Tag: nerf blogger

Nerf Zombie Strike Dreadbolt – Review and Firing Demo!

Nerf Zombie Strike Dreadbolt is a Huge Crossbow against the Undead Horde


NERF ZOMBIE STRIKE DREADBOLT Blaster
(Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $49.99/Available: Fall 2017)
Outsmart and dominate the zombie hordes with the ZOMBIE STRIKE DREADBOLT blaster. The first-ever arrow-firing ZOMBIE STRIKE crossbow, the DREADBOLT blaster can take down zombies like never before. Use the detachable scope to line up the target, aim, and fire! Includes five arrows and detachable scope. Available at most major retailers nationwide and HasbroToyshop.com.
Well, there it is. the Nerf Zombie Strike Dreadbolt. First seen at New York Toy Fair, I was most shocked at how super sized the thing was. The ammo was the same as the Rebelle Arrow Revolution, Agent Bow, and Courage Crossbow, but the build of this Crossbow is arguably WAY bigger than any of those. 
Aesthetics:
I like the way the Dreadbolt looks. The Zombie Strike junkdeco is still in effect, along with the green/orange motif. Nothing new or surprising there. The nuance of a wrench as the priming handle is a nice touch, and one of my favorite features of the blaster. Yes, nothing really new as it’s a crossbow reusing ammo from previous blasters, and the priming mech uses a a bowstring, but the fun is in the small details, like the priming arm wrench. It’s a smooth action with the priming handle too, and the stock is comfortable to hold. My frame is about 5’8″, and the stock is plenty comfortable for me to use. The blaster is a little front heavy though, and with the wrench positioned where it is makes finding a grip for your offhand a little odd sometimes (there’s a grip area after the wrench, but sometimes my hand kept finding its way further up the body naturally.) Overall, a nice job with a solid build. The arms make moving through tight spaces a bit more difficult, but hey, that’s a crossbow for you.
Usability:

The elephant in the room is that this is an “impractical” blaster for a Nerf war. And we’ll look at a couple of reasons why.
– The ammo. Most games I play in utilize darts and maybe a few players bring Mega or Rival rounds. If you’re using this or something like it, you best have a sidearm or be ready to chase your ammo down, lest your round with this blaster end quickly. The Rebelle version of the arrows are still available so a player could stock up ideally, but they might be the only player with that ammo type that day. 
– The range. Flat, this blaster hit 40′, maybe. angled it would hit in the 50s and beyond but other blasters are doing that at lower angles with faster velocities. Style points would be the main incentive at using this against dart firing blasters.
– The cost. Given the price of this and other products coming out this year, consumers may feel compelled to have another selective year buying blasters. at $50 this is already a chunk from buying the Regulator or Nemesis, as cool as it looks. You could put your money into this blaster or something that will extend your play time during a game round.
Probably other reasons, but those seem to be the main ones for me.

With a little practice I was able to smoothly reload arrows, but the malleability of the shaft of the arrows also adds an extra level of sensitivity, you have to make sure you don’t push too hard, lest the arrow flex out of place or veer off target because it gets bent. Besides that, aiming (and I found that easier without the sight) moving with the crossbow, all of it was ok. Going through doorways and tight spaces could be a liability with the Dreadbolt, but those are minor issues at best considering the number of other blasters available for different situations.

HOWEVER – 

This blaster was still one of my favorites from the show. The priming mech, massive build (relatively speaking) and Crossbow love were enough to make me give this blaster a prolonged look. In this toy there’s definitely a roleplay element that is being tapped into more with this blaster than performance in rate of fire or range, and that’s ok. Kids that want to imagine carving their way through an undead horde will get a kick out of this, as will players who may want those style points, or work on a more unique play style that doesn’t involve streamline sized darts or Rival ammo. I see the value in unstructured play and imagination, and that’s the crux of this blaster seeing yourself in that position of a crossbow wielding hero against the teeming undead masses. And in recent pop culture history, we know where that’s coming from 😉
That being said, for the sheer size of this blaster I know some people will find purpose for it and it’s not a bad buy for a blaster. I would remark that maybe wait for a sale or coupon to  buy it, as $49.99 is a little steep for a 5 shot specialty ammo blaster, considering the future and currently available blasters. But even at that, it’s a proud addition to any collection, and a fun blaster in its own right. Whatever you pay, I found this blaster still offered a fun experience shooting arrows, and I hope you find it that way too.
Sample provided by Nerf, but all opinions remain my own!

