane ROF of nearly 7 discs per second. I've used this to great effect, once taking out an entire team on my own with Pyragon slam fire, which won us the game (it was CTF). The secondary is merely for dart usage, since Vortex is still far inferior in terms of appearance on the battlefield.



Single Shot 1 (Sniper)
Primary: Avengers Hawkeye Bow (modded to fire darts)

Secondary: Elite Stryfe (12/18 dart clip [mag], on bandolier, 2 or 3 14500s, rewired)
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: The idea of being a sniper is that you can hit your opponents from ranges that their blasters cannot reach. With the BBB's huge plunger tube, this is easy with some simple mods. With high power single shots also comes a slow reload time, so for close quarter battles or for when the BBB is not loaded, the Stryfe can be pulled out to deliver a small wall of foam into your opponent's face at a reasonably close range. Notice that the strengths and weaknesses of the blasters are contrasting, so as to provide maximum scenario coverage.

2012 Nerf Sum Up

To conclude an exciting and awesome year, Outback Nerf wishes you a late Merry Christmas (or Happy Holidays if you don't celebrate Christmas) and a Happy New Year, and also wants to congratulate you on surviving the highly anticlimactic and scientifically incorrect 2012 Mayan Apocalypse. Wait. Something's missing. Yes, the 2012 Nerf Sum-Up, where we sumarise all the new Nerf products released this year.

First up, the biggest and possibly best major Nerf release so far, the N-Strike Elite line.

N-Strike Elite

Ever since Urban Taggers first discovered the box art of the NSE(N-Strike Elite) Retaliator and the Rampage, Nerf's Elite series was the main hype of 2012, and it still is now. When initial images surfaced it appeared the Elite line was taking ordinary N-Strike blasters and making them awesome. It is now evident that this is both true and false - Elite is taking some N-Strike designs and awesome-ing them, but is also introducing all new designs, spearheaded in 2012 by the Hail-Fire. The line advertises to shoot up to 75ft/22m (approximently) and are mainly blue in colour with orange, white and grey highlights. Everyone was also introduced to new concepts in Nerf, like direct plungers fitted into old shells, new revovler tech (Strongarm's unique rotating mech), and new flywheel-tech. The Elite clips (mags) also became special because of new styling as well as a new primary feature: their right side is transparent, allowing people to easily see their remaining ammo, which is also helpful when filling/refilling clips (mags). Unfortunately because the right side is transparent, only left handers can make maximum use of this feature,while right handers (the majority of the human population) cannot see their capacity. Nevertheless, they look awesome.

Unfortunately, the countries with really strict toy firearm laws (like Australia) have to receive detuned units, identified by grey-triggers. The detuned versions advertise to shoot 15m (approx. 50ft).

Retaliator ('Elitified' Recon)
Ranges: 50-60ft (15-18m). About 2/3rds of the power for detuned ones, although mine seems pretty powerful getting 14m.
ROF: About 2-3dps. No slam fire.
Accuracy: Decent without barrel, good with barrel.
Capacity: 12 in included clip (mag)
Accessories: Barrel, stock, foregrip, 12 clip (mag), 12 darts

Rampage ('Elitified' Raider)
Ranges: 50-60ft (15-18m). About 2/3rds of the power for detuned ones.
ROF: About 2-3dps on single fire. Can achieve up to 5dps, possibly more depending on user (slam fire)
Accuracy: Very good at 10-12m. Flies off to the sides after aprox. 13-15m
Capacity: 25 in included drum
Accessories: 25 drum, 25 darts

Hail-Fire
Ranges: 45-55ft (13-17m). About 2/3rds of the power for detuned ones.
ROF: Can achieve up to 4-5dps and more dependant on user's trigger finger (semi auto)
Accuracy: Decent, but you don't use a Hail-Fire for accuracy.
Capacity: 24 in included clips (mags) (4x6 clips [mags]), value pack holds 48 (8x6 clips [mags]), can hold up to 144 (8x18 clips [mags])
Accessories: 4x6 clips (mags), 24 darts, various Hail-Fire parts (assembly required)

Stockade (Release only for countries outside US in 2012)
Ranges: 50-60ft (15m). About 2/3rds the power for detuned version.
ROF: Can achieve up to 4-5dps (semi auto).
Accuracy: Decent, much better than Barricade.
Capacity: 20. 10 in blaster, 10 in stock. Only comes with 10 darts.
Accessories: Stock, 10 darts

Additionally the Elite line had an updated Tactical Vest, with the blaster holster being designed to hold the upcoming Elite Firestrike, but otherwise being pretty much the same as the N-Strike Tac Vest.

To complement the Elite blasters, Nerf also redesigned the highly popular 18 clip (mag), and released it in its own blister package.

Nerf released a Hailfire Upgrade kit which basically has 4 more 6 clips (mags) to fill up the Hailfire.

Nerf rereleased the good old Bandolier, this time in Elite styling. It is essentially the same as the N-Strike Bandolier, but comes with Elite stuff and is slightly shorter and thinner.

In 2013 we have a number of Elite blasters to look forward to, some of which are already available in the US. This includes the Firestrike (Elite NF), Strongarm (Elite Mav/Spectre hybrid), Triad (3 shot Jolt), Elite coloured and more powerful Jolts and Reflexes with new designs, the Rough Cut 2x4 (multishot double barrel shotgun) and the Stryfe (redesigned Rayven) as well as an Elite Rayven.

Light It Up Series:
The Light It Up series was officially released on the 3rd of March, 2012 (3/3/12) and its blasters, besides having fluoro green colour have glow in the dark ammo, which is 'charged' by special mags/clips (mags). While the Lumitron is merely a repaint of the then favourite Vortex blaster, the Praxis, the Rayven was an all new design which became popular for its rapid fire and potentially ridiculous ranges capabilities.

Vortex Lumitron
Ranges: 15-18m (aprox. 50-60ft)
ROF: Up to 3dps. No slam-fire.
Accuracy: Good.
Capacity: 10 in light-up mag
Accessories: 10 disc light up mag, 10 GITD discs

N-Strike Rayven CS-18
Ranges: 11-12m (approx 36-40ft)
ROF: Up to 6-8dps, dependant on user's trigger finger (semi auto).
Accuracy: Decent for a CS blaster.
Capacity: 18 in light-up mag.
Accessories: 18 dart light up mag, 18 GITD darts

Vortex
The Vortex line received an extra addition, the Pyragon. Sporting a 40 disc drum and slam fire, as well as slightly better ranges, the Pyragon quickly became a fan favourite among Nerfers.

2013 holds only one known Vortex release, the Diatron. It comes in the same awesome colour scheme as the Pyragon, and fires 2 discs at a time, and holds up to 10 discs.

The Pyragon
Ranges: 16m-20m (unusually good, even for Vortex)
ROF: Up to 8dps, dependant on user (slam fire).
Accuracy: Excellent. Curves less than other Vortex blasters.
Capacity: 40 in drum mag
Accessories: 40 disc drum, 40 discs

As a Vortex counterpart to the N-Strike/Elite Tactical Vest, Nerf also suprised us with the Vortex Ammo Belt Kit, with never-before-seen mag holders and some other awesome stuff that comes with the kit.

Dart Tag.
We Aussies also finally got the 2011 Dart Tag blasters, but with strange new BLUE triggers. The models with blue triggers have been shown to be more powerful than their standard orange trigger models, with stronger springs in all. Of course, the downside is that the electronic blasters (Swarmfire, Speedswarm) have reduced ROFs because of the extra load on the motors.

The National Dart Tag League (US) was also not held this year for some reason, though possibly to put more emphasis on the Elite line.

The non-flywheel Snapfire 8 also sneaked onto Aussie shelves, giving us a whole new concept about semi-auto blaster as well as a variable power system allowing for easier trigger pulls but lower ranges, or harder trigger pulls and higher ranges. It has now become a popular sidearm for many because of its semi auto capabilities, decent sidearm capacity and firepower, and of course its small size. It is slated to have a 2013 release in the US.

