Nerf N-Strike Elite Nerf Cam ECS-12 Preview

The latest news regarding the Nerf blasters of 2014 is the Nerf N-Strike Elite Cam ECS-12 and just like the Demolisher this looks like another sweet addition to any Nerfers arsenal.

Engadget has reported that the newest Nerf blaster to be shown at the upcoming toy fairs will feature a 1.77 inch 0.3 mega pixel camera build into the tactical rail.  It will come packaged with a 4gb SD card for on the go capture of battle without the need for the rail app attachment.  The camera also features cross hairs for ease of aiming and is powered by AA batteries.  I am quite a big fan of battle or testing footage capture but have found that attaching phones or ipods to the Nerf makes them difficult to use and this will eliminate this.

The blaster will also feature the usual Elite Nerf features we have come to expect such as 12 clip magazine and the semi automatic firing seen in blasters such as the Stryfe with an acceleration trigger and darts being fired as quick as the trigger can be pulled.

Engadget reported a few niggles (crashing of the camera etc) but these will hopefully be sorted by the time the blaster is released.  It is slated for a spring release in New Zealand, but this may well be pushed out to early 2015.  Approximate retail will be around $99 NZ which is the same as the Centurion currently retails for.

Hope to have more information as it comes up.

Nerf N-Strike Nitefinder - Modded results

In early December I wrote a review on the Nitefinder.  My next step with the Nitefinder review was to test it in the firing range.  When I loaded a dart in the barrel, primed the blaster and pulled the trigger the dart dropped out of the end rather than travelling with any velocity.  This occurred each time I tried to fire, despite being fine a week or so earlier when the distance test was completed.

So my hand was forced to open up my first blaster and have a tinker.  Now I'm not going to outline the procedure of opening or modding a blaster as there are plenty of well put together videos and articles out there on the world wide web.  After opening the blaster and becoming acquainted with the internals I noticed the o ring was in a bad state and needing replacing (which in turn led to the lack of air pressure in the primed blaster).  After replacing the ring I decided to have a go at removing the air restrictor, which is a common and straight forward procedure.  Using a large drill bit and some gentle prying the restrictor popped out.  Looking down the barrel you can tell that it is going to make a big difference with airflow.

After replacing all the screws (be careful to make sure that the tactical rail clip is back in place, I forgot the first time) it was time to test the blaster.  In the firing range the change in power was astonishing the zombie targets are flung back like a stiff breeze is heading down the range.  The blaster also makes a satisfying sound when fired.

Updated Performance 

After modification the Nitefinder sits in 9th place out of 32 blasters jumping from its original placing of 27th.

Dart Distance (Sucker Darts) - 14.6m (48 feet)
This is an overall improvement in average distance of 5.3m making it effective as not only a secondary but an effective mid range primary weapon.  The Nitefinder fired a maximum distance of 16m (52 feet).

The results from this simple mod that only took 15 minutes start to finish makes changing blasters a must do part of this great hobby.  Still awaiting my OMW kits so  looking forward to doing a more professional job on the Recon and Retaliator.

Nerf Raider CS-35 -Review

The Raider is a Heavy class blaster with a staggering 35 dart capacity drum and the ability slam fire.  It was released in 2009 as part of the Nerf N-Strike range.  The Raider is a single shot reverse plunger blaster packaged with a detachable shoulder stock, 35 dart drum and streamline darts.

Usability

The Raider is a beast of a blaster the imposing view of a 35 dart drum on the side and the front pump handle scream look out to unwilling enemies in the field.  The blaster is super comfortable to hold the shoulder stock is probably the best stock Nerf has released and I often use it on other weapons.  The blaster is fired by pulling back and pushing forward the pump handle and pulling the trigger.  Like most slam fire capable weapons this style of fire is achieved by holding down the trigger and repeatedly pumping the front handle.

Loading the drum clip is fairly straight forward much like a regular 6 dart clip but having a maximum capacity of 35 means that the loading process takes quite a while. The clear back of the blaster is handy to show clearly the remaining dart capacity. The blaster rarely jams and it only happens when incorrect priming occurs.

The blaster feels slightly unbalanced with the large drum on the side and is probably better suited to being a support style weapon laying down heavy fire from a distance rather than close quarters skirmishes.