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ICYMI: New Buzz Bee 2017 Blasters from Toy Fair New York

Buzz Bee Brings the Blasters for 2017, Fall 2017*
Vas The Stampede
*- in stores by July possible according to the press release. Availability subject to location.

Buzz Bee definitely brought a lot of promise to Toy Fair 2017. They introduced three dart types (precision, long distance, and suction), increased the power of their blasters (openly claiming 100′ ranges on some blasters) and BROUGHT SOME NEW FEATURES.

Exhibit A: The Rail Blaster – the only video currently (as of March 30, 2017) of it firing

  • Price: $16
  • Available: Fall 2017*
  • Rear-loading
  • 6 shots
  • No slam fire


Rail Blaster on the left, Tactical Storm on the right.



Exhibit B: The Thermal Hunter –

And the sensor – (From RandomShadow09)

At Toy Fair, an adapter for the Thermal Sensor to fit onto Nerf blasters was in development as well, to be packed in the Thermal Hunter.

I was not able to get a price at this time, but I am following up and will update this post once I get some more information.
Additionally, some new tweaks on old patterns:
The Blizzard – 40 shots and slam-fire only, like the Buzz Bee Sidewinder –
No price on this one yet either, I may have missed it.

And the Tactical Storm (pictured above with the Rail Blaster):

  • Price: $17
  • Available: Fall 2017*
  • Interchangeable stock (supposedly with the Thermal Hunter stock).
  • Removable barrel for modular play

In closing, Buzz Bee continues to keep their low prices for the most part while upping their features. Some folks seem particularly excited about the Rail Blaster, others want to get their hands on the Thermal Hunter, and some just want a less pricey alternative to Nerf blasters. Given the products from last year, and the licensing for The Walking Dead, Buzz Bee continues to impress me with what they’re putting out in build quality and themes. As a good number of the blasters were prototypes I can’t say much about the build or the performance of these blasters, I’ll reserve that for the final retail models I will hopefully get later on. BUT…. some of the ideas that Buzz Bee had at Toy Fair were impressive indeed. Keep an eye on this blog and YouTube… as soon as I know, you’ll know 🙂
And some additional photos! Full Gallery of the Buzz Bee booth is here:

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New York Toy Fair 2017 Picture Gallery is live!

Nerf Showroom Photo Gallery from TFNY 2017 is live! 
Vas The Stampede

Click the link here to view the full album.

Nerf blaster firing videos from Toy Fair are found here.

(photos taken by Leywink, she helped me out a ton during the show. Most of the video? Her work, too.)

Nerf continues to provide blasters in the higher price category, but not without good reason. The Nemesis seems to be the hallmark blaster for them this show, providing a high capacity, high rate of fire, full auto, quickly reloaded blaster. At approximately $100 this is a pretty pricey toy, but for an older age group and with possibly a bit more disposable income. Using the Rival rounds is convenient (and offers a play style similar to paintball) even further encouraged with the hopper fed firing mechanism. Even as a prototype, this blaster really sets a bar that will be tough to meet on certain criteria. Again, this is a premium priced toy, but you might possibly get your money’s worth out of it.