Ranges: 9-10m (speed mode), 11-13m (power mode)
Accuracy: Decent, not great
ROF: 2-3dps attainable, any more taxes the fingers and risks misfires (semi auto)
Capacity: 8 in turret
Accessories: 8 darts

Sonic Series
The most popular 2011 Vortex blasters (The Vigilon,Proton,Praxis) were also given a green reshell to compliment the other blasters.
-Sonic Praxis
Nerf Wikia pics
-Sonic Vigilon
Nerf Wikia pics
-Sonic Proton
Nerf Wikia pics

Super Soaker
We also got the 2 other motorised Super Soakers: the Lightningstorm(Thunderstorm repaint with better accessories) and the Electrostorm.
-Electrostorm
Nerf Wikia Review
-Lightningstorm
Nerf Wikia Review

Other
The were also the new promotional blasters:
-The Ninja Commando Blaster (Red Furyfire),
-And the Hawkeye Big Bad Bow (Rerelease Purple BBB)

All in all, 2012 was a great year for Nerf, with the release of some of the best blasters you can get from the Elite line, and the best Vortex blaster so far. 2013 looks to be good for Nerf as well, with so many new Elite blasters and the new 'Multishot Madness' series (with particular interest from this blog's authors in the Elite Stryfe and Triad).

Comparison: Elite vs N-Strike Part 1.5: Retaliator vs Alpha Trooper CS-18

Because the Recon was such a bad match for the Retaliator, I decided to make this post. It won't count towards the Elite vs N-Strike score because the Retaliator isn't an Elite AT, but it might help those of you trying to pick a new blaster to buy.

Loadouts 5: Sniping

On smaller play areas, pretty much all Nerf blasters can fire the greatest engagement ranges required. However, on larger play fields ordinary Nerf blasters cannot fire far enough to reach most of the field. This is where snipers and modded blasters come into play, which can fire much further than ordinary blasters and with greater accuracy. There are few true sniper blasters, but those included in this loadouts post are the ones I feel are most suited to the task. Note that I have not included airguns which are extremely powerful (e.g. Titan, 4B) as they require stefans to really shine. Stock darts just get ripped apart, but the listed blasters can do well with stock darts.
Note also that where there is a "(m)" before the blaster's name, it means that the blaster must be modified to be an effective sniper.
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.

Nerf N-Strike vs Elite Round 1: Retaliator (Aus version) vs Recon CS-6

This post starts off a series of ongoing posts in which I compare the original N-Strike blasters to their updated Elite versions. Expect the Elite version to win, but more importantly note the differences between them.

For the first ever Elite vs N-Strike post, we'll be comparing the 'basic' blasters of the Retaliator (Aus version) and Recon.

Nerf Elite Retaliator Review (15m Aussie version)

I am proud to present the review for the Retaliator, but unfortunately I can only present the downtuned Australian version, approximately 50% weaker than the US version.

The Elite line was revealed to have claimed "75ft ranges" (approx 23m), which naturally people were skeptical of, because N-Strike's claimed ranges were a meager 35ft (approx 10.7m). The first two blasters, the Retaliator and Rampage, were shown to look similar, if not almost completely identical, to current N-Strike blasters, the Recon and Raider respectively. It became completely obvious that the Elite blasters initially revealed could not simply be Recons and Raiders with bigger springs, because not only would they reach not as spectacular ranges, but they would also not be kid friendly. Thus it was speculated that Nerf had managed to fit direct plungers into the Elite blasters, and when SG Nerf got his hands on a Rampage, he showed the new, awesome direct plunger being used instead of the reverse plungers of N-Strike blasters.

Initial range tests showed that the blasters got around 50-60ft flat, and could achieve the 75ft ranges angled. Additionally, it was shown that Elite darts are a great help for many stock blasters, increasing range and accuracy compared to Streamlines. Nevertheless, Nerf started revealing new blasters with awesome performance, and Elite suddenly became a massive hit.

I personally went for the Retaliator over the others currently available (the Rampage, Hail-Fire and Stockade) for several reasons:

1. I dislike the Raider design, and as the Rampage uses the Raider shell I'm unlikely to get it.
2. The Hail-Fire looks weird because of its proportions, and I just don't see a use for it except for spraying 144 darts.
3. The Stockade is a redone Barricade and I'm not a fan of Barricades, although the Stockade stock is awesome.
4. The Recon was the blasters that got me in to Nerf, and I've always liked the design. Because the Retaliator is a re-done Recon it follows naturally that I'd love it.

Now, on to the bulk of the review.

Loadouts 1: CQC 1

This is an ongoing set of posts, inspired by Street Tag Warfare's post here and Awesomely Nerf's page here.
In these posts I will have a small set of blasters, their purpose, their strengths and their weaknesses along with pictures.

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.

Basic Nerf Receives Elite Stuff

Basic Nerf received their Elite gear, consisting of a Retaliator, Rampage and some extras.
Vids: