Hey readers (anyone still out there?)

The news came out last week, but ICYMI, HasCon 2018 dates are announced!

Second-Ever HASCON FANmily Event Scheduled for Sept. 6 - 8, 2019 in Providence, R.I.

PAWTUCKET, R.I. – Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAS) today announced that it will host its second-ever
HASCON event Sept. 6 - 8, 2019, in Providence, R.I. at the Rhode Island Convention Center and Dunkin’Donuts Center.

Hasbro hosted its inaugural HASCON event this past September, offering families and fans of all ages a completely new way to experience its brands, and a behind-the- scenes pass to the world of Hasbro. The event featured three days of hands-on brand experiences, meet-and- greets, sneak peeks, concerts, exclusive reveals, star-studded panels and fan-centric surprises.

“We couldn’t be happier with the feedback we’ve received from our inaugural HASCON event,” said
John Frascotti, president, Hasbro, Inc. “We’re looking forward to once again delivering immersive
entertainment experiences around our brands for fans and families in 2019.”

The 2017 event featured dozens of meet-and- greet opportunities with celebrities, athletes and
influencers, including Mark Wahlberg, Stan Lee, David Ortiz, James White, Dude Perfect, Maddie Ziegler, James Gunn, Zach King, Peter Cullen, Frank Welker, and Isabela Moner, among others. Concerts by Flo Rida and Daya were included with the purchase of a general admission HASCON ticket. Guests were also invited to audition for a Hasbro video, and to select a toy or game to donate to the Marine Toys for Tots for children impacted by recent hurricanes.

More details about the 2019 HASCON event, including information about ticket packages, will be posted on http://hascon.hasbro.com.

Here's a video of last year's trailer:



I missed out on it this year, hopefully I will be in attendance for the 2nd one. The Kronos and a slew of other upcoming Nerf blasters were announced, so it's definitely a show to watch for! There's something to be said about the trade shows for sure, but it's a little different when the brand themselves put on their own show that gives you a direct line to the brand masterminds themselves.

Hope everyone had a great Halloween! I haven't been posting here as often as I would have liked, but you can still find me on social media!

Instagram: foamfromabove
Twitter: Blasterbot1984
Facebook: Foam From Above

This blog post is sponsored by Skyrocket. Thank you!




Hot Buy for the Holiday - Recoil: The World is Now Game by Skyrocket!

Laser Tag, AR airstrikes, power ups, minimal cleanup. Indoor play during the winter months? Definitely!

First: Outdoor play as shown by Sam and Niko on YouTube, also Node, Corridor Digital, etc.



And a poignant video by Nerdist here

The game clearly excels outdoors. There's more room to move, you have AR tags that you can scan, the GPS tracking is enabled (a big selling point to the toy and the enhancing the video game feel), teammates carry ammo and can share it with you, and if you don't have ammo there's an element of realism in making you run back to your base to reload. Respawn points are on the field and you have to report back there as opposed to respawning where you stand.

Indoors, the game is a little different. No GPS tracking, unlimited respawns and reloads. The grenade device still works inside though, and indoors it was a really entertaining element to have. But more on that later. That being said, the reload is NOT instantaneous. The minute you hit reload there's a time delay before you can fire again. It was just my friend and I against each other but I had to make sure that if I hit reload that I was well hidden or had a grenade.... just in case.

I opted out of using headphones for indoor play (in the basement we used it wasn't like we couldn't hear each other) but I could still hear my friend taunting me through the Recoil blasters when I was on the hunt. Indoors the speakers worked pretty well, and over the din of the muzzle flash and noise from the Spitfire and Rogue units we used there wasn't a lot of need to pay attention to what was being said. However, grenades, coming under attack, all those warnings still happened and when I did hear them they were much appreciated. The readout of health, ammo, and who killed me with what item (grenade or weapon.)

Some shots of the action:






One item I still used (in spite of my initial misgivings) was the hit sensor that clips to your back pocket/back collar. It did not interfere with my using the blaster as much as I thought, nor did I trip on it or get tangled up. To be fair I wasn't doing parkour while using the blasters but for the most basic of motions (with the build of an adult) the wire stayed out of my way. Would it be great to have a future patch that allowed multiple bluetooth hookups, allowing for bluetooth headphones, the blaster unit, AND the grenade? Definitely.

Recoil Rogue

The mount and my phone didn't feel weird really either, at least to me. Maybe that's a product of being used to looking at my phone for information, but seeing a heads up display with my hit points and ammo was refreshing. I DEFINITELY RECOMMEND HAVING A PROTECTIVE CASE ON YOUR PHONE. Definitely for everyday living, and absolutely if you use Recoil. Accidents happen, that's just how things go. But the mount was incredibly secure (make sure to read the instructions appropriately and use as directed) holding both a small phone and my large ZTE ZMax phone.

Hits seemed to register without issues, though I don't have a total gauge on distance as we were indoors. The Spitfire and Rogue are both full auto (just hold the trigger) but the Rogue (pictured above) has a higher ammo capacity than the Spitfire. Couldn't tell if the reload speed was different or not, but either way it's delayed and means the difference between getting hit and keeping score :) Seeing your life bar and having scorekeeping automated just made focusing on the game a lot easier and just having fun with the blasters for a few rounds. Once we were done with a round, back into the lobby and restart another game. The setup (loading the app, bluetooth matching, setting up) takes a bit in the beginning to get started but once you get going having a great play session is a breeze. And the flexibility of the system to go either in or outdoors is great. I don't believe you can transition seamlessly indoor to outdoor and vice versa, but it's hopefully nothing a patch can't fix in the future.

Air strikes weren't possible inside, but the grenades definitely added a nice dimension to the game. It's one thing when you have a camped position but it's another when you see the grenade roll in to where you're hiding (and vice versa if you're trying to hide in a room). It was an extra tactic that added some depth even for two people. What I will emphasize here is the grenades are hard rubber around a hard plastic case. Do NOT THROW INDOORS. Underhanded rolling (lightly!) is encouraged, or the grenades can be placed and set as mines with a time delay only.

Recoil Grenade unit

Definitely don't sleep on this as an outdoor or indoor activity! It's available now, the starter kit (with the required Wi-Fi hub) is currently $116.99 at Target.com. Be active indoors as the weather gets colder (where applicable) or just open yourself up to a whole new way to play laser tag as the world is now game!

Not gonna lie either, when my friend and I were cleaning up, it was nice not having to clean up darts too. Easy to pack, easy to clean, easy to set up, and even easier to have a good time. Make sure to add this to your list of holiday pickups as a gift! The starter kit is a great value for multiple people to play, and that's one way to start your gift opening day!



And you can find my initial overview of Recoil here.

New Adventure Force "Tactical Strike" blasters, from BallistixOps releases from Dart Zone, approximately January 2018! (compatible with Nerf Rival)





Fresh new info from Dart Zone, aka Prime Time Toys!

High-res photos too!








Priced again at just under the cost of other brands, Dart Zone sent over a press release of their new offerings coming to 2018. Under Walmart's "Adventure Force" brand, the "Tactical Strike" line is where to find these new blasters. I'm not sure what effect this will have on future releases, whether these will be for Walmart only (although in the case of the Powerball, Tactical Strike will have its own paint scheme) but for now I don't have any info that shows these will be anywhere else.

Queued up is the Accelerator blaster, what looks to be a flywheel, 6D battery monstrosity and the Titanium, another pump-action blaster. A little reminiscent of the original Powerball with a different handle. The new aesthetics look pretty cool though, for sure. What's new are ammo reloads (Dart Zone is making their own Rival-style ammo) and a mask along with the blasters. As I am all about the details, the blasters and the masks look to have interchangeable color plates for team indicators. Blue, Red, Green for starters (compared to the All-or-nothing color schemes for Blue, Red, and Phantom on the Nerf side of things.) And ultimately the price is definitely nothing to sneeze at considering the current market for 14+ foam projectiles. As a believer in stock play (not that it's the only way, but I do appreciate my experience straight out of the box) this is a pretty strong toy. And yes, comparable to Nerf performance the Powerball is a smaller profile blaster, and compatible with Nerf Rival magazines. The only real shortcoming is no slam-fire but maybe one day.

I may have samples after the holidays, we'll have to see! The official release date is January 15 so don't be surprised if these start popping up around then.

Exciting times, comrades. Dart Zone offers a fine product and if you're curious here's a firing video I did when I first got the Powerball:




Going to give these a go? Don't forget to check out Walmart later this month (or January at the latest) to see if you can find them!

For you YouTube watchers:

Nerf RevReaper Firing Demo -

MSRP: $24.99
Available now on Amazon!



Written thoughts to come! Check back later, but in the meantime, enjoy the video :)

YEAR IN REVIEW: BLASTERS AND MOAR BLASTERS
Vas The Stampede

Blogger note: Each section will not encompass ALL releases for each brand. I am choosing highlights for each.

Nerf Nemesis. One highlight from 2017

NERF CONTINUES TO INNOVATE FOR 2017, BUT ALSO BLASTS YOUR WALLET.

2017. Probably one of the craziest years for blasters thus far. Nerf continues to hit some really high notes with their Rival line, continued world-building with Alien Menace, Doomlands, and hitting stride with continued products for Zombie Strike. However, they also continue to push the envelope when it comes to prices. While they are establishing themselves as the de facto blaster brand (so much that the brand has become eponymous with blaster battle play and games) they also establish with Nerf you get a premium product but also at a premium price.

The Nemesis, Regulator, Judge, Twinshock and even Dreadbolt were all 2017 releases and while impressive big blasters, the lowest of the bunch was $39.99 approximately. The Voidcaster, a semiauto spring pistol also released at around the $19.99 mark. The Raptorstrike looked great but it was another bolt-action rifle and while impressive aesthetically wasn't functionality we hadn't seen in previous blasters (bolt-action, magfed, accustrike ammo, etc.) The new blasters for the most part were cool in their own right -

Nerf Mega Twinshock

• Nemesis - gravity fed hopper, 100 rounds before empty, usable with the Nerf Battery pack, overall just a great addition and a huge step for toy blaster play, although at $99.99
• The Judge - a multishot functionality (3 dart bursts) but HUGE, and expensive.
• Regulator - a blaster that introduced 3 dart bursts (a function also used in the Nerf Wii game a few years ago) but also a select-fire switch, a huge feature to go from burst, single, and full auto in a blaster. Bonus points for Modulus functionality to add more accessories. If the Nemesis hadn't released this might have been my favorite from Nerf this year.
• Voidcaster - Another semiauto blaster. Just a lot of fun and a function that needs to be used more often.

Nerf sent out the Press info for the Nerf Infinus and Nerf Mega Thunderhawk yesterday, and here you go!





Gizmodo Article HERE

Nerf Blasts the Internet with Foam Flinging Reveals for 2018

New York Toy Fair is coming! That means a slew of new reveals on a variety of tech/geek outlets across the internet, and Nerf is getting out ahead for 2018. I can't help but think there will be something else out there. Yes, a majority of the products from that secret video some time ago are already revealed now but maybe there is still something to come. Nerdist.com sometimes does reveals as well, it was there that the Doominator showed up. Whether that holds this year remains to be seen. Popular Science is another publication that may still hold the biggest reveal of them all (how you get bigger than the Prometheus... I don't know. Odds are decent though.)

*fair note, I put additional bold formatting beyond the sent copy to highlight features of interest.
NERF RIVAL PHANTOM CORPS HADES XVIII-6000 Blaster
(Ages 14 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $69.99/Available: Fall 2018)

Experience intense head-to-head competition with the NERF RIVAL HADES XVIII-6000 blaster! Load 60 high-impact rounds into the easy-load integrated magazine, prime, and pull the trigger to fire a barrage at your enemies. Whether Team Red, Team Blue, or Phantom Corps, Rival battles will never be the same. Package includes blaster, 60 high-impact rounds, two flags and instructions. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.
NERF N-STRIKE ELITE INFINUS Blaster
(Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $69.99/Available: Fall 2018)
Load and fire fast with the NERF N-STRIKE ELITE INFINUS blaster! The INFINUS blaster features motorized Quick-Load Technology; as kids feed darts into the blaster, the darts are automatically loaded into the 30-dart removable drum. With motorized, rapid-fire blasting, kids can quickly unleash a barrage of darts on their targets. Hold down the acceleration button to power up the blaster, then pull the trigger to fire. The INFINUS blaster includes 30 Elite darts. Requires 4 D batteries, not included. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com. 
NERF MODULUS GHOST OPS EVADER Blaster
(Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $39.99/Available: Fall 2018)
Stay in stealth mode or light the way with the NERF MODULUS GHOST OPS EVADER blaster! Part of the GHOST OPS series, the MODULUS EVADER is completely clear to keep players undetected on any mission. Illuminate the blaster to guide the way in low-light situations by pressing the light activator. Customize the blaster with the barrel extension which lights up when attached to the blaster. Load the 12-dart clip into the Evader blaster, take aim, and unleash 12 darts in a row with rapid-fire motorized blasting. Enemies will never see you coming! Package includes blaster, clip housing cover, barrel extension, 12-dart clip 12 darts, and instructions. Requires 4 “AA” alkaline batteries (demo batteries included). Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

Some of the Nerf accessories Jazwares produced (the targets, the harness, not the darts.)

Fresh off the press kit, here's the pricing information and copy from the new Buzz Bee items for 2018. Yes, there's a chronograph/distance accessory among them. Yes, it accommodates Rival ammo and Mega ammo.

The Nerf Wall at New York Toy Fair

Big thanks to Michael Ritchie for taking the time to speak with me while I was visiting today. If you want to see the full gallery, for now please check out Foam From Above on Facebook.

It was quite the visit! I spoke with Michael about a lot of the new developments over the coming year, and not a lot that I can really substantiate (because they have a lot of ongoing discussions.) What these discussions I can't say, but one key element is the Kingsman agreement with Nerf to open an arena in Asia. I likened this to the Paragon/UK situation a few years ago, but that was very limited in scope to the UK. The arrangement with Asia isn't. I've been messaged by a comrade in Singapore who has some insight to this, and it's interesting, is all I'll say. Hasbro's Singapore branch better pay attention though, there's a very stout community out there and it would be nice to see that fandom involved somehow in the development of this plan.

I did ask the U.S. side of things and... it's ongoing. One key thing I think I picked up was that Hasbro is a much larger experience than Nerf. As fans we have to remember that there's a lot going on at there that's more than the community. Transformers, Power Rangers now, and Gaming. Hasbro Gaming accounted for one of the top branches of performance in Hasbro's Business. What does this mean for us? That while yes, maybe arenas will happen, but they will be so much more. As for existing arenas, well, that's another conversation for another day.

Having spoken to a few arena owners in the past, I brought up the subject of possible industrial-grade supplies and ammo. While the feedback was something unique, who knows if the demand is high enough for them to consider it. The stresses of blasters in arena-level usage might match the stress testing at HQ? Still, it was an interesting point to bring up. One new bit of info I heard was the preference of the pump-action grip vs a handle, as while I was here I heard apparently the Artemis handle has a habit of cracking. Bringing this up to the Nerf reps, they were intrigued about how it happened.

There are a few other subjects we broached, but I'll leave those to the walls of the showroom.

Let's talk blasters.



This little surprise is the Delta Trooper. The information wasn't fully given to me in a press kit, so I don't have the price on the Delta Trooper right now (I can't speak for anyone else) but I'll get it as soon as I can. What I can tell you is it is spiritually like a Retaliator (they say the design is a bit modernized, and I can see that with some of the smoother lines on the blaster) and it has slamfire. Even better that this has slamfire and A STOCK. Maybe someone in the comments can remind me, but slamfire on a Recon was a mod at one point, wasn't it? Either way, at first glance and a little bit of usage, it felt pretty cool. I like it.


