With so many NERF guns on the market it’s difficult to work out which blaster to get first and what accessories you need to make sure you can keep up on the blaster field. Our Beginner’s Gift Guide, part of Gift Guide collection, aims to help you find the best bits of kit for anyone looking to get into blasting.
The Intermediate Blasters
Strike Mega Series Roto Fury Blaster
The MEGA Roto Fury Blaster is one of our favourite blasters here at NERF Reviews. Not only does the Roto feature some pretty serious firepower it is also a lot of fun! Featuring a rotating 10 dart drum and slam-fire action pump reload you can send a stream of MEGA darts off in the blink of an eye.
Now for some clarification, the difference between the N-Strike Elite and MEGA range is the type of darts they use. Whilst the N-Strike range makes use of standard Elite darts (for a full list of dart variants check out our page Darts page) the MEGA range uses special “whistler” darts. “Whistler” (MEGA) darts are a little bit chunkier and feature a special “whistling” design (as the name would suggest) – this means that not only are you packing some seriously oversized darts but intimidating your foes with some hellish screaming (whistling…) darts to boot!
The Roto Fury has a range of about 90ft so a definite contender in both the range and firepower departments – a highly recommended blaster for anyone looking to up their blaster game – it’s even part of our Top NERF Mega blasters!
NERF N-Strike Elite XD Stockade
Whilst the Roto Fury may have awesome firepower, the N-Strike Elite XD Stockade is for the more tactical player. The Stockade promises an impressive 88ft range and automatic loading allowing you to quickly and easily pick off your opponents, re-position without breaking a sweat.
The Stockade has a few more tricks up its sleeve. Featuring NERF’s XD technology the Stockade has automatic (battery powered) reloading so you won’t have to waste time cocking your blaster before each shot. Whilst this is an amazing feature it does mean you will be burning through darts quicker than you can say “NERF”! To help with the rapid expenditure of ammunition, the Stockade does come with a detachable should stock which includes space for 10 additional darts – just make sure you always have a dart in the clip or you will be left high and dry!
(As a battery powered blaster the N-Strike Elