Nerf N-Strike Rayven CS-18 Review

The Rayven is a motorised semi-automatic blaster using a flywheel propulsion system.  It comes packaged with a 18 dart firefly tech clip, which flashes glow in the dark darts with an LED leading to green tracer style darts.

Usability

As with the Barricade the Rayven requires no priming and is fired by holding an acceleration trigger to bring the flywheels up to speed and pulling the trigger.  The resulting fire rate (as tested below) is impressive and the Rayven is a formidable mid range blaster.  The unique 'bullpup' layout of the blaster is a love it or hate it scenario.  Many Nerfers enjoy the balance of a bullpup blaster, although I find I'm not entirely sure how to effectively hold it in battle scenarios.  The blaster can be held out in front similar to a pistol, effectively working like a quick hop firing SMG or against the shoulder for those precision shots.  When against the shoulder the blaster stubby nature makes it difficult to effectively maneuver although the shoulder stock is well molded and comfortable.  The 'bullpup' design also means that there is no real need for a front hand grip, and despite this accuracy is still good as darts are being fired from only centimeters in front of the trigger. 

The clip is easy to load and the added advantage of being able to load any Nerf N-Strike clip into the blaster makes it effective to lay down heavy amounts of fire.  The firefly tech clip is pretty cool but is only really effective in complete darkness which I seldom use it in, but that being said the the cool blue LEDs shining through the jam door mean I often have it turned on anyway.

The addition of 2 tactical rails on the handle and the side of the blaster are a definite plus, as is the ability to add a barrel extension.  This alone can completely change some of the factors mentioned above as the blaster can effectively become an Assault rifle although this lowers distance somewhat.

Usability Score 7/10

Styling/Loadout

The Rayven sports the unique Light it up colour scheme of lime green, orange and grey, which to be honest I quite like.  The clip features the Firefly tech logo which would make a pretty cool moral patch for a game day uniform.  As mentioned above the Rayven allows for a range of tacticool loadouts as well as multiple clip configurations.  Here is a taste of a few....

When gaming with the Rayven I feel it is best utilised as an SMG and used in game modes requiring holding capturing of enemy bases and flags.  When paired with an Elite pinpoint sight this blaster is accurate and looks the part.  Because of the blaster layout it is easy to hold at your side and run with and bring up to fire quickly when required.  The added advantage of a rear sling point means this can hang by your side when using a secondary or capturing a flag.  The acceleration trigger leads to a slight delay in firing that possibly the Barricade doesn't have but this can be remedied by always have your second finger poised over the accelerator or simple have it accelerating at all times.

When using this a primary weapon I would loadout with my regular Woodland BDU with tactical MOLLE vest and one point sling.  On the vest I would load at least 3 12-18 dart clips and holster a Nitestrike as an emergency secondary weapon.  I would also utilise a ammo dump pouch to store used clips and make any ammo pickups when on a mission.  With its high rate of fire and best use in an aggressive play style this blaster will go through a lot of ammo in a short space of time.

Styling/Loadout Score 8/10

Performance

The performance score of a blaster is often the factor many Nerfers take into account when preparing for a battle.  Will the blaster perform when there a long sight lines, is it effective up close?  Through testing the Rayven proved to be effective at the later ranking 18th out of 32 for distance fired.

Dart Distance - 10.9m (36 feet).  Middle of the road performance but suitable for the play style it is best matched with.  The Rayven fired a maximum distance 14m (46 feet) and a minimum distance of 6m (20 feet). Therefore it can be capable to make a mid distance precision shot but is best served up close and personal.

Darts per Second - 3.6 dps.  A fairly good rate of fire, which can be quicker or slower thanks to the semi automatic feature.  The blaster performs best when the flywheels are brought up to speed so keeping constant pressure on the acceleration trigger is advised.

Performance Score 5/10

The Rayven is a unique blaster that is usable in a range of different contexts.  Despite fairly poor performance in the distance stakes the Rayven stills performs and is particularly adaptable to a range of game types.

Overall I give the Rayven a score of  20/30

Nerf Recon CS-6 OMW Stage 1 Mod Kit Unleashed

So I received my Recon CS-6 kit from Orange Mod Works and I am over the moon with the service provided and the over quality of the product.  The results from installing the kit are quite staggering.

I picked up the kit on special for $8.99US ($10.60NZ) with postage of around $20US ($23NZ).  The kit arrived to New Zealand within 10days of placing the order and is well  packaged and ready to go.  The kit is fairly straight forward to install the only difficult bit being looking after the new trigger catch spring which has a tendency to fly out when putting the blaster back together.  The addition of the sticker is a nice touch to finish of your blaster.

The results when this mod is fitted is amazing.  Firstly the blaster makes a loud satisfying sound when firing and the velocity on the darts is greatly increased, nearly knocking my zombie targets of there mounts in the firing range.

Updated Performance Stats

After modding the Recon CS-6 OMW sits in position 1 and 2 in its pistol form and assault rifle form.

Dart Distance Pistol - 17.3m (57 feet) an increase of 4m (13 feet) from stock standard form.  The pistol fired a maximum distance of 21m (69 feet) pretty impressive for a dart blaster firing standard darts.

Dart Distance Assault Rifle - 16.5m (54 feet) an increase of 7.3m (24 feet) from standard assault rifle.  The maximum distance fired was 18m (59 feet) making the assault rifle a genuine battlefield threat.

Overall the customer service and overall performance increase means I highly recommend the Stage 1 kit and have already ordered the stage 2 kit for a future review.

Nerf N-Strike Barricade RV-10 Review

The Barricade is semi-automatic blaster utilising the a motorised flywheel system and 10 dart revolving cylinder.  The Barricade is a popular blaster to perform the voltage modification, although the reviewed blaster is stock standard.

Usability

The Barricade is a semi-automatic blaster meaning that no priming is required in order to fire it.  This results in quick firing and the ability to move and fire keeping one hand free to wield another blaster or piece of tactical equipment.  Firing is achieved by switching the blaster to on, which in turn as described by Maranus 2013 'a sound like a hive of angry wasps' occurs.  This description is on the money, this blaster would certainly not be recommended for stealth type missions.  The dart is propelled by a pull of the trigger which automatically revolves the cylinder to load the next dart.  The blaster will fire as fast as the user pulls the trigger.  The blaster is reloaded by sliding darts into each individual cylinder, there is no flip down barrel like the Maverick.

The blaster is comfortable to hold in your hand and although slightly heavier at the back due to batteries is easy to hold out in front and fire away.  Adding tactical pieces to the blaster increases the usability substantially making the Barricade a fairly good all round blaster.actually leads to more difficulty in firing as there isn't a place to place your front hand comfortably without disrupting the operation of the blaster.

Usability Score 6/10

Styling/Loadout

The Barricade feature the standard N-Strike yellow, orange and black paint scheme.  It is an attractive blaster and looks good when holstered or hanging from a belt/tactical vest.  The addition of the shoulder stock attachment point and the top mounted tactical rails can lead to some interesting accessory combinations.  The lack of front barrel mount is a little disappointing as this could have opened up the blaster to a range of further tacticool additions.

This blaster is best ulitised in a game mode that requires aggressive front foot type of play.  Modes like capture the flag that don't benefit the defensive are where this blaster is best suited.  Although best suited as secondary weapon this blaster is most effective without a shoulder attachment and a set of Recon Iron Sights or Elite Pinpoint Sight.  When playing with this turn it on at the start of the game and let people know you are coming, look to surprise would be defenders by being first to the objective and unleashing a quick hail of darts before retreating for a reload.

When playing with this blaster I would use my standard Woodland camo BDU with a bandoleer strap loaded with 12 darts I would also attach a ammo dump leg bag with extra darts if neccessary.  Although it is unlikely that the blaster will need more than two reloads in a match it pays to be prepared.  I would also match this a Zombie Strike Machette for those close quarter moments or another mock knife of some description.  (Loadout photos to come being edited)

Styling/Loadout Score 6/10 

Performance

Despite scoring fairly well in the above categories in the category that for many Nerfers is most important the Barricade falls short.  After testing the Barricade was ranked 32nd out of 32 blasters tested.

Dart Distance - 5.7m (18 feet).  Very disappointing over all making the Barricade only effective at very close ranges.  On 5 occassions the blaster only fired 5m (16 feet) and twice the darts barely fell out of the barrel at 3m (10 feet).  This poor performance is evident in the DPS video following.

Darts per Second - 3.125 dps, this is a great rate of fire but oh how I wish it was matched with distance.

Performance Score - 1/10

The Barricade has all the makings of a fantastic blaster but it is hard to over look the performance stats.  This blaster will really only be effective as a side arm and for CQB emergencies.

Overall I give this blaster 13/30

Lack of Recent Content

To all my readers and fellow Nerfers I thought it would be a good opportunity to assure everyone that this blog isn't dead.  Balancing work, fatherhood and my hobbies is a tough juggling act and recently the Kiwi Nerf blog has suffered.

I am looking to add a few new pieces to the blog over the next few weeks including a more focused game orientated loadout feature including tactical equipment and loadout photos, some ideas for game types to play during a Nerf War and a continued effort to share up to the minute information relating to all things Nerf.

So in an effort to keep upto date the latest new information to come out of one of my favourite Nerf mod developers Orange Mod Works.  In the design phase is a range of O-Tac gear featuring new clips and modded darts to fit in them.  I haven't ever headed into the realm of Stefans but judging on the performance and build quality of the products I have purchased from OMW these will be right up my alley.

More information can be found on the OMW Facebook Page including the pics featured below.