Next up, Nerf Zombie Strike Scravenger. I believe everyone figured this was the Modulus for Zombie Strike, and they were right. You have the attachments and everything to start off the Scravenger main body, and, and then there will be follow up accessory packs. In addition to the first-ever switch for Slamfire/lever blasting action, the accessories included are a smart-AR two shot jolt, barrel extension, magazine holder, scope, and red sight. The Twinslice (buzz saw blades) and Chop Stock (Axe-tension) are going to be future accessory kits to add-on to the Scravenger, sold separately. The fun part about the Twinslice is it's not the bayonet people initially thought; it's a holster for throwable buzz saw blades. Caught me by surprise, for sure. The Chop Stock is adjustable, and has foam edges. The main construction is plastic, but the edges are foam.

Evader

Chronograph/Ammo counter

The Nerf Ghost Ops Evader is basically a stryfe; stock attach point, single trigger pull per shot, but obviously the grip and feel is a little different. The big features are the light-up aspects of the blaster, but the additional accessory functions as an ammo counter and chronograph. You can start the count at a certain number (say a 35 round drum) and have it count down, or start counting from 0 to count up. The community has been using chronys for testing for years, and Nerf's picked up on the pattern. Additionally, they now have their own ammo counter design out now, but anyone who's been around also knows there's a third party Ammo Counter, who makes a similar (but with significant differences) product. The blaster was a low enough profile that it didn't feel awkward to use, so at this point I think it's pretty neat. Definitely looking forward to seeing it again later this year.


Oh, the Hades. Sweet, sweet, Hades. Huge capacity, slamfire, decent accuracy. At least from what I could tell since the range was full at the time I took the picture and tried the blaster out. The reload is similar to the Artemis, surprising no one. But having the blaster long enough to rest against the shoulder, along with sighting down the barrel, it was super comfortable to use. I recently heard that Artemis handles might break, at the point where it attaches to the blaster, just because of the direction of the force on the handle, versus a shotgun pump grip. I did mention this to Nerf, and they seemed receptive to at least knowing that this happens (and I saw it for myself). Whether that damage happens from inordinate levels of use (necessitating industrial grade plastic or something close) or just super unfortunate user error, or a little of both, I'm not sure. Either way, definitely a really solid feeling and cool blaster for the line. Also, loud. Had to ease up on the slamfire since another group was nearby ;)




The Nerf Mega Thunderhawk....  imposing, aesthetically very interesting, and it feels like a solid and powerful rifle. I'll have video eventually but I think this was still a very prototype model, as the darts drooped a bit for some shots. Maybe it was the ammo, but I'd give this another look at release. One interesting design note is that the magazine is integrated. It starts on the left, and progresses to the right, then when you empty the mag you push it back to the left, like a typewriter. On the one hand, it spares you buying new magazines, but on the other I don't know how left-handed users will receive this. Additionally, the mag sticks out so far I'd be wary of using it indoors just in case there's a narrow doorway and accidents happen. As established the blaster's barrel extension moves manually, no spring-loaded action when moving the bipod. Even the sliding motion feels robust and powerful, there's no other way to describe it. Whether you use the snub nose configuration or extend the barrel, the blaster has weight and a feel of transforming it that really makes a significant noise and feel. As for the Accustrike Mega darts, there's no groove like regular size accustrike darts, and the head is basically solid just flush with the foam body and holes to make a whistle. Worth another look at release definitely.




The Nerf Infinus - what a design. The Quickload technology is new, and pretty freaking awesome. Supposedly works with any mag, and if it jams it knows to shift two times in a row. The door jam is also on the side, so there is a way to get in. You don't have to hold down the accelerator trigger to activate the Quickload either, it's basically "always on." Definitely feels a little heavy in the back, but the blaster is a robust build and feels pretty solid. The blaster is full auto, so you definitely need to reload on the move with something like this. The rate of fire didn't feel as fast as a Hyperfire I think, but given the early state at Toy Fair, I'll give it a pass on that for now. But the new feature worked perfectly, and I am heavily encouraged at seeing that. Definitely something to give a look when it's released as well.

Oh, the PROMETHEUS.



It has its own type of rechargeable battery pack, $199.99 MSRP. So, it's big, expensive, heavy, and LOUD.

But so neat, to put it lightly.

Right off, as shown in the video, the Prometheus stalled at loading. Like the Nemesis, as the hoppers are gravity fed, sometimes the blaster needs to be shaken. While using this akimbo, that gets a little difficult to do consistently. On the handle, there's a safety, accelerator trigger, and firing trigger. In a way, it almost feels like what I would imagine a flightstick on a jet would be with all the switches. It has tactical rails, attach points, a slightly higher rate of fire than most other blasters, and super high capacity. You can also hear that it packs a bit of a punch for a stock blaster. Loading issues aside, it's Nerf's "shock and awe" level blaster and say what you want, but the strategy works. A blaster that's $200, 200 shots, and Rival speeds, what's not to notice about it? The way the blaster is held, at the waist with the strap, almost reminds of seeing Sigourney Weaver as Ripley with a flamethrower in Aliens. The handgrip is different but the stream of ammo and the posture to fire it is satisfying tactile experience. Clearly the blaster won't be for everybody (because cost) but if you manage to get one, it's definitely a good blaster to have, even looking at it this early. The loading is easily solved with a little shaking, and with that much ammo to shoot losing accuracy due to shaking isn't necessarily a concern. ;)

The Nerf Ripchain was different... I didn't expect to see Nerf going with chains again on any blaster any time soon but it looks like they did here. It opens up like a Vulcan, and the belts looks similar to Vulcan chains (so I think that stack of chains I have from the past are going to come back like a pair of retro bellbottoms). One note is that the plastic on the Ripchain chains feels a bit stronger than the old Vulcan chains, interpret that as you will. As for the blaster itself, it has slamfire, is pump-action, and decorated as Zombie Strike is. It felt comfortable enough to shoot, the chains obviously swing around so it's not a blaster you can be sneaky with or run without sounding an alarm. But what's old (chains) is new again here. Much like the zombies in the Zombie Strike universe chains are rising up in Nerf blasters with the Ripchain.

There were also new goggles for Rival, Series 2 of microshots (all still one barrel, Roughcut microshot is still one dart), some new licensed bags and things, and then some new store exclusives, including a Phasma Rival blaster like the Deadpool and Boba Fett sets that were out last year. Deadpool is also going to get an Apollo colored version, so plenty more in store exclusives (Best Buy, Gamestop, and so on) with the Nerf line as well.

Just to make it easier to find, here's the press info from Toy Fair 2018 Nerf blasters, Nerf Nitro, Super Soaker, and more are all posted here.