“NERF MODULUS REGULATOR Blaster
(Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $59.99/Available: Fall 2017)
Bring the power of three firing modes with one epic blaster! The NERF MODULUS REGULATOR blaster features single-fire, burst-fire, and fully motorized blasting power. The REGULATOR blaster is customizable and compatible with accessories within the MODULUS system, sold separately, so fans can build their blasters and have the ultimate blasting experience. Includes two 12-dart clips and 24 MODULUS darts. Requires 4 C batteries, not included. Available at most major retailers nationwide and HasbroToyshop.com.”
The Regulator, I could see that blaster being quite a bit of fun across board as well. The select fire feature, complete with 3 round burst setting, is a fascinating bit of engineering. The Nerf video game had a burst round blaster, and now art imitates life here. The fire select option worked pretty decently going between single, burst, and full auto, but given it’s a prototype I don’t want to get my hopes up too much until the final product. At best I can estimate performance similar to the Hyperfire (based on the batteries needed) and my own visual experience. My only real confusion with this blaster is the carrying handle, I can see that adding to the full auto feel of the blaster but it comes across to me as just unnecessary. But, given the intended market and 8 year old switching from burst to Full Auto can really get in character with the help of the muzzle handle. Even more impressive is you can still sight through the handle even when it’s on. Well done for finding the Devil in the Details, Nerf.

“NERF DOOMLANDS THE JUDGE Blaster
(Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $59.99/Available: Fall 2017)
Bring justice to a doomed land with the DOOMLANDS THE JUDGE blaster. With an impressive 30 dart capacity, THE JUDGE blaster can fire three darts at once! This massive blaster is ready for anything the post-apocalyptic wasteland can send its way. Includes 30 DOOMLANDS Elite darts. Available at most major retailers nationwide and HasbroToyshop.com.”
The Judge’s size was not lost on anyone. ANYONE. This blaster is ridiculously huge, and say what you want about dead space, useless plastic, etc., this toy was still wowing and amazing people on the design. Now Nerf isn’t promising full range on all three darts from each barrel, there will still be a dip in performance for each burst. That being said, this would still be on my list of things to buy just because of how insane it looks. Would I have liked slam fire? Sure. Would I have liked a stock? Maybe? Would I have liked to see 4 or 5 dart bursts? Definitely. But even this prototype at Toy Fair did a fine job of leaving an impression and should find its way into a gift box or two. I would be interested to see this play out at some of the games I go to though (blasters can count as shields there, and the players go super stock. There is also a decent amount of cover, so high range blasters get equaled out a bit more.)

“NERF N-STRIKE ELITE ACCUSTRIKE RAPTORSTRIKE Blaster
(Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $49.99/Available: Fall 2017)
Hone your skills and hit your mark with the NERF N-STRIKE ELITE ACCUSTRIKE RAPTORSTRIKE blaster. This clip-fed blaster with pop-up sight, adjustable stock and bipod helps players line up their shot and to aim with precision and confidence. Includes two six-dart clips and 18 ACCUSTRIKE series NERF darts. Available at most major toy retailers and at HasbroToyShop.com.”

The Raptorstrike. You might not see anything with this Accustrike blaster that you haven’t seen already, outside of the precision/range increase from Elite and Accustrike technology. The blaster comes with 2 six shot magazines, extendable bipod, but a flip-up sight. the sight means no top tactical rail, which is unfortunate, but it does have a neat look and a very cool feeling carry handle along the underside. Also of note is the solid priming bar, not the insert tab style on the Alphahawk. Also missing is a barrel attachment point, but the iron sights are another nice detail on the blaster that some folks should get a kick out of. The ammo storage in the stock is a neat touch, and it’s one of the long type rifles that Longstrike/”sniper” fans might get a kick out of. Again, I’ll reserve full judgment until it hits stores.

NERF ZOMBIE STRIKE DREADBOLT Blaster
(Ages 8 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $49.99/Available: Fall 2017)
Outsmart and dominate the zombie hordes with the ZOMBIE STRIKE DREADBOLT blaster. The first-ever arrow-firing ZOMBIE STRIKE crossbow, the DREADBOLT blaster can take down zombies like never before. Use the detachable scope to line up the target, aim, and fire! Includes five arrows and detachable scope. Available at most major retailers nationwide and HasbroToyshop.com.

The Nerf Zombie Strike Dreadbolt surprised me. I had not expected it to be nearly as big as it was, with previous crossbows in the line (Outbreaker, Crossfire Crossbow, etc.) and the Rebelle Courage Crossbow was supposedly a similar design, BUT SO MUCH SMALLER.

