Category: blaster

Review: BOOMco Stealth Ambush

 BOOMco Stealth Ambush product review – 
Vas The Stampede



Basic Stats:

Stealth Ambush by BOOMco

MSRP: $39.99

Range: approx. 60′

Includes: 17 Darts,10 round clip, blaster, shield, stickers, and BOOMco Smart Stick target

Available Now

The BOOMco Stealth Ambush is a different type of blaster for a couple of reasons. First, it is solely slam-fire, there is no trigger. Also, it has a “hidden” turret that launches three darts, and flips out 2 wings that act as ammo holders. The turret is primed with a handle on the back (don’t prime it with the turret extended, only when concealed). There is a lock on the back that also supposedly locks the turret in until you need it, but more on that later.

The blaster:

The main barrel and the turret seemed to get 30′-40′ flat, but definitely around the 50′ mark and beyond with an angle to the blaster. It felt a little heavy on the back handle, but still a mobile blaster to swing around quickly if you need to adjust your aim elsewhere.

Unlike other slamfire-style blasters I’ve used in the past, the back handle moves to engage the firing mechanism, including the release for the hidden turret. What I’ve found with this style is it threw my aim off just a bit, and might take some getting used to. Also, the lack of a stock means I can’t brace the blaster against my arm with the inherent shaking and moving that happens when using slam fire. Now, it is possible to not rapid fire the darts and be more controlled (especially with a 10 round clip) but in the heat of a game that sometimes just isn’t possible. Be prepared to spam, and spam often, which seems to be the role of the blaster in the lineup.

That being said, the blaster also comes with a 10 round clip. That may be a low amount for folks who like to shoot more per reload, but it also accepts the 20 round clips sold separately (and with the Rapid Madness). So you can definitely expand your loadout for more ammo. While it means you have to carry clips in addition to darts, the BOOMco clips are pretty small to begin with, and if you use the BOOMco bandolier that’s at least one not carried in your pocket. But, that’s a play style question better answered by the player.

The Stealth Ambush also comes with a Smart Stick target shield, as most BOOMco blasters do. It mounts to the top rail on the front barrel, releases via a push-button, but ultimately I preferred my sights open and clear, and removed it as I do with other shield attachments. I will admit though, the blaster almost lends itself to being fired from the hip as opposed to at shoulder level with the sight, so some users may find the shield useful.
 
Troubleshooting (yup, a pun) –

The lock switch in question. In “locked” position here, flipping down is “open” position

I admit there was trouble with the hidden turret. The locking mechanism wasn’t 100%, and the turret would pop up unexpectedly after a few shots. It happened almost after 3 or 5 shots from the main blaster, but sometimes it would stay in place firing an entire 10-shot clip. For $39.99, if a blaster has a feature, I would expect it to work properly and consistently. I hope that the one I received was the exception in that regard, and other Stealth Ambush blasters on the shelves are in fact locking and releasing as they should. The main barrel fired great though, no jams, misfires, or anything else. And while yes I lost accuracy going full blast with the slamfire, it still fired reliably.

Wrapping it up, is this worth the $40? If you are loving the BOOMco line so far, then you may like the extra fire control afforded in this semiauto blaster as opposed to the Rapid Madness. However, be aware that I can’t vouch for the reliability of the turret or how accurate the blaster will be (though with more practice, that may work itself out). But the slamfire feature is fast, smooth, and does not jam. The darts and the clip design seem to reinforce that. Universal clips are always a good thing, even though they incur an additional cost and gear to carry than just packing darts and a front loading blaster. Ultimately though, that is a call the buyer has to make, and hopefully this review has been helpful! Questions? Comments? Let me know below (with comment approval) or shoot me an email via the contact form.

https://photos.gstatic.com/media/slideshow.swf

Thanks again to BOOMco for the sample, I continue to look forward to what they have coming next!

REVIEW: Scorpion Gatling Blaster: Dart Zone/Prime Time Toys

Scorpion Gatling Blaster: Dart Zone/Prime Time Toys
By: Vas The Stampede

Size Comparison: Scorpion vs. Nerf Barrel Break and Zing Legends Bow

My firing video:
 


Basic Info:

Price: $19.99 (Wal-Mart Exclusive)
Range: Up to 70′ (angled)
Includes:
“Super Darts” x 20
20 Dart Ammo Belt x 1
Instructions
Scorpion Gatling Blaster x 1

Prime Time Toys keeps the hits coming with one of their latest entries, the CovertOps Scorpion Gatling Blaster. A Wal-Mart Exclusive, this blaster is obviously inspired by some earlier similarly styled “gatling” blasters like the Punisher and Gatling Blaster. This fully automatic, 20 shot blaster proves itself a pretty good value for 20 bucks.

It requires 6 AA batteries, and that spins the barrel (purely cosmetic effect) and also powers the flywheels. There’s no accelerator trigger here, once you hit the “on” button the flywheels go and all you have to do is hold the trigger down. It’s pretty easy to shoot in bursts, or just empty the entire belt for maximum hilarity. The blaster is small, probably smaller than either of the earlier gatling blasters. This does make it a bit easier to carry and move quickly, although the chains do swing about, nothing new if you’ve ever run with a Nerf Vulcan. Unlike the Punisher, there is no ammo box, so there’s a loss in aesthetic as well. Oddly enough, while the line is called Covert Ops, once this blaster is on, there is nothing covert about it. If you didn’t like the noise level of a Barricade, you will definitely not like this blaster. As I suggest with any of those complaints, just wait until you’re about to shoot and flick the power switch then, don’t run around an entire game or scenario with your flywheels running (unless there’s a strategic reason for it, as I’ve done in the past).

The Covert Ops line is a green and orange mash of colors, crossing toy safety and a color scheme reminiscent of the movie, “Predator.” While this isn’t the total minigun that some folks may want, it does pretty well all the same. To me, the plastic and build feels pretty sturdy and that it might take a drop or 2. That is only descriptive of the blaster body, though. I can’t attest to the strength of the electronics and the motor if you dropped this blaster. Bottom line, it feels solid.

The amount of clearance to fit other brand darts through the Scorpion.

 I repeat, the size proves deceptive as you might not expect the power you get out of this. I was able to hit almost 50′ flat and angled my shots hit about the advertised 70′ range. And this was with both the proprietary “super” darts and other leading brand darts. This blaster shot just about anything I put in the ammo belts. The accuracy did leave something to be desired, but with foam ammo that tends to just be the reality of the medium. And if you’re sending out about 20 shots at a time, maybe accuracy isn’t your main concern!

That being said, I can’t comment if chains from the earlier gatling blasters will work with the Scorpion, as I don’t have either. And if I had any real complaint about this blaster, it’s that additional chains aren’t available to use this as a proper defensive or offensive weapon. Extra chains and the fast reload (with some practice and preloaded chains) would make for a good time in a stock blaster game. As far as I know, separate chains are not sold anywhere so you have one 20 shot belt and that’s it with the Scorpion. Either check your fire or get ready to reload the same chain frequently. For $20 and only 6 AA batteries, I definitely think this blaster is worth the trip to a Wal-Mart (in the US) and adding to your inventory. It’s a great price for a 20 shot blaster that hits its range and fires pretty quickly.

Thanks so much to Prime Time Toys for the sample, and to you for reading! If there’s anything I missed feel free to use the contact form or make a comment below (comments are moderated, so they may not appear right away.

Don’t forget to check out “Foam From Above” on Facebook. and I am also on Twitter (@vasthestampede) & Instagram (@blasterbot1984)!

HOT NEWS: BOOMco Exclusives – Toys R Us, Amazon, Target

BOOMco exclusive offers and packs – Target, Amazon, and Toys R Us
Vas The Stampede

I’ve been in touch with Mattel, and they have been kind enough to pass on some info about current BOOMco exclusives. So far, Target, Toys R Us, and Amazon each have specific offerings –

TOYS R US EXCLUSIVES

BOOMco. Epic Blast Pack Blasters –
List Price: $49.99

BOOMco. Ultimate Rounds Pack
MSRP: $14.99
BOOMco. Extreme Battle Pack Blaster
MSRP: $39.99

AMAZON EXCLUSIVES:

BOOMco. Extreme Battle Pack Blaster
MSRP: $39.99

TARGET EXCLUSIVES:

BOOMco. Deluxe Smart Stick Target Pack
List Price: $14.99

Nerf Des Plaines II – REVISITED (Illinois Tournament)

Nerf Tournament in Des Plaines, Illinois (thanks, Des Plaines Park District!)
By: Vas The Stampede

Last year, the Des Plaines Park District hosted a Nerf Tournament. Darts were fired, and fun was had. The fun was so plentiful they went for a second go recently as well! From the looks of it, there were about 30 (24 in the group shot below) who showed up to play, that’s up from the (roughly) 17 in last year’s group photo. Given that this is one of the few (if not only, at least as far as I know) park districts near me that uses Nerf/toy blasters as part of its programming, this is progress. (Niles, Morton Grove, Glenview, I’m looking at you.)