The Fall 2018 N-STRIKE ELITE line includes: 

NERF N-STRIKE ELITE INFINUS Blaster (Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $69.99/Available: Fall 2018) Load and fire fast with the NERF N-STRIKE ELITE INFINUS blaster! The INFINUS blaster features motorized Quick-Load Technology; as kids feed darts into the blaster, the darts are automatically loaded into the 30-dart removable drum. With motorized, rapid-fire blasting, kids can quickly unleash a barrage of darts on their targets. Hold down the acceleration button to power up the blaster, then pull the trigger to fire. The INFINUS blaster includes 30 Elite darts. Requires x batteries, not included. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF N-STRIKE ELITE DELTATROOPER Blaster (Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $29.99/Available: Fall 2018) Be prepared for any battle with the NERF N-STRIKE ELITE DELTATROOPER blaster. With four ways to configure, this blaster gives kids epic possibilities with each removable accessory. No matter where the battle takes fans, the DELTATROOPER has you covered. Take along the core blaster when in action, attach the stock to stabilize shots, or attach the barrel extension for distance targeting. The DELTATROOPER blaster comes with a 12-dart clip and 12 ELITE darts allowing kids to unleash a dozen darts in a row. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF N-STRIKE ELITE ACCUSTRIKE QUADRANT Blaster (Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $9.99/Available: Fall 2018) Take on targets with intense accuracy with the NERF N-STRIKE ELITE QUADRANT blaster! This single-shot blaster features a 4-dart rotating drum so players can sweep through the battlefield. Load the darts into the drum, pull the handle back to prime, then pull the trigger to fire one dart. Small and compact, the NERF N-STRIKE ELITE QUADRANT blaster is great for high-intensity, on the move battles. Package includes blaster, four ELITE darts, and instructions. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF ACCUSTRIKE MEGA THUNDERHAWK Blaster (Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $49.99/Available: Fall 2018) Introducing Nerf’s first ever MEGA ACCUSTRIKE blaster! Blast with power and precision with the NERF MEGA THUNDERHAWK blaster. The barrel extension slides back and forth on the top of the blaster for custom performance allowing for distance targeting or a more compact blaster. The THUNDERHAWK allows for steady shots with the flip-down bipod for MEGA performance with ACCUSTRIKE accuracy. The THUNDERHAWK blaster includes a 10-dart, side-loading indexing clip and 10 NERF MEGA ACCUSTRIKE darts. Also compatible with NERF MEGA darts. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

The Fall 2018 MODULUS line includes: 

NERF MODULUS GHOST OPS EVADER Blaster (Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $39.99/Available: Fall 2018) Stay in stealth mode or light the way with the NERF MODULUS GHOST OPS EVADER blaster! Part of the GHOST OPS series, the MODULUS EVADER is completely clear to keep players undetected on any mission. Illuminate the blaster to guide the way in low-light situations by pressing the light activator. Customize the blaster with the barrel extension which lights up when attached to the blaster. Load the 12-dart clip into the Evader blaster, take aim, and unleash 12 darts in a row with rapid-fire motorized blasting. Enemies will never see you coming! Package includes blaster, clip housing cover, barrel extension, 12-dart clip 12 darts, and instructions. Requires 4 “AA” alkaline batteries (demo batteries included). Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF MODULUS ULTIMATE CUSTOMIZER PACK (Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $99.99/Available: Fall 2018) Upgrade any NERF MODULUS blaster with the NERF MODULUS ULTIMATE CUSTOMIZER pack for the ultimate in Nerf Modulus blaster building and customization! The motorized blaster comes with 7 tactical accessories to prepare for any mission or battle. The NERF MODULUS ULTIMATE CUSTOMIZER pack gives player the power to switch on the tactical light to illuminate targets for practice, power up the blaster’s motor with the acceleration button for rapid-fire dart blasting, focus their aim with the flip-up sight, and so much more. Package includes seven tactical accessories, two 10-dart banana clips, 40 darts, and four missiles. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF MODULUS GHOST OPS REFLECTIVE TARGETING KIT (Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $14.99/Available: Fall 2018) Battlers can practice their skills day or night with the NERF MODULUS GHOST OPS REFLECTIVE TARGETING kit. The two Reflective targets feature LED lights, so no matter the time of day, targets are visible and ready for target practice! Attach the adjustable sight to the tactical rail of the NERF MODULUS GHOST OPS EVADER blaster, sold separately, to send a beam of light allowing players to perfect their accuracy skill. The REFLECTIVE TARGETING kit includes adjustable sight and two reflective targets; blaster sold separately. Requires two “AAA” alkaline batteries (not included). Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF MODULUS GHOST OPS CHRONOBARREL (Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $14.99/Available: Fall 2018) Players can upgrade their NERF MODULUS GHOST OPS EVADER blaster (sold separately) with the dart counting accessory, of the NERF MODULUS GHOST OPS CHRONOBARREL attachment. Attach the NERF MODULUS GHOST OPS CHRONOBARREL to the front of the blaster then program the barrel to see how many darts have already been fired or the number of darts remaining in the blaster. With a built-in memory, the accessory keeps players updated in real time on remaining darts in the barrel! For additional intel, the NERF MODULUD GHOST OPS CHRONOBARREL attachment measures the velocity of the darts being fired in either feet or meters per second to keep track of all shots! The CHRONOBARREL attachment includes six darts; blaster sold separately. Requires two “AAA” alkaline batteries (not included). Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

The Fall 2018 RIVAL line includes: 

NERF RIVAL PROMETHEUS MXVIII-20K Blaster (Ages 14 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $199.99/Available: Fall 2018) Head into battle blazing to take on the competition with the NERF RIVAL PROMETHEUS MXVIII-20K blaster! This blaster features the new ADVANCED ACCELERATION SYSTEM which allows it to fire at a rate of 8 high-impact rounds per second! This blaster also holds a whopping 200 high-impact rounds in its easy-load hopper. The PROMETHEUS MXVIII20K blaster is fully motorized with a rechargeable NiMh battery for endless fun. Package includes blaster, 200 highimpact rounds, rechargeable NiMh battery, charger, two flags, shoulder strap and instructions. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF RIVAL PHANTOM CORPS HADES XVIII-6000 Blaster (Ages 14 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $69.99/Available: Fall 2018) Experience intense head-to-head competition with the NERF RIVAL HADES XVIII-6000 blaster! Load 60 high-impact rounds into the easy-load integrated magazine, prime, and pull the trigger to fire a barrage at your enemies. Whether Team Red, Team Blue, or Phantom Corps, Rival battles will never be the same. Package includes blaster, 60 high-impact rounds, two flags and instructions. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

The Fall 2018 ZOMBIE STRIKE line includes: 

NERF ZOMBIE STRIKE SURVIVAL SYSTEM SCRAVENGER Blaster (Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $49.99/Available: Fall 2018) Zombie survivors are prepared for anything with the NERF ZOMBIE STRIKE SURVIVAL SYSTEM SCRAVENGER blaster! This essential zombie defense kit keeps battlers ready for any zombifying challenge that comes their way. Load a 12-dart clip into the SCRAVENGER and unleash a dozen darts in a row. Grab the extra clip from the holder and slam-fire the zombies away with the on/off slam-fire button, or stabilize shots with the stock/blaster attachment to never miss a target. The 2- dart back-up blaster allows battlers to surprise oncoming zombies who will never see it coming. Package includes blaster, stock with blaster, scope, tactical light, barrel extension, two 12-dart clips, 26 ZOMBIE STRIKE ELITE darts, and instructions. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF ZOMBIE STRIKE RIPCHAIN Blaster (Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $39.99/Available: Fall 2018) Rip into action against the zombies with the NERF ZOMBIE STRIKE RIPCHAIN blaster! The 25-dart chain allows battlers to defend their turf against a zombie incursion. Fire one ZOMBIE STRIKE dart at a time, or slam-fire all 25 darts to swarm the targets. Load the darts onto the chain, place the chain on the blaster, then pump the handle to prime the blaster and pull the trigger to fire a dart. The NERF ZOMBIE STRIKE RIPCHAIN blaster is ready to take on any zombie, any time. Package includes blaster, dart chain, 25 ZOMBIE STRIKE ELITE darts, and instructions. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF ZOMBIE STRIKE SURVIVAL SYSTEM CHOPSTOCK Attachment (Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $12.99/Available: Fall 2018) Part of the new NERF ZOMBIE STRIKE SURVIVAL SYSTEM, the CHOPSTOCK attachment gives battlers a new way to strike back at the zombies! The CHOPSTOCK attachment doubles as a foam axe and stock attachment. Simply attach to any NERF blaster with compatible stock attachment point to use as a stock, or extend handle to use as an axe. Package includes foam axe stock. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF ZOMBIE STRIKE SURVIVAL SYSTEM TWINSLICE Attachment (Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $12.99/Available: Fall 2018) The zombie survivors are prepared for anything- with the new NERF ZOMBIE STRIKE SURVIVAL SYSTEM TWINSLICE attachment! Attach holder to any NERF blaster with a tactical rail and remove the stars to send them flying at oncoming zombies. The zombies won’t know what hit them! Package includes two foam stars and holder. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HabsroToyShop.com.

NERF ZOMBIE STRIKE WRATHBOLT Blaster (Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $14.99/Available: Spring 2018) When zombie fighters need to strike back at the zombies, they use the NERF ZOMBIE STRIKE WRATHBOLT Crossbow! Take aim at zombie hordes and release soft-tipped arrows at the targets. To fight back against oncoming zombies, pull back the string and hook it in place, load an arrow into the crossbow, and pull the trigger to send the arrow slicing through the air. Package includes crossbow, bow arms, two whistler arrows, and instructions. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

The Fall 2018 MICROSHOTS line includes:

NERF MICROSHOTS SERIES Assortment (Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $6.99/Available: Fall 2018) Battle opponents like never before with the NERF MICROSHOTS SERIES 2 Assortment! MICROSHOTS blasters capture the iconic look of the original NERF blasters fans know and love, but in a micro, super-deformed fun size. Simply load, prime, and pull the trigger for big fun in a small package. This one-shot blaster is as fun to collect as it is to blast! Series 2 includes one micro-sized version of the NERF N-STRIKE ELITE ROUGH CUT 4X4 blaster, NERF N-STRIKE ELITE STRYFE blaster, and NERF ZOMBIE STRIKE CROSSFIRE bow. Each package includes one blaster and two ELITE darts. Each sold separately. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

The Fall 2018 NITRO line includes: 

NERF NITRO DOUBLECLUTCH INFERNO Blaster (Ages 5 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $39.99/Available: Fall 2018) Fire up an inferno of double action blasting with the DOUBLECLUTCH INFERNO blaster! This 2-barrel blaster allows kids to launch two cars at the same time. Set up targets, ramps, and obstacles and send cars flying through the air. Challenge friends to see who can take on the ultimate obstacle, whose car will soar the highest, or go the farthest. Package includes blaster, four NERF NITRO foam cars with plastic wheels, double ramp, eight obstacles, double pop-up target and instructions. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF NITRO SPEEDLOOP Stunt Set (Ages 5 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $19.99/Available: Fall 2018) Create 360-degree stunts with the NERF NITRO SPEEDLOOP Stunt Set! Featuring a 2-piece loop with FLEXWAY technology, the SPEEDLOOP sends cars zooming up the ramp, around the vertical loop, and out the other end to complete the stunt. Create distance jumps and stunt challenges like never before with this epic set. Kids will have a blast zooming and looping through the SPEEDLOOP all day long. Package includes NITRO THROTTLESHOT BLITZ blaster, two NERF NITRO foam cars, loop, ramp, and instructions. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF NITRO ZAPBLAST Stunt Set (Ages 5 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $9.99/Available: Fall 2018) Build bigger, epic stunt courses with the NERF NITRO ZAPBLAST Stunt Set! Use the spinning barrier with any NERF NITRO blaster to add an exciting twist to stunts and obstacles. Fire a car through the barrier and watch as the center spins! Package includes foam car and stunt. Blasters and sets each sold separately. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF NITRO BARREL KNOCKOUT Stunt Set (Ages 5 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $9.99/Available: Fall 2018) Have barrels of fun with the NERF NITRO BARREL KNOCKOUT stunt set! Use the BARREL KNOCKOUT with any NERF NITRO blaster to fire the car up the ramp, knocking down the barrels! Create countless combinations of barrel obstacles and watch as the NERF NITRO foam car demolishes them all. Package includes foam car and stunt. Blasters and sets each sold separately. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF NITRO DOUBLE ACTION Stunt Set Assortment (Ages 5 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $9.99/Available: Fall 2018) Double the stunt excitement with the NERF NITRO DOUBLE ACTION stunt set! Featuring 2-in-1 stunt action, kids can build big stunt courses for their NERF NITRO world. Drop down the ramp and blast the car up the ramp to soar in the air with the Slammin’ Soar Stunt Set or, blast the car up the ramp and smash through the ring with The Bullseye Blast Stunt Set. Put both stunts together for crazy stunt-action fun! Package includes one foam care and two stunts. Blasters and sets each sold separately. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF NITRO SLIMESTREAM Stunt Set (Ages 5 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $3.99/Available: Fall 2018) Slime is no match for NERF NITRO with the NERF NITRO SLIMESTREAM stunt set! Use the SLIMESTREAM with any NERF NITRO blaster and watch the car fly up the ramp and through the slime ring. Get ready for slimetastic fun all day long as NERF NITRO foam cars break through the slime time after time. Package includes one foam car and one stunt. Blasters and sets each sold separately. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF NITRO FOAM CAR 16 Pack Ast. (Ages 5 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $24.99Available: Fall 2018) Blast into overdrive! Kids can create awesome stunts as they fire foam cars from blasters that feature the power and performance of Nerf! Blast into stunts to go high, go far, go fast! This set includes 16 foam cars for use with Nerf Nitro blasters (each sold separately). Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF NITRO SLAMMIN’ SOAR Stunt Set (Ages 5 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $9.99/Available: Fall 2018) Send cars slammin’ and soaring with the NERF NITRO SLAMMIN’ SOAR Stunt Set! Featuring 2-in-1 stunt action. Smash into the first stunt challenge, and trigger the second stunt challenge into position! Once both targets are hit, the bucket drops down to create the second stunt. Blast into a double challenge and watch as the NERF NITRO vehicle soars into the air! This set includes one foam body car for use with NERF NITRO blasters (each sold separately). Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF NITRO BULLSEYE BLAST Stunt Set (Ages 5 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $9.99/Available: Fall 2018) Launch cars right into the BullsEye with the NERF NITRO BULLSEYE BLAST Stunt Set! This stunt set features 2-in-1 stunt action designed for kids to blast into a double challenge with each launch of a foam body car. Take aim at the first stunt challenge, and when it’s smashed, the bullseye ring swings up, creating a second stunt. Kids can fire the car up the ramp to fly through the ring! This set includes one foam car for use with NERF NITRO blasters (each sold separately). Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF NITRO TRANSFORMERS BUMBLEBEE SPEEDBLAST Blaster (Ages 5 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $29.99Available: Fall 2018) Blast into overdrive with the NERF NITRO TRANSFORMERS BUMBLEBEE SPEEDBLAST blaster! Featuring Transformers Bumblebee character deco, kids can design daring stunts for the Bumblebee, Cliff jumper, and Barricade foam body cars. Blast the cars up the ground bridge and through the barrier! Place the blaster on the floor, pull the handle back to prime, load a car into the blaster, and pull the trigger to send cars flying through the air. Includes blaster, three foam body cars and two stunts. Available exclusively at Toys “R” Us and Toys “R” Us.com.