With the Dreadbolt, the blaster has a pretty sizable wingspan at the arms, and uses the soft head arrows introduced in the Rebelle line, with the Agent Bow. It’s also comfortable to hold, and the priming mechanism is a wrench along the bottom to crank back the string. Nothing you haven’t seen before either, but also nothing this big crossbow styled yet. I could see a few faithful users to this blaster just because of how much fun it could be. Using arrow ammo would be a pain during the usual Nerf war, but just the hilariousness of this blaster could make it worth it.

Speaking of arrows….

Really looking forward to the Signature Bow. I really hoped it would come out last year, but it looks like that was not the case, and this is why. It went rebranded to be released as part of the Dude Perfect trick shot items. I’ll still get it, just because of the archery aspect. Not much to say about it, as this is essentially the Platinum Bow from last year, and I wanted to get it then too.
Nerf Nitro was in full effect as well! The cars really are a firm foam construction, and Nerf isn’t kidding when they say you’ll hit new heights with the cars. They launch off the ramps a lot higher than I did with Hot Wheels cars I used back when I was younger, and if they hit wood floors or furniture, the marking and dents should be minimal. It’s a really neat idea and while not your usual cup of foam from Nerf, I can see why they did it. My next big question about this innovation is what does Nerf have lined up on the licensing side of things if this line takes off.
Nerf Rebelle only had a couple of new blasters to show off, the new Accustrike crossbows and then a crossbow/bow combo blaster. One might think Rebelle is getting scaled back after storming out with revolvers and other triggered blasters, but it’s hard to say. There wasn’t anything terribly striking from the Rebelle line this year though, unlike last year when the Corner Sight was part of the lineup. No new narrative was apparent either, unlike the “Secrets and Spies” from a couple of years ago, or the Charmed line from last year. Given how early it is in the year though, I’ll definitely not be surprised if Rebelle comes out with something else later this year.
Don’t forget that Jazwares will also be making new Nerf accessories for 2017! Check out the press release here.
Thanks for reading! I have plenty more booth visits to write up (Buzz Bee, Zuru will be out later this week) and some additional brands worth checking out to recommend (Whombatz and Fort Boards, I’m looking at you).
All in all, Nerf had a pretty strong showing with a couple of blasters, but stayed the course in functionality with a few others. I feel like there are still a few “buzz generating” items they’re holding off on even now, and will just bear watching in the future. A few more brands came out of Toy Fair swinging, so the brand synonymous with the blaster battle activity is going to have to keep coming out strong themselves.

Nation Vs Zombies Game Highlight: Chris’s Last Stand

Chris The Human Fends off Zombie Horde so others may live at Nation Vs Zombies 2016

Chris, a player from Ohio, opted to hold off the encroaching zombie horde during Nation vs Zombies, in what I like to call pulling a “Boromir” (I’m sure other people do it too, but that’s not important). This, is his story.

 I was fortunate enough to record this, and moments like THIS are why I sometimes have to step back and carry the camera, not the blaster. Tough job, someone’s gotta do it. I still have the main video to work on, so more highlights to come!

Nation Vs Zombies: where 400-500 blaster/undead enthusiasts got together and had a good time of it. Next year: Athens, Ohio.

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Prime Time Toys Covert Ops Magnum Superdrum Blaster firing demo

Dart Zone Samples are in, and thanks to Mica T. on the Facebook page, the Magnum gets the first test shot video.

Please share/like/subscribe! I’d appreciate it 🙂

Sample provided, thanks Prime Time Toys/Dart Zone!

I’ll be better suited to provide a full review next week, going to be field testing this (and more) blasters from Dart Zone with the MANO Wisconsin Nerf Group this coming weekend.

For now:

STATS:

MSRP: $19.99
Available: Now (Target Exclusive)
Range claims: 80′
Includes: 40 darts, blaster, manual

Note: Drum is a one-time installation, does not come out again after assembly.

If I had to say anything right off the bat, the swivel arm rest is kinda weird, and the blaster did spin a few shots out, but for the price this is a tough blaster to beat on dart output and range.