Usability Score - 6/10

Styling/Tacticool

I was always hesitant to buy the Raider as being an largely looks over use type of Nerfer the 'Tommy Gun' style wasn't my cup of tea.  After finding a Trade Me bargain I decided to take the plunge.  In similar fashion to the Longstrike the Raider shuns the yellow colour scheme of over N-Strike blasters, and is better for it as it seamlessly integrates with Elite accesories.  I really like theRaider tag splashed along the front barrel and the subtle use of orange throughout the make of the blaster.  Without the drum attached the Raider looks more appealing but replacing the drum with a clip looks a little unusual like a Mascheinenpistole 35 from German WW2 fame.  As mentioned above the stock is fantastic and really adds to the overall look of the blaster, but with only 2 tactical rails and the inability to more than one sight and no under barrel attachment cuts down tacticool options.  My favourite loadout with this blaster is to add a pin point sight and change the stock.  A particular favourite is with the stockade stock another favourite of mine.

Nerf Raider CS-35 with shoulder stock and Elite pinpoint sight

Nerf N-Strike CS-35 with Retaliator stock and Elite pinpoint sight.

Nerf N-Strike CS-35 with Stockade stock and Elite pinpoint sight.

Styling/Tacticool Score - 6/10

Performance

There is no doubting that with the combination of slam fire and a 35 dart drum this is going to score high in the performance stakes for darts per second alone.  Out of the 30 blasters currently tested for distance the Raider sits at 21st (oh how I wish it would fire further many a mod is on the cards)

Dart Distance - 9.7m (32 feet).  The Raider fired a maximum distance of 13m (43 feet) with the a lowest distance of 6m (19 feet) on three occassions.

Darts per second (Slam Fire mode) 3.3 dps.  This is a fantastic result for the Raider and as mentioned above makes it the perfect support blaster for laying down cover fire as a team mate heads for an objective.

Performance Score 7/10

This is one blaster that I love to hate, it doesn't have the style of the other blasters in my collection but the insane dart capacity and fire rate make it a must have in many game types.

Overall I give the Raider CS-35 19/30

2014 Blaster Prototype - The Demolisher

More exciting news out the world of Nerf.  2014 is looking to be an exciting year for enthusiasts.  My Last Dart has reported on the new prototype which in a word looks breathtaking!


The blaster is a semi-automatic blaster with an attached grenade launcher under the barrel.  It is always great when Nerf notice what the fans are doing with there blasters and with the recent rise in masterkey attachments it is awesome to see an underbarrel accessory.  The launcher looks to be primed with a pump handle and has claimed ranges of 50 feet.

The new banana clip not only looks the money but features some new spring tech to improve the loading errors noticeable in some semi auto blasters.  The motor has also been tweaked to improve performance.

This looks fantastic and I will try to keep readers up to date on the development of this blaster from prototype to retail version.

Nerf Dart Quick 16 - Review

The Quick 16 is a medium sized blaster and was part of the Dart Tag line released in 2011.  It is a single shot clip loading blaster using the reverse plunger propulsion method.  It is capable of firing slam fire and quickly unloads a clip on your target.

Usability

The Dart Tag range of blasters have always fascinated me.  I liked their unique styling and purpose built layout and the idea of having the darts stick to your opponent like paintball opened up many possibilities for intense skirmishes with the honesty factor taken out of the equation.  Many hours were spend watching promo videos and even some of the Dart Tag World Championship Dart Tag World Champs and quite enjoying what I saw.  Unfortunately after importing the Quick 16 some of my excitement was some what extinguished.

The Quick 16 is fairly time consuming to load.  Having the attached clip means each dart needs to be feed one by one into the top.  Now this eliminates any chance of a reload in the field but the game of Dart Tag often doesn't require this.  The loading process is actually quite difficult the darts bend and wrap and sometimes require being forced into place.  The velcro tops add to this somewhat but the overall design of the blaster is probably most likely to blame.

The blaster is fired by pulling the priming handle back then forward and pulling the trigger.  Slam fire is achieved through holding the trigger and repeatedly pumping the priming handle.  In single fire mode the blaster is easy to use and is fairly accurate, but slam fire is prone to jams and is also very difficult to unjam.