Here are (some of) the pics from 2014 – the day started off with some free skirmishes for the teams to get warmed up, then into round robin and eventually the knockout round.

The Des Plaines Park District set up the whole event-

The game of the day was Capture the Flag – teams would hide their flag somewhere on their half of the field, then search out the flag of the other team. If a player was tagged with a dart (and only a dart) they had to run back to their end of the field, count to 5, and jump back into play. A team only needed the other team’s flag to win, if their flag was moved they just had to hustle the other team’s flag back to their own base before their flag reached the other side. If a flag carrier was tagged with a dart they would drop the flag and it was to stay where it landed, a team could not move their flag back to base.

A little different was teams could only use ammo they brought into the game at the start; reloading from darts off the field was not allowed (probably to speed up the game, as teams would end up putting up strong defenses and reloading magazines. Even in a 5 minute round, this got a little slow.) If a player was hit, they were to pick up ONE dart from the ground and drop it into a bucket at their base. If there was no flag capture by the end of the 5 minute limit, whichever team had the most darts (meaning their players were tagged more) lost the game. Eye protection was mandatory, and players supplied their own ammo. Obstacles were provided by the park district, along with some loaner blasters when necessary.

Here’s the gallery:

https://photos.gstatic.com/media/slideshow.swf

Interesting note, I didn’t see any off-brand blasters. Whether it was the marketing or just preference of the players, I’m not sure. The blasters were stock (from what I could tell, and mods weren’t allowed anyway) but from talking to some of the players were definitely aware of the larger community, yet here they were doing work on the field laughing and playing with stock blasters.

The players range from 6-14 (maybe? I hadn’t really asked) but the kids came to play. Park staff acted as referees through each game and resolved any disputes and rules questions, and things went through pretty smoothly. The whole event took about 4 hours to complete from briefing to awards.

The kids definitely came to play, they were hustling, talking strategy, scouting other teams, all hallmarks of really wanting be competitive and put on a good show during each game. Admittedly, the games I played in the past at other meetups are a little less competitive so it was refreshing to see Nerf through the eyes of a more competitive mindsetthan I normally see. (Ask me about “Cannonball” sometime to get a feel for how I Nerf.)

I provided a little tech support (and some photographic coverage) but ultimately these kids may be the ones to pick up the hobby and continue to demonstrate that yes, blasters are still a valid toy market! Thanks again to the Des Plaines Park District for letting me be a part of this event and hope to see some of these faces again next year!
 

Nerf Highlight reel – (Mega Thunderbow, Demolisher, & More)

Nerf was awesome enough to send along some new video for a bit of an early release. While it covers some of the older products (Fusefire, Super Soakers, etc.) the big draw here is the Nerf N-Strike Mega Thunderbow and Nerf N-Strike EliteDemolisher along with a peek at Dude Perfect, Nerf’s resident trick shot experts.

A good portion of the gamut of Nerf Life is evident here, from Zombie Strike to Super Soaker, though Nerf Dog and Nerf Rebelle may be getting videos of their own. 

2014 is going to finish strong from the looks of it! What have you picked up from the new lineup? What do you plan to get?

(I’m… uh… waiting for them to show up on store shelves.)

BREAKING UPDATE: Nerf Rhino-Fire Press Release! Full info!

Nerf Blaster Tops 100…. Dollars! Say Hello the Elite Rhino-Fire
By Vas Stampede
Nerf N-Strike Elite Rhino Fire. 90′ range. MSRP: $100.00 Available Fall 2014.

UPDATE: Here’s the full press release straight from Nerf:

NERF N-STRIKE ELITE RHINO-FIRE Blaster
(Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $99.99/Available: Fall 14)
Dominate the competition with the biggest, baddest NERF blaster yet! The N-STRIKE ELITE RHINO-FIRE blaster is the first fully automatic NERF blaster featuring rapid-fire, double barrel blasting, an amazing 50 dart capacity and two N-STRIKE ELITE dart drums, turning ordinary battles into extraordinary ones. The epic RHINO-FIRE blaster sends darts soaring impressive ELITE distances of up to 90 feet, and features both a front handle for mobility and tripod to ensure awesome accuracy. Includes 50 N-STRIKE ELITE darts.  Six “D” batteries required, not included. Available exclusively at Walmart.

Nerf Rhino images came off Amazon Spain, but nothing really solid to go on yet except the name and box art (which might change as well.)
Have fun!
 