The Fall 2018 NERF SPORTS DUDE PERFECT line includes:

NERF SPORTS DUDE PERFECT HOVERKUP Game (Ages 6 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $19.99/Available: Fall 2018) Take trick shots to the next level with the challenging NERF SPORTS DUDE PERFECT HOVERKUP game! The NERF SPORTS DUDE PERFECT HOVERKUP game features two battery-powered cups that glide and hover across flat surfaces while players try to bounce the balls into the moving cups! Practice trick shots in solo mode, challenge a friend in 1-on-1 competitions, or have a group split into teams to compete for the highest score or outdo each other’s trick shots. With a customizable play arena, players can adjust the size and shape of the arena to fit any space! Package includes arena, two cups, six balls, four suction cups, cord, and a cord tensioner. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF DUDE PERFECT MINI PERFECT SHOT HOOP (Ages 6 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $14.99/Available: Fall 2018) Practice the perfect shot with the NERF SPORTS DUDE PERFECT MINI PERFECTSHOT HOOP. Hang the hoop almost anywhere and use the innovative clip and ball joint to create the best trick shots at almost any angle. Perfect solo shots or challenge some friends indoors or outdoors. The MINI PERFECT SHOT HOOP includes backboard, rim, net and three foam balls. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF SPORTS VORTEX HOWLER ACCELERATOR (Ages 5 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $12.99/Available: Fall 2018) Kids can amp up every throw with the NERF SPORTS VORTEX HOWLER ACCELERATOR. The easy throw design allows kids to accelerate their throw while achieving a greater distance! Place the VORTEX AERO HOWLER ball in the scoop and then fling the VORTEX HOWLER ACCELERATOR launcher forward to send the ball flying. Includes two VORTEX HOWLER ACCELERATOR launchers and one VORTEX AERO HOWLER ball. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

The Summer 2018 SUPER SOAKER line includes:

NERF SUPER SOAKER ZOMBIE STRIKE RIPSTORM Water Blaster (Ages 6 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $19.99/Available: Summer 2018) Shred or stream water with the NERF SUPER SOAKER ZOMBIE STRIKE RIPSTORM water blaster! This pump-to-fire action blaster holds up to 50 fluid ounces to keep the zombies at bay. Lower the blade into the stream of water and send water spattering wildly onto the oncoming zombie herds. Switch up the attack by raising the blade to drench zombies in a soaking stream of water. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF SUPER SOAKER SOAKZOOKA Water Blaster (Ages 7 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $19.99/Available: Summer 2018) Drench the competition with the NERF SUPER SOAKER SOAKZOOKA water blaster! The SOAKZOOKA holds up to 55 fluid ounces so battlers can keep pouring on the soakage. Soak battlers with a floodtastic blast! Move the handle back and forth to swamp anyone in range with a massive blast of water. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF SUPER SOAKER TWIN TIDE Water Blaster (Ages 6 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $12.99/Available: Summer 2018) The tide is coming in – prepared to be soaked with the NERF SUPER SOAKER TWIN TIDE water blaster! The NERF SUPER SOAKER TWIN TIDE has two barrels to deliver twin streams of drenchifying fun with every shot. Fill the tank with up to 33 fluid ounces, pump the handle, and watch as opponents get drenched with a double shot of soakage. Soak and get soaked with this twin tidal wave of water-blasting action. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF SUPER SOAKER SPLASH MOUTH Water Blaster (Ages 6 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $9.99/Available: Summer 2018) Blast it or dump it – either way, the competition will get soaked with the NERF SUPER SOAKER SPLASH MOUTH water blaster! With two modes for unleashing water, kids can pump to fire a stream of water at opponents or take them by surprise and dup all the water at once! The SPLASH MOUTH holds up to 20 fluid ounces allowing kids to experience a deluge of splashtastic fun all day long. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

NERF SUPER SOAKER ZOMBIE STRIKE DREADSIGHT Water Blaster (Ages 6 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $9.99/Available: Summer 2018) Nothing soaks like a NERF SUPER SOAKER water blaster, and now battlers can take down the zombie with the NERF SUPER SOAKER ZOMBIE STRIKE DREADSIGHT water blaster! This pump-to-fire action blaster holds up to 20 fluid ounces to deliver a deluge of dread upon the zombie herds. Use the targeting scope to focus aim while blasting a stream of water onto the zombies. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

Buzz Bee Toys came out swinging last year with a number of great items; the Thermal Hunter, the Zenith, and the Thermal Sensor were standouts for me. The Monorail was a good idea but it had some reliability issues when I tried it and that kept it off my favorites list. There were other blasters that had Overall though, the creation of Precision Darts, Long Distance Darts, and sucker darts was some great stuff that came out of Buzz Bee last year.

The Buzz Bee Mutator

Buzz Bee Covert Squad - walkie talkies and single shot blasters

Velocity X

Big thank you to NFStrike.com for sending over a sample of their "Water Ball Grenade" - a toy that at first glance uses water ball beads (akin to Xploderz and Vapor ammo) to spray out on impact. Fun fact, their "grenade" also works well with Rival ammo (and apparently Mega darts too?)

It's of a serious quality plastic build, the springs that flip the launch doors out are pretty beefy, and it looks like these can take a drop on a concrete floor (seen a video by Jodo Cast also that looks inside a warehouse and the thing didn't break, either way these things are supposedly built pretty tough.)

It works like you would think a "grenade" would work - after loading, you insert the pin to keep everything together. When going to throw, pull the pin, toss, and watch the fun. There's a piece inside that moves around to release the doors, and flip everything out every which way. For best results you really do need a strong impact, soft tosses didn't seem to have as much magic as tosses (high lobs) that allowed more speed and impact.

The price nowadays seems pretty reasonable, and I think from the moment they said they would ship the product arrived in about two weeks (feel free to chime in in the comments if your shipping experience is different!)

The only real misgivings I have about the toy are at how at a quick glance (even with the orange trim) these might be mistaken for something more realistic if left behind. If I were to use these it would be in an arena, an indoor scenario, something that would reduce the need to pitch overhand and reduce probability of losing the toy. And even then, I still wouldn't feel too comfortable throwing these without being careful, or trust people to not get caught in the moment and accidentally throw the toy at someone and not near them for blast radius results. The pin is a small piece of metal and may also get lost, including a spare would go a long way, otherwise make sure to find some way to flag yours in case you throw it or drop it.

HOWEVER, considering the previous available incarnation of foam dart grenades was lackluster at best, this is a serious improvement over time! If anything, these are hilarious to keep around and fun to toss, just be careful of the people and players around you. The pricing is pretty reasonable with other accessories and blasters so definitely a "worth a try".



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NFStrike.Com

REVIEW: Mukikim X Roll-In Voice Bomb Recorder with Motion Alarm Toy



BUY YOURS ($16.99 at Amazon.com, not an affiliate link)

Big thanks to Mukikim for the sample! Super fun toy to distract your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of the opposition. Takes 2 AA batteries to get moving, and the super effective microphone is great for picking up your voice. Plastic construction means no throwing and I wouldn't advise dropping it into position, but like the name says, "Roll" is recommended.

It's motion-activated, so whether you roll it in place or position it, push red to record, speak, and place, and watch shenanigans happen. It's a robust build of a toy, and could find a home in many blaster games or just for some good old wacky hijinks. Definitely a recommend, fun for all ages and not a bad cost either (and for just under $20 definitely worth it for the amount of jokes you can pull off, just ask my wife and coworkers).

• Collect all SpyX toys for the ultimate spy play experience.
• Voice Recording Ball with Motion Alarm to Alert any Intruders of Your Spy Message. Fun for unlimited play situations and hours of laughs!
• 360 Degree Automatic Motion Alarm Activation, so Intruders Won't Make it Through Unseen.
• Record up to 10 seconds - this ball has a loudspeaker with a protective speaker grill to Play Back Your Recorded Message.
• Innovative Ball Design Helps You Easily Roll-in Your Secret Spy Message.

A look at the field they set up for this event

With Click Click BAMFand some of his Iowa crew

I heard about the "Giant Nerf Battle" in Pekin, IL from the Internet (maybe CJ from ClickClickBamf tipped me off...) about a month ago, so naturally I kept tabs on it. I reached out to the host, followed the Facebook event, CJ was coming in with a few people from his crew out there so naturally, I made preparations to attend.

There's an event in Dallas called "Jared's Epic Nerf Battle" and it just wrapped up its 3rd year. I haven't made it there, so given the proximity (2.5 hours) to go to Pekin vs. the much larger (and costly) trip of going to Dallas, I at least had to try to go to the Giant Nerf Battle.

What I knew was it was going to be in the Avantis Dome (pictured above), an inflatable dome somewhere in near Morton, IL. This was a first year event (the host, Mike, had held paintball events before, but this was the first time he was running a "Nerf" type event.) Knowing it was a first time thing, my expectations were low. With any convention, fan event, anything, if it's a year One, I don't expect much. Also, the rules, some promo material, were strangely reminiscent of the materials/videos/rules affiliated with Jared's Epic Nerf Battle. Keeping all this in mind, I didn't really know what to expect but any expectations had to be realistic.