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Weekend Update: Nation Vs Zombies

Heading to Nation Vs Zombies this weekend! Not as player, but in a press/media capacity, I leave tomorrow for what looks to be an HvZ of a different scale. They aim to have players from every corner of the United States (and what looks to be the continent, given players from Canada seem to be arriving as well) joining in the fight against the zombie infection. If you’re going, drop a comment! I’ll be doing interviews, taking pics, talking to players, and seeing how the action goes down.

Also make sure to check the action on my social:

Instagram
Facebook: #roadtoNvZ with the other players
Twitter
Periscope (hopefully, depends on the connection I have)

Also running for Open Play, The Thunderdome -I’ve checked out the arenas in Colorado and Detroit, this will be a little different, but all roads lead to flinging foam.

Unboxing Zuru Sample Box (Bug Attack, XShot blasters)

Unboxing Video: Zuru Samples arrived!

Many thanks to Zuru Toys for the samples!

Here’s an unboxing while I get working on reviews. The Bug Attack Eliminator and I believe the XShot blasters are in stores already elsewhere, but they’ve been pretty spare in availability where I live. I am really just seeing them in larger quantities now, and even lost touch with Zuru until Toy Fair this year. If you’ve seen these already, great, I’m going to post a review later, and if you want to check it out, I hope to see you then!

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Nerf Mega Mastodon: Postgame Writeup/Review

Nerf Mega Mastodon Postgame Writeup
Vas The Stampede

Testing if the Mega Mastodon gets 100′ – 

Note: I will eventually add in-game footage using the Mastodon here. Watch this space for a future edit.

Basics:
Range: 80′-100′
MSRP: $79.99
Capacity: 24 Mega Darts
Includes: strap, blaster, ammo

Full Auto firing capability
 

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

Took the Nerf Mega Mastodon out for some gameplay this past weekend, and had some thoughts:

Nerf went big with the Mega Mastodon, without a doubt. Pretty sure this is the highest capacity Mega blaster to date, full auto, and definitely the one of the biggest builds probably for any other Nerf blaster I’ve seen. It has a big handle to hold it on top, two tactical rails along the top as well, and one more under the muzzle. The 6 D batteries sit in the rear part of the blaster, with the trigger, the accelerator trigger, and the handle. There are a couple of obvious attach points for the strap, and the “cage” on the underside also doubles as a stand of sorts to help rest the Mastodon upright. The top handle moves back and forth, pivoting on the insertion point for the post it is attached to. It’s wide, mainly due to the drum. But the blaster itself doesn’t seem too unwieldy, all things considered. I had no problem transitioning from running/moving/to firing position, or even letting the blaster sit at my hip off the sling. It was surprisingly easy to conform to a comfortable position on my body.

From Mega Mastodon

Mechanics:
 
The Mastodon is big, really big. So big in fact, I wonder how little kids may find using the blaster. From the bottom the cage on the underside of the blaster to the highest extension of the handle on top, the Mastodon measures at about 14″. For me at 5’7″ as an adult, I have no problem with that. The average US child maybe measures approximately 4′ (source), so I don’t know how easy a time they would have with this blaster, even with the strap (and factoring in the 6 D batteries). Having to hold the Mastodon at the hip also makes aiming challenging, if you are used to aiming down your sights or being able to angle a blaster down over cover trying to bunker someone, this takes some adjusting. Also, it goes without saying revving your motors before firing is a good practice to have, but the rev time seems a bit faster with the Mastodon. Also, with the nature of this blaster I didn’t work too much on trying to find a range with the Mastodon parallel to the ground (flat), most of the time I had the blaster angled in game so my ranges reflect as such. 

It’s also probably one of the more accurate Mega firing blasters I’ve used to date. The Mega Mastodon will hit close to 100′, but the accuracy at that range isn’t guaranteed (I say that with anything, and in the firing video above you can see the spread of the darts to the sides, in addition to the range.) Within 30-40, even 50′, I was able to get hits reliably though! It required a bit of leading my target and I did have to use a couple of shots to dial in, but a little practice can go a long way with this blaster both in firing mechanics and reloading.