  Whew! Ok, so if I may chime in… holy carp.
Back at the Nerf All Access event (videos are posted at click click bamf and AFON so far) we were informed there was one more big blaster coming. I’m guessing this is it. If anyone experienced a letdown with the Cam CS-12 being revealed, hopefully this is more your speed?

The story so far:

Available Fall 2014 (most likely around the holidays)

Wal-Mart Exclusive
MSRP: $99.99
Range: 90′
Includes 50 Darts, a tripod (I’m assuming 2 x 25 round drums)
Requires 6 D batteries (!)
While I’d prefer to wait for the actual product, here’s some of the chatter:
Flywheels
Pistoning barrels (like the Pulsator)
Tac-Rails (of course)
I’m sure it’s only one trigger, but the early speculation also says maybe selective firing capabilities.
I already thought $80 was a bit high for the Cam, but this one tops out at $99.99, definitely for the holiday shopping frenzy. With dual barrels and who knows what else by release, this is a huge gambit to see just how much people are willing to pay, especially around holiday splurging. For the cost and the range, and the ultimately big bad feeling to come with a blaster like this, I wonder how fast it will be snatched up. If the Centurion sales (lots of people DID buy them, regardless of the performance) this just might be a big beast during the holiday season. Personally, I’m very interested to see the final product, as impressed as I am with this hype and promise at the moment. Only one way to be sure!
Anyway, thoughts?

Review: Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy – Star Lord Quad Blaster! (Nerf)

 GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY STAR-LORD LORD QUAD BLASTER:

Price: $19.99 (Target.com – ordered)
Range: 20′-30′
Includes: 
Nerf Elite darts x 4
Quad Blaster x 1

(The pics are reposts – But the video is new!)

There it is! The Star Lord Quad Blaster in all its glory. Last seen at New York Toy Fair, I managed to order one off Target.com.

The blaster has 2 triggers -> one opens the blaster up exposing the extra barrels, and the other fires darts. There are 2 slides behind each barrel that pull back and return to position, priming the blaster. Depending on which barrels have darts in them, those darts will fire. If all 4 barrels are loaded, the inner barrels fire first, then the outer. If you load darts any other way whichever barrels are loaded will fire (smart ARs).

Pretty basic, front-loading and a pullback slide with a sweet gimmick. It’s almost the perfect formula for a licensed product. And as far as licensed products go, I’m more used to them going 10′-15′, not 25′-30′. And that’s what you’re going to get out of this blaster. So while not on par with many Elite/other brands, it doesn’t have to. The push here isn’t someone looking for performance (mostly) but a comic fan who is looking to tag their nearest Ronan The Accuser-looking friend for fun. Costumers may get a kick out of this and folks who check out the movie that will become new fans of Guardians of the Galaxy.

Is it worth the $20? I enjoy the gimmick of the blaster, regardless of the ranges. I like my Nerf games stock and up close anyway, so 20′-30′, 50′, whatever that’s not what I got it for. I got it cause it looks cool and people will understand why I yell “OOGA CHAKA OOGA CHAKA” as my new battlecry 🙂 I will admit, I thought the ranges were a little longer at Toy Fair, but I don’t really care. It’s easier to holster when it’s closed up, but I’d probably use it by itself and not as a sidearm because that’s just how I do things.

Excelsior!

Pssst…. this was on the back. Looks like there is another blaster coming out! Star Lord doesn’t get to have all the fun 🙂

Review: Mattel BoomCo – F2A First Impressions on the Rapid Madness

BoomCo Rapid Madness First Thoughts!

(Recorded this late last night while I was putting together the review – I picked the blaster up late at Target, it was a surprise to see it, will update with a better video once I am rested and have better light. In the meantime, here are some pictures:

Hey everyone! So I picked up the BoomCo Rapid Madness last night. Enjoy the gallery –

The BoomCo shield is removable, and the pump is double action!

https://photos.gstatic.com/media/slideshow.swf

Price: $49.99 (!?)

Includes:
Rapid Madness x 1
Darts x 30
Throwable “Round” x 1
Shield x 1
Target board x 1; Instructions x 1

Impressions!
 
BoomCo is Mattel’s foray into toy blasters. They don’t use foam darts, and the big gimmick is this “sticky technology” on the dart tips that are specially formulated to react and stick to specifically developed targets. It’s a huge line, and coming from one of the top toy makers in the world, is it enough to challenge Nerf, a brand that has become eponymous with toys that shoot darts and other projectiles?