The lack of shoulder stock makes the blaster difficult to hold comfortably, it doesn't fit against the shoulder and needs to be held out in front of user, and during the violent action of slam firing makes the blaster quite prone to Nerf style recoil.

Unfortunately the blaster lacks ease of use and isn't overly effective and many game types.

Usability Score - 3/10

Styling/Tacticool

The Quick 16 is a unique blaster and thanks to the banana clip and the priming handle, but a lack accessory mounting due to no tactical rails.  I enjoy blasters that look pseudo military for Milsim type scenarios and the Quick 16 doesn't offer this look in anyway.

Styling/Tacticool - 2/10

Performance

With all the other shortcomings of the blaster I was hopeful for some decent performance stats for the Quick 16 to redeem some respect.  Unfortunately this wasn't the case.  The Quick 16 not only sends down some loopy darts it ranks 23rd out of 30 blasters.

Dart Distance - 9.6m (31 feet) The Quick 16 fired a maximum distance of 11m (36 feet) and a minimum of 6m (20 feet).  This is a disappointing result for a weapon the Nerf claimed could be used for quick long range attacks on the battlefield. 

Darts fired per second (Slam Fire Mode) 2.21dps

The is a good result for the Quick 16 and there is no doubt that in close quarters this blaster can overwhelm a target.  But as mentioned early the likelihood of jams drops a potentially higher dps rate.

Performance Score 5/10

The Quick 16 is perhaps my most disappointing blaster to date.  I had such high hopes for the blaster and many of them have come crashing to the ground.

Overall I give this blaster 10/30.

Nerf Blaster Release Dates for 2014

Wow two email responses from two different companies in the same day!

Here is the response from Hasbro -

Thank you for your e-mail. Always happy to receive feedback from our end users.

The Nerf Mega Magnus should be hitting the shops mid February with the Zombie range following at the end of February.

No date has been set as yet for the Super Soaker range but this is traditionally later in the year to coincide with moving in to the warmer months. Please feel free to contact us again if a few months time to see if we have firmed up the release dates.

So it won't be long till the Kiwis will be joining the fight against Zombies and unleashing the new Mega blaster, I can't wait!

Tek Recon in New Zealand

I have received a reply from the makers of the Tek Recon blasters with information regarding the release time of these blasters in Australasia.

We're still trying to secure a distributor for Australia and New Zealand, and won't likely be until Fall 2014. We have a lot of fans over your way, so we'll make sure to keep you posted through our social media outlets on any updates! Thanks for your support!

So it appears that we are unlikely to see any Tek Recon action until spring 2014.  Fingers crossed that it all goes to plan.  Anyone you can't wait that long (which probably includes me) can pick one up from Ebay with free international shipping for around $115NZ EBay Tek Recon Hammerhead Twin Pack.

First Blog Milestone 500 views

A big thanks to anyone who has stopped by to read my ramblings.  It has been a fantastic new addition to my hobby and it's a great feeling to think that 500 people have stopped by to take a look.

My plans are now onwards and upwards towards 1000 views.  Look out for more blaster reviews, updates from Hasbro on release schedules for 2014 blasters, more firing range videos and modifciations (thanks to my new OMW kit).

Happy Nerfing and remember its Nerf or Nothing!

Nerf N-Strike Longstrike CS-6 Review

At time of sale the Longstrike was the longest blaster in the Nerf armoury.  It is a single shot reverse plunger blaster with a six dart clip and flip up sight.  It comes with a front barrel and shoulder stock for storage of 2 extra dart clips and features 4 tactical rails.

Usability

The Longstrike CS-6 is akin to a Marksmen rifle as seen on COD Ghosts.  Firing the blaster requires pulling back and pushing forward the priming bolt and pulling the trigger (which is accompanied with a satisfying thwack!).

The blaster can be used as both an assault rifle and sniper and is quite an effective at both due to the ease of priming and firing.  Not being impeded by a tactical rail on the firing mechanism leads to greater customisation in the long run.