Naturally, as a right-handed person, I hold the Mastodon in my right hand and the rotation mech goes to my right. As such, I needed to stop periodically to reload the Mastodon either by trying to cross my body with my left hand and reload that way into the empty chambers, orient the blaster vertically, or reload the empty chambers in from left to right, starting with the chambers feeding into the Mastodon first from the left side of the blaster and trying to get into the chambers on the right. One trick I want to work on with this blaster is reloading empty chambers as they cycle around (using the strap to act as the stabilizing hand while firing, and my free hand to reload.) Still a work in progress, to say the least. Also, make sure you have a large ammo pouch! Mega darts already are big, and with the 24 dart capacity you’ll eat through a lot of ammo using the Mastodon, for sure. Be prepared to carry enough to keep the Mastodon spitting.

With the strap, the Mastodon handles similarly to the RhinoFire and the Vulcan. The difference is the grip needed because of the accelerator trigger setup on the Mastodon versus the push button on the RhinoFire and the traditional trigger on the Vulcan. As a result, I found myself with my wrist on a weird angle sometimes while firing. I held the Mastodon typically at the waist, but with the handle and trigger a little past my back, which led to a touch of soreness after extended games. This was addressed by just keeping my handle hand in line with my torso. In a way, it reminded me of a Colonial Marine’s posture holding a smartgun, with some obvious differences. This might make a lot more sense after you hold one.

Stay frosty, Nerfers.

Needless to say, the Mastodon needs 6 D batteries to run so the strap and using the top handle might be a necessity. While trying to one hand it might be hilarious, it can also do a number on your wrist. Between rounds, everyone made attempts to hold the Mastodon like a pistol, to hilarious effect. Personally, I’m going to use two bandoliers if ever I want to dual wield. The Mastodon didn’t seem to eat batteries either, but my testing happened at a 4 hour Nerf war. The batteries I used were from the Dollar Store, and they held up fine during the day and even for my testing days before.

Running and gunning isn’t incredibly easy with the this blaster, if that’s surprising (which it shouldn’t be) not like with more rifle and pistol oriented blasters like the Rapidstrike or Firestrike, for obvious reasons. I found myself doing more of the “stalk and shoot” approach, dodging darts as I could or crouching. Trying to aim the Mastodon well while in full sprint was not the particularly efficient I thought or effective. The volley of darts was usually enough to make folks hide and move, but I always had to keep in mind to keep cover in mind and run for a teammate if I needed to reload, assuming I even had a team. Otherwise, I’d run and hope no one noticed while I fed darts back into this monster. If I needed to move faster, I stopped aiming and just picked up the blaster and ran, it was just more efficient that way.

Left-handed? I went with the righty oriented handle placement with the pivot on the left side of the blaster, and I’m not sure if the peg to the top handle fits in the other way. It looks like it might be able to accommodate lefties in the other direction, but I don’t guarantee that. If I get another Mastodon, I’ll see if that works, or hopefully I can get an answer out of the design team. My left-handed friend didn’t find it supremely comfortable trying to use the Mastodon the right-hand oriented way, though. I thought maybe since the rotation mech goes to the right while shooting then reloading might be easier, but she didn’t find it that way. And yes, reloadi

Don’t misunderstand me though! This is a SOLID build of a blaster. The raised “Mega” lettering, the top handle, the trigger, everything about it feels pretty strong. The rotation mech for the drum spins pretty easily too, but there are some caveats.

The most common issue I had with the Mastodon was trying to shoot in controlled bursts. If you go for a full 24 dart shower, the Mastodon functions wonderfully. But if you try to do groups of 3-4 shots, you might run into some jamming. What happens is the firing action, the rotation, and the feed gets out of sync if you try to group your shots and don’t time a stop right, you will stop the cycle mid-feed of a dart, or in between the chambers of the blaster, so you’ll suffer a misfire. I ended up having double feeds a few times trying to shoot a few darts at a time, and had to dig through the jam door to rip out a dart or push it back into the chamber. Other times, the rotation mech would be in mid-reset and would get stuck, I could not manually rotate it to load until after I resumed firing the blaster and heard it “click”. With a little practice I could see this becoming less of a problem, the more someone learns about the firing cycle of the Mastodon. These instances of locking and dart jamming were on the minimal end of the scale too, not to the point where using the blaster was frustrating. But like I said, this blaster is full auto and truly excels when you rock and roll with that 24 dart payload.