There were a few rules right off the bat -

The main theme for the games were "Cubs vs Cards" which was basically Red vs Blue... if you showed up with Cubs gear/blue clothing you were assigned to the Cubs side of the field, Red/Cards gear meant the opposite side. A winner was declared at the end of each game, a point given to the Cubs or Cards accordingly. For those who may be scratching your head, Cubs is for "Chicago Cubs" and "Cards" is "St. Louis Cardinals", eternal enemies in Major League Baseball's National League.

Each game was going to be 6:00 - the first 3 minutes allowed respawning (run back to your "base" and tag in) and the last 3 minutes meant no more respawns. You couldn't cross the midfield line until the last 1-2 minutes of each game. What that meant to me was to sit in the back until the last 3 minutes, and start then. There was no real incentive/rule to do anything before elimination. People would shoot at me, but all that meant was more ammo on our side of the field.

Games would be different themes, different age groups, different blaster types (all Rival, all Dart, I heard there was an HvZ round too) but same time limits each time, with a 10 minute or so break to collect ammo/reload.

The crowd looked just under 200 to me, (maybe close to 120 or so, including staff) and games had maybe upwards of 80 people on the field at one time. Final estimates look to be closer to 200 according to the field employees.

THE RUNDOWN:

Having been at the game, I have thoughts/opinions. I drove my own way there, I paid my own ticket in, if I got anything out of it it was CJ covering my food (thanks, man!)

The Field:

- Getting inside, the Avantis Dome was a single field with a few bleachers on the side for staging. It was nice enough and the field was big enough to accommodate the crowd. No real complaints there. I'm fielding opinions still on the field itself though... there was turf I think but the ground wasn't very forgiving. I avoided sliding too much or doing any rolling as I had a near 3 hour drive back and didn't want to increase chances of bringing an injury home. According to some folks, turf is supposed to be a bit squishy and soft, definitely not what I think I felt in this case.

- There were bunkers, and a lot of them! There was still a lot of space and lines to get your foam through, but the fun part happened when you could finally cross over to the other side. Otherwise I saw people finding favorite obstacles to stay behind or just standing in the open if they were farther back. I think I would have preferred having things a little tighter considering the size of the crowd. It did get intense the closer you got to midfield but the back rows were safe havens practically.

- Because it was in a stadium, the "rules" to the event included using only clear/transparent bags on the field. I had reached out to Mike (the host) if this meant we could bring in tubs or other lockable storage so long as we used transparent bags during play, but probably due to the hectic run-up to the event he hadn't responded. I ended up purchasing new transparent bags to bring, but after arriving there it looked like that didn't matter. I saw players showing up in military harnesses and running onto the field and no officials said anything. People were staging out of opaque tubs and no one got stopped there either. I ended up switching out for my usual belt/pouch combo and carried on in spite of the posted rules. 18 under had to keep eye protection on when on the field, and 18+ had it optional. For the most part, I didn't hear about any serious eye injuries.

- Side note, they had various blasters and ammo for purchase as I found out, and along with that some ammo. I did find full vinyl jacket (FVJ) darts on those tables, as well as on the field. Not my favorite decision to sell that ammo as it's banned at numerous meetups I know of, but I wonder if they researched ammo types available. (Again, this was a first time Nerf-style event for Mike.)

The Crowd:

- Lots of families (not surprising) and thus the younger side of 8+, unsurprising for an event like this. Parents would sometimes just be there to help their kid reload or track down ammo, but weren't shooting blasters themselves. Props to them for bringing their kid to something unique like this.

- Honor system was... a guideline at best. I recall at least one moment that I had to stare at a kid to get him to respawn after tagging him out. Other players were crossing the 50 yard line before we were "allowed" to do so, referees were apparently not enforcing hits/rules too well (according to the folks I spoke with) and if you tried to tell people yourself I know at least one instance someone got a rude hand gesture for it. Nevermind some of the profanity I heard from adults yelling at kids, or other people just looking to talk garbage to others. Sure, it happens in large crowds but still doesn't make it right.

- For the most part the attendees were there to play and burn off some energy/have a good time. Hits weren't super serious to count, and the only real detractor was any rude/off color behavior. We're already getting together to shoot Nerf toys, that's inherently silly as it is. Let's not be jerks while we're at it. I suppose the issue I have with some of lack of enforcement is that there was an actual exchange of money involved here, a ticket purchased. If I wanted to horse around with blasters in a freeform scenario for a few hours I didn't have to drive almost 3 hours to get there and pony up the money for a ticket. I could have gotten some friends together and did that closer to home.

The Game:

- As I mentioned, the rules were loosely enforced so with that in mind it was a loose gameplay experience. The uncrossable line seemed to catch some people off-guard and it didn't matter to other players anyway, as I saw. The problem here seemed to be communication before the event in order to give players ample notice. Again, not that serious to keep to a strict play pattern but if you're going in and paying money you almost want some structured game types to differentiate from what you can do at home.
- There was only elimination played, really. I would not have minded an attempt at few different game types like capture the flag or attack and defend variants. Again, this is where communication ahead of time would have been good. At a paintball event, Living Legends, the midfield area has scoring pods (on a hill) and people have to run foam bricks from their side into these pods. I don't know how it would have worked here but something like that might have been a lot of fun with that much foam flying through the air. In a way to just have one game type (and maybe there was a zombies round) constantly played for 3 hours smacks of lack of planning and insight. Sure, it works for the majority of the crowd to have elimination but there is more out there to try out just for fun as well.
- No water fountains or stations available. Maybe I can be corrected in the comments, and yes there were in/out privileges for the arena, but if you weren't buying water/refreshments at the concession stand. I think you just had to go thirsty. A concession stand was made available and I appreciate that food and drinks were there, but it seemed off to not even have the option to take a quick drink if you needed it, you had to leave and wait in line. Just seemed odd to me if that was the case.

ClickClickBAMF has a whole video on our chat after the event, keep an eye out for that! While it was great that a stadium game happened in Illinois, we weren't sure this was the best foot forward. It was a first year event and had some definite issues, but maybe if they do more events they'll put on a better show. I would like to say I am all ready to get back onto their field for the next game in June, but to be honest, I am neutral to going again. I wish them well on future games though, and hope to see more from Pekin Paintball in the future. For now though, it's just not a good fit for what I want out of paying money to Nerf vs what was presented.

Adventure Force from Walmart $9.97 USD 200 round dart refill pack, "waffle darts" compatible with Nerf and other brand, available August 2018

Walmart steps up HUGE for the coming year, offering up a 200 dart pack under their "Adventure Force" brand, already filled to the brim with dart blasters. The darts take cues from the K'Nex K-Force blasters, and compare in shape to other "waffle" style darts available on Amazon. This is only the first product of the blaster related items for 2018 from Adventure Force, and if last year was any indicator there are big things coming for this year. Dart Zone, through Walmart's Adventure Force label look to push a quality blasting experience without the premium cost. And with the incoming prices for the next year in other brands, a little relief on the wallet might be just what parents are going to want when it comes time for gift-giving. Big thanks to Dart Zone for sending along a sample of the ammo, really looking forward to using these in play! My judgments are based on cursory testing of the darts from a few shots, naturally as I get to use these more I'll have a stronger opinion (opinions also remain my own, even with a provided sample). From what I've seen so far though, it's good, it's pretty good.

The Adventure Force waffle darts are in the center, green with blue tip. Zuru darts, while slightly cheaper, are still shorter than most darts.