Being a Marksmen rifle the Longstrike suffers in maneuverability when in sniper form, but for those looking to sit and camp it is comfortable to hold and the shoulder stock is sufficient to steady your aim for those long range targets.  The sight is more aesthetic than useful  for aiming but is usable none the less.

As an assault rifle the Longstrike retains its ease of use and becomes more of a run 'n'gun blaster without giving up any performance.

The stock is unable to be removed when first fitted but some simple modification can eliminate this issue, although even though making this modification I still keep the stock in place due to its usefulness in steadying shots.

The clip is released in a similar fashion to all N-Strike clip blasters, by pulling back the priming bolt and pushing a button found just in front of the trigger.  When equipped with two extra clips in the shoulder stock this can lead to quick and effective clip changes when in a skirmish.

This blaster is extremely effective in both forms and can often be the difference maker between winning and losing a battle.  The ability to switch from sniper to assault rifle by simply twisting of the front barrel makes it a formidable blaster.

Usability score 9/10

Styling/Tacticool

I am a big fan of all things Sniper, books, games, documentaries and movies.  So when the opportunity arose to purchase the blaster I didn't even blink before handing over the $79.99NZ.  Ever since I have owned this blaster it has taken pride of place in a Armoury always at the top of the board and decked out in full sniper mode.

It is very rare that I ever customise this blaster, and most customisations occur when I am using it as an Assault rifle, because it looks just so good as it is.  My only complaint about the blaster is the lack of sniper scope (the Longshot featured) but according to Maranus (2013) this was a deliberate design to increase the portability of the blaster.  My fix for this has been to use the Shotblast scope as I unfortunately still don't own a Longshot.

Nerf N-Strike Longstrike with Shotblast scope

Below are some Tacticool loadouts I have created.

Nerf N-Strike Longstrike with 2x Flip Clip 6 dart clips and Elite Pinpoint sight

Nerf N-Strike Longstrike with 2x Flip Clip 6 Dart clips, Elite Pinpoint Sight and Spectre Silencer

Nerf N-Strike Longstrike with 2x Flip Clip 6 Dart clips, Tactical Rail App and Recon front barrel

Nerf N-Strike Longstrike with 2x Flip Clip 6 Dart clips and Retaliator front barrel and grip

This blaster is still one of my all time favourites and the added bonus of customisation only ups the score.

Styling/Tacticool 9/10

Performance

This blaster is a beast on the distance stakes, chewing up the metres and spitting them out.  It does perform better as an Assault rifle but retains accuracy in both setups.  As a Sniper rifle the Longstrike ranked 18th out of 21 and 6th as an Assault rifle.

Dart Distance (Longstrike Assault Rifle w/ streamline darts) 16.3m (53 feet)

As a rifle the Longstrike fired a maximum distance 22m (72 feet) and a minimum distance 14m (46 feet) very impressive results indeed.

Dart Distance (Longstrike Sniper Rifle w/ streamline darts) 10.3m (34 feet)

A massive drop off in Sniper form which is disappointing but understandable due to increased resistance.  The Longstrike fired a maximum distance of 12m (39 feet) and a minimum of 8m (26 feet).

Darts fired per second - 1.29dps

The ease of priming leads to a pretty impressive figure for a single shot blaster on par with the Recon.  The length of the priming bolt has a part to play in this figure.  

Performance score 9/10

This is one of my all time favourite blasters (was my favourite until I recently purchased a Rayven and Stryfe) and will forever retain its top spot in my Armoury collection.

Overall I give this blaster 27/30

Rhyno Nerf Firing Range Page

My little holiday project was to create an area that I could test and film the Nerf Blasters without having to worry about the unpredictable weather conditions in New Zealand.  With a bit of tidying and shifting I have the perfect place in the basement of my house to fire my blasters and test their accuracy without having to worry about wind and rain.  I will look to update as regularly as I review the blasters here are the first three.

Nerf N-Strike Spectre Rev 5 Firing Test

Nerf N-Strike Maverick Rev 5 Firing Test

Nerf N-Strike Recon CS-6 Firing Test

Nerf N-Strike Recon CS-6 Review

The Recon CS-6 is a single shot reverse plunger blaster with a stock 6 dart clip and Nerf Streamline darts.  It comes packaged with a shoulder stock, flip up sight, front barrel attachment and light beam unit.  It features 4 tactical rails when all attachments are added.