All that being said, is it worth the $80? A lot will be said of its “war practicality” and “usefulness” in a stock Nerf war, but I liked it just fine. It turned me into a big(ger) moving target, cut my mobility a bit, and made aiming a bit of a challenge, but the range, the capacity, the full auto, and the aggro (people made sure to keep an eye on where I was, or if they heard my motors whirring to make sure I wasn’t near them) was worth the tradeoff for me, and gosh darnit I just had a lot of fun with it! Of all the high-end items I saw at Toy Fair, this was definitely a “buzz-worthy” blaster in my book, and the one I came away wanting the most of the whole lineup from that trip. At this price it might make you cringe, but in this case I’d endorse the cost as being worth it for this foam launching monstrosity.

Questions? Comments? Did I miss something you’d want feedback on? Leave me a comment!

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Precision RBS: Rubber Band Shooter Rundown – Part 1!

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Super Impulse’s Precision RBS – Rubber band launching system

EDIT: updated with firing video playlist – 

The fine folks at Super Impulse provided samples of their latest offering, a rubber band shooting system called the Precision RBS. All opinions remain my own.
I first ran into Precision RBS at New York Toy Fair in February 2016. It was a new type of rubber band launcher, not to be confused with a previous brand the year before. Precision RBS offered something different from that previous toy in a variety of differences. It used normal rubber bands you could find at any major retailer, didn’t need a magazine, and most importantly HAD A FUNCTIONING TRIGGER. I saw 3 different models, each offering a little twist on rubber band launching. Aesthetically, I found the Precision RBS models elegant, with the smooth lines and round shape of the each shooter very different from many of the angular toys on the market today, adopting an alien/futuristic look, and the colors really stood out as well.
The Basics:

TALOS
“The lightweight Talos holds up to 20 rubber bands in two sizes, launches up to 30 feet and includes a built-in extender for even more power when you need it. It’s perfect for quick, smooth action.
MSRP: $14.99
Age: 8+”
CHIRON
“The Chiron has storage for up to 100 rubber bands, so you’ll never run out of ammo! Other features include the quick-loading design and a release option to separate into 2 completely different RBS Shooters, including a hand launcher. You’ll dominate your opponent with tons of ammo power!
MSRP: $19.99
Age: 8+”

HYPERION
“Nothing surpasses the Hyperion: with pinpoint accuracy and extended range! Capacity to hold three different band sizes, with extra side storage. Plus Hyperion has an unbelievable BURST feature and can launch 14 bands at once!
MSRP: $24.99
Ages: 8+”
Right away, the entire line is a relatively low cost offering, and with easily available rubber band ammo in large packs (and a secondary use as a tool around the house), there are a few perks before even talking about the toys themselves.
I mentioned my favorite parts of the aesthetics of the Precision RBS shooters. Besides the looks, the Talos has a very comfortable grip, and each toy makes uses of the body of the launcher, removing the necessity for attachments and accessories. The ammo holders are built INTO the body of the launcher, but by no means do they take away from the structure or the solid feel of the toys. Depending on the model, the ammo storage ranges from “adequate” on the Hyperion to “overwhelming” on the Chiron. But it’s these differences that really make for a compelling case at buying either model past the Talos.