A closer look to compare the dart heads: the KForce is on the left, EKind (I think), Dart Zone, and Ekind)

A quick search on Amazon.com shows some of the first results are 200 darts of various 3rd parties for $10+, Walmart will sell these 200 dart packs for less at the $9.97 USD mark they set. The Dart Zone Sureshot package for sale on Amazon is 100 darts for $14.99, not the same value as the Walmart pack. Make sure to shop "Adventure Force" at Walmart and you can be confident that you are buying darts safe from an established company that will ship appropriately and promptly for one of the best prices out there. Zuru makes a slightly cheaper 500 pack for $24.99, but those darts are shorter (shown in the first pic above) which can be a problem for some players (depending on the type of blaster they're using). So yes, the value is close but the dart length makes it a gamble on whether your blasters will work (if your blasters use magazines, this could affect reliability feeding. Front-loaded blasters obviously are less troubled by dart length than blasters that use magazines.

As I stated before, the bonus of buying through Adventure Force is that one of the companies making the products for the Adventure Force line, Dart Zone, is an experienced and established blaster/toy company, not just a listing on the internet. You know the BallistixOps line, the Dart Zone chain blasters (Enforcer, Dart Storm, Light Command) in recent history, and their dart making has hit some leaps and bounds since they first appeared. Some people know the third party brands they trust but this pack remains competitive even with some of those. If you need to make a run on ammo in a pinch, just run out to the store and not have to worry about waiting for shipping.

The foam of the Adventure Zone waffle darts are on par with anything else I've used as far as foam dart ammo is concerned. It did feel a bit too squishy trying out the front loading of a Tri-Fire, but ultimately the darts fired just fine, they loaded well. Durability will really test during summer play, or hopefully in an arena somewhere. Definitely no complaints from me regarding the shape, the feel, or the flight path of the darts. The video above illustrates some of my findings firing these out of stock blasters.
The darts were impressive! I had maybe one ricochet off a wall, but for the most part the darts all stayed within the center and grouped in the middle of the hallway. That's a far cry from some other darts that fly every which way; maybe far distances but definitely nowhere near what you want to tag sometimes. It's a promising start for the first item of Adventure Force for 2018, coming from Dart Zone. Looking forward to what the summer reveals will bring!

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Everyone loving the Nerf Vortex releases? How about this news?

Zuru Launches new Flying Bugs with Flying Bug Attack kit
(Samples provided, but opinions remain my own)

Flying Bug Attack Single Pack

X-Shot Flying Bugs
Take down REAL flying targets with the NEW X-Shot Flying Bugs range! The latest addition to
ZURU’s hugely successful dart blaster range X-Shot Bug Attack which takes the action to the next
level with real moving targets. To get your bugs flying, simply place the bugs onto the motorized
launcher, press the pedal down with your foot and release to see the bugs soar in the air as you try
and take them down before they land! Featuring the exclusive new X-Shot Swarm-Seeker blaster - a
rapid fire blaster that can shoot 10 darts in rapid succession with an innovative side-loading clip
system! The X-Shot Flying Bugs Single Pack includes 1 Swarm Seeker blaster, launcher, 2 flying
bugs, and 12 darts (SRP $19.99). The Double Pack includes 2 Swarm Seeker blasters, launcher,
3 flying bugs and 24 darts (SRP $29.99). Ages 8+, Available July 2018.

STATS:




Includes: 12 zuru darts, 1 clip, Swarm Seeker blaster (aka Predator, according to the Zuru site), 2 flying bug targets, and 1 launcher.
Batteries: Requires 4 AA batteries (for bug launcher)
Range Claims: 90 ft
Other notes: Clip is compatible with the Zuru XShot Regenerator blaster, and those clips work with this pistol.

And Zuru is hot off to the races with their newest addition to the Bug Attack line, this time incorporating a helicopter/flying bug target to use with their blasters. The target is easy enough to use; you step on the pedal (video is still being worked on, that will be added in later), rev the rotors on the bug, release, and it flies off so you can shoot it down. The bugs banged into walls and the flying pattern isn't the easiest to follow, so maybe this will be great fun for target shooting, and higher in difficulty level.



The blaster itself is called the Swarm Seeker. It's a 10 shot clipfed blaster, and the clip is a typewriter/harmonica sideways orientation. Not my favorite placement on a pistol (as I would want to holster it) but the grip is comfortable for me and I didn't have any jams after firing 3 clips full of ammo. I also launched a few proper Nerf Accustrike rounds from the blaster, and didn't experience any jams using another brand of ammo. Accuracy from the blaster was pretty decent too, and while some Zuru darts did veer off from a straight line that was the exception more than the rule. As with all Zuru/XShot darts, these are also shorter darts than Nerf or most other brands.

The range I got from the Swarm Seeker (video coming later) went anywhere from 40-60 feet. Some of my shots were angled as well, but for a pistol that's not too bad and for a stock blaster fresh out of the box that's about what you would expect. The most telling thing about the blaster was that it had some decent accuracy.

Zuru dart is second from the left.

If I had any strikes against this blaster it's about the choice to orient the clip sideways. As previously stated, holstering it with the clip loaded is tricky, and the other option is to keep them separated while running around and THEN loading the blaster when you use it (if you decide to keep it as a sidearm). That seems inefficient. I also didn't notice a slamfire feature on the blaster, and while that's not a dealbreaker, I wouldn't have minded having it there.

The clip does make loading faster though (as opposed to one chamber at a time on a front-loading blaster) but only as long as you have loaded clips. Currently the only way to get any additional clips is thrifting, trading, or buying a Regenerator/another Flying Bug Attack kit. Zuru currently does not sell these clips (or the magazines for the Bug Attack Crossbow) separately.

Considering Zuru's past prices, $19.99 for the single kit itself is a deal. If you consider that a Strongarm on Amazon or most other pistols are about $12 for something that has less shots on a turret, that's an even better price. If you want to consider the Nerf Recon Mk II, which is a small (when no attachments used) clipfed blaster, it is certainly a lower price but you don't get the additional value of the launchpad and target, especially if you lack Nerf wars near you regularly. This is certainly a good set for a parent to get their kid(s) with the additional targets, which may keep the darts from flying at siblings and/or furniture. Even more intense players may dig the pistol, which I found comfortable to grip and fire, if not keep as a sidearm. Definitely worth a look once these are widely available later this Fall. Big thanks to Zuru for getting me these samples, and looking forward to more!

YouTuber/Magician Zach King announced some time ago that he would be producing "The Nerf Nation Show" and here it is:



And.... there you have it.

- This particular episode was a little over 4 mins. long.
- Covered Jared's Epic Nerf Battle
- Showed off the Judge and the Nerf N-Strike Elite Infinus
- Running. So much running.
- Preview of the set they'll be using.

In previous videos, eagle-eyed commenters noted the Delta Trooper was in the arsenal and he shows off other new blasters in the series preview. There were a few good shots, it was nice to see JT in there, and Zach King is good on camera (not surprising considering his own channel and history) so it's a decent start of sorts? I would have liked more of an idea of what they're going to do with each segment but at least the production values are there and as I caught myself watching his magic videos for extended time future videos could be just as compelling. I'm not quite sure what the format of the show is going to be, but there's only one way to find out! Are you going to tune in again for the next episode?

And some actual Nerf news:


Street date for the new blasters is July 16th. New releases been spotted in Mexico and elsewhere (and the Delta Trooper is in the hands of some people already) but the samples should be coming out soon.

The Prometheus and the Hades by far were favorites, but I am really curious how the Mega Thunderhawk is going to be. It underperformed in my opinion at New York Toy Fair, so hopefully they made some adjustments since then and it's going to fly! The harmonica clip on that blaster isn't my favorite feature but the build itself was super solid, and the sliding barrel sheath(?) feature was pretty neat.

Nerf Mega Thunderhawk

Nerf Rival Prometheus

Nerf Rival Hades

Make sure to keep tabs for the next entry! By then it should be something from Buzz Bee. Or Zuru. Or maybe Nerf! And don't forget to keep tabs on my social channels as well.

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