In the past, many other brands have come and go – Light Strike, Max Force, gel shooters, and so on. The difference here is Mattel is much bigger than the other companies trying to broach the blaster market in the past. They have deep pockets for R&D and Marketing which really help getting your brand and toy noticed.  

“Sticky” technology, you say? According to Mattel’s techs, they formulated the rubber/polymer/whatever on the darts to only react/stick to the specially designed targets. And they do! It’s amazing! It could theoretically make hit-tracking and scorekeeping much easier depending on what rules/gametype you, the player, devise. And it’s a strong grip, too. Any other surface/material and the darts just bounce.HOWEVER – CAVEAT – the stickiness will fade if not maintained; you have to rinse the darts regularly or use tape to remove debris. Have no fear, the instructions have…. instructions on how to do this. The Round included is entirely composed of the sticky material, which…. gives me some scenario-style ideas. But more on that as the line develops.

The darts themselves are constructed of a thick straw-like plastic, topped with the sticky material. I don’t have a scale to tell you a difference in the weight of these darts vs. foam. If I had to attest to durability, I’d rather take the darts out to a game rather than hypothesize, and see the attrition that way. The foam darts are definitely thicker, and you can find a pretty good overview at UKNERF..

The dart was fine!

Let’s look at the BoomCo Rapid Madness. At $49.99 + tax, I was a little leery about buying it. There are/were numerous blasters of similar function in the past (Magstrike, Powerclip for starters) but they were also pre-Elite and at most were hitting 20-30′, probably. The Rapid Madness outdoes that with 50′ in range (see the video above!). It also comes with a shield, a target, and a throwable projectile (see previous paragraph).

The Rapid Madness! (Shield is attached and closed up)

The “Round” – both halves stick together when they are pressed, they separate for easy cleaning.

Functionally speaking, we’ve been there, done that. Pump the blaster (at most) 18 times (a double-action pump no less), pull the trigger, and point where you want to unleash your straw/rubber-sticky doom. The only difference in this instance is the 50′ in range vs. maybe 30′ in earlier blasters. It’s this similarity though that makes me question the price, even with the extras included.

The blaster is fully automatic, so it is definitely a spray and pray kind of experience. I found myself wanting to use a grip with my offhand besides the pump, but there really isn’t another place on the barrel that seemed like a good fit. Aiming from the shoulder also seemed improper because of the nature of the blaster, so I actually found shooting from the waist better, again with the spray and pray idea. The double action nature of the blaster’s pump might make it feel slower to refill with air, and depending on your play style this may or may not be your cup of tea. Once your first salvo is out…. MOVE. However, as you can see in the (newly added) video, doing bursts of darts isn’t too hard with the Rapid Madness.

The shield mounts on the barrel and deploys at the press of a button. Even though there is a sort of iron sight on it I felt like the shield made aiming a bit more difficult, which made shooting from the hip even more preferable. In fact, like the Nerf Stampede shield I felt better just having it off. I also don’t think the blaster is for lefties, since the clip loads from the left of the barrel and has to be inserted that way due to the arrow guides. There was a bit of the blaster near the grip that would dig into my hand as well, whether that is because of the design for kids or a flaw in construction I am not sure.

The blaster itself had a separation in the shell already as well –

The shell seemed a bit opened here.

But it worked and as the video shows, the volley needed some dialing in but otherwise it worked pretty well. When I have some time (and daylight) to update the video outside to check max range, I will. The pump felt durable and sturdy, as did the rest of the blaster (something you can expect when a company like Mattel is doing the building.) My nephew (he’s 11) thought it looked pretty cool, and got a kick out of shooting it.

When it boils down to it, what are we looking at? The Rapid Madness is expensive for a mechanic we’ve already seen elsewhere. It requires stocking up on Yet Another Ammo Type, and even then the BoomCo ammo gimmick may fade out over time and leave you with darts that do little else but bounce like any other darts but at a premium price (for the blasters that launch them, if not the darts themselves.) However the range is on par with the current market of available blasters (at least, until certain 90-100′ blasters hit shelves later this year) and honestly they do look pretty slick and futuristic. The sticky tech sounds like it’ll be a lot of fun to play around with and I’m willing to give the line a chance and see where they go. If you want to try something new maybe give this a look. But with its price maybe check out some of the lower priced blasters before you go with the Rapid Madness. Honestly, of all the blasters in the line, I wish I had found the Twisted Spinner first, based on the uniqueness of the blaster alone.

Thoughts? Questions? Let me know in the comments! NOTE: I moderate comments, so if they don’t show up right away, don’t worry about resubmitting! I will get there and read them. 🙂