The Talos acts as the “base” model of the line, while the Chiron and Hyperion are attachments onto the Talos that add another dimension to how you play with the launcher. The Chiron adds a humongous amount of ammo storage, along with the ability to shoot larger ammo and split into the Talos and a manually fired frame to shoot rubber bands from. For parents, this could easily be considered a two-player pack where one can use the pistol form and the other the hand launcher. The manual frame of the Chiron is easy to reload with practice, and can fire any size rubber band without an attachment, unlike the other models that can only fit one of the three standard sizes at any time. Here are the features among each launcher:
  • The Talos has an “extender arm” which allows it to shoot two different sized bands.
  • The Chiron adds an additional ammo holder and essentially a second manual shooter to go with the included Talos. Larger rubber bands may be shot on the Chiron as well when connected or separate from the Talos
  • The Hyperion can use small, medium, and large rubber bands, has an ammo holder for each type, and an undermounted shooter that sprays rubber bands or can shoot a massive clump of them at once.
The Talos pack is comprises of the Talos and two different sizes of rubber bands. The Chiron includes the Talos and the Chiron attachment/frame to shoot rubber bands by hand (and it protects your hand from being spiked by the rubber band upon launch). The Hyperion comes with all three different sizes of rubber bands as well as a Talos and the attachment for the Hyperion.
The rubber band ammo is pretty cool! Here’s how you load a Precision RBS launcher.
Why rubber bands? I’ll post an interview in part 2, but here’s a quote from the inventor, Ben Stack:
“What’s really awesome with rubber bands is the size of the band really makes a performance difference. Size 117 bands reduce the number you can load at one time down to 6, but increase range out to 50 feet with high accuracy. The size 33 is the sweet spot for indoor play in the middle, giving medium range, about 35 feet, and around 8-10 in loading capacity. Size 16s are for quantity over quality, giving you up to 12 shots with around 30 feet of range and close-in accuracy.”
The rubber bands aren’t a perfect solution, though. The smaller sizes are particularly hard to see and find again, even at close range. I’d be hesitant to use them in a park area with wildlife. I am not sure I would use the line at all outside in a park, given how difficult it might be to gather the rubber bands up again. Maybe a concrete outside structure, but I’m too worried about the local woodland creatures. Also, the rubber bands in windy weather lose a lot of “oomph” and are very hard to aim, if they even reach their target. Not unlike other similar toys shot in the wind, but rubber bands are especially vulnerable to the elements. These toys excel indoors, and given the amount of cover in a home and/or office, Precision RBS would definitely offer a very intense play experience. And if you’re worried about pain, it’s minute and extremely temporary. The worst I ever felt was shooting my palm point blank with the Talos, and taking a hit 10’ away from the Hyperion. Otherwise, most of the energy is dispersed seconds after launching the rubber bands, and contact doesn’t hurt a lot, if at all. Considering the “pain scale” nurses might use, it goes from a 6 to a 1 in a matter of seconds of flight. My biggest recommendation is eye protection, because accidents do happen.

Edit: I wanted to capture a few more thoughts I had on this toy after the initial review – 5/4/16

One really neat trick about the rubber bands is the ability to “shotgun” them on a single nock, or in the case of the Hyperion one big clump of rubberbands instead of a stream of them. You can also shotgun load them onto the ammo holders, which makes restocking your reserve ammo elementary in practice. While shotgunning is possible with other toys, it’s not quite like this, and it’s pretty cool!

I found the launchers in Precision RBS very comfortable to hold, it didn’t feel built for small hands as some toys in the 8+ range are. And even if something like the Talos is oversized, there’s always the Chiron, probably the most versatile toy in the bunch because of the manual firing option. I almost wish the Hyperion had a stock, but it’s unnecessary. Its omission also probably helped keep costs low on the line, and again I find the prices a winner. Even moreso because of the lack of inherent costs in restocking a proprietary ammo, since the rubber bands are available everywhere.

Ammo holders on the Hyperion
And don’t let the various types of ammo dissuade you! I’ve found that with practice you can load multiple types of rubber band ammo onto the RBS, and as I mentioned with the Chiron frame it doesn’t matter.
It’s ingenious how the Precision RBS launchers are designed. The shooters barely have any moving components, outside of the nock wheel, the extender arm, and the slide on the Hyperion. The rubber band ammo is a self-contained propulsion projectile. I see those factors eliminating needs for maintenance to the toys, leaving not as many chances for a launcher to fail or misfire during a game. No fiddling with gears or wondering if your plunger is damaged, no spring tension or air bladders to worry about. Everything about the launcher is right there in front of you. It’s that simplicity of the Precision RBS that I really like, combined with the cost and ease of use this is a good buy for anyone looking to add something new to their arsenal or activities. 
Stay tuned for Part 2 tomorrow, where I release exclusive F2A Q&A I had with Ben, the inventor of the RBS launchers. I’ll also update with videos on these launchers tomorrow as well. Thanks!