Usability

The Recon CS-6 is the all round blaster of the N-Strike range.  The accessories make it a formidable weapon straight out of the box.  The Recon can be used as both a pistol and an assault rifle and firing is as simple as pulling back and pushing forward the primer and pulling the trigger delivering a single shot.

This simple firing mechanism makes the Recon an effective blaster for all mission types.  As a pistol it is comfortable to hold and is easily maneuverable and can be holstered.  The six dart clip is perfect for the pistol set-up as it becomes a devastating and effective side arm.  The tactical rail on the priming slide makes accessory mounting and priming difficult but is still possible.

When fully equipped with all its the attachments is when the Recon really shines.  Despite a slightly flimsy shoulder stock the Recon sits well against the shoulder and using the iron sights with the flip up makes it very accurate.  A sling can be attached to the Recon making it easy to switch from primary to secondary.  The attached red dot/tactical light is fairly useless at long range but within 3-5m makes the blaster even more accurate.  The addition of a tactical rail on the bottom of this leads to further customisation if required.  The clip is released by a button in front of the trigger and when used in conjunction with a flip clip leads to quick reloads.  The inability to release the clip without the priming slide back is a bit of a hindrance but this can be remedied by removing the safety catch when the blaster is open.  The blaster also features a hidden dart storage compartment in the grip for the last second dart.

This blaster is very usable as both a pistol and rifle and despite not being semi-automatic is still very usable in a range of missions.

Usability Score 8/10

Styling/Tacticool

The Recon looks great as both a pistol and assault rifle, it features the N-Strike colour scheme of yellow, orange and grey and the logo on the handle and shoulder stock.  When fully decked out as a rifle this blaster looks great on it's own but thanks to the interchangeability of accesories the Recon really shines.  Below are just some of my favourite loadouts using the tactical rails of the Recon.

Nerf N-Strike Recon Pistol with 12 Dart clip and Raider stock

Nerf N-Strike Recon Pistol with 12 Dart Clip, Tactical Light and Spectre Silencer

Nerf N-Strike Recon Pistol with dual 6 dart clips and Elite Pinpoint Sight

Nerf N-Strike Recon Rifle with front barrel attachment, flip up sight and Spectre Stock

Nerf N-Strike Recon Rifle with 12 dart clip, front barrel attachment, flip up sight, recon stock, six dart clip and Retaliator front grip

Nerf N-Strike Recon Rifle with 12 dart clip, front barrel attachment, Elite Pinpoint sight and Raider stock

Nerf N-Strike Recon Rifle with 35 dart Raider drum, front barrel attachment, Tactical Rail App, Retaliator front grip and Raider stock.

Nerf N-Strike Recon Rifle with dual 6 dart clips, Longstrike front barrel, Shotblast scope, Stockade Stock and tactical light.

These are just a few of the many loadouts possible with the Recon making it very Tacticool.

Styling/Tacticool 9/10

Performance

As with many Nerf blasters they perform better without the attachments as this causes extra resistance on the darts flight path and the Recon is no different.  It is a very accurate blaster able to repeatedly hit the same target for a full clip.  As far as distance is concerned as a pistol it ranked 11th out of 30 blasters and as a rifle ranked 26th.

Dart Distance (Recon Pistol w/ streamline darts) 13.6m (45feet)

As a pistol the Recon fired a maximum distance of 14 m (46feet) and a minimum of 11m (36feet) making it very effective a a large distance.

Dart Distance (Recon Rifle w/ streamline darts) 9.2m (30feet)

As a rifle it fired a maximum of 11m (36feet) once and minimum of 7m (23feet) with the bulk of the shots landing in the 9m (30feet) range.

Darts fired per second - 1.29dps

Using a quick draw technique as a Rifle the blaster fires just over 1 dart per second the increased length of the blaster may have something to do with the lower rating than a Maverick.  The blaster didn't in any tests.

Performance Score - 7/10

Overall

I absolutely love this blaster for all of it's interchangeability and numerous uses.  Despite not performing how I would have hoped it is still a solid all round weapon.

Overall I give this blaster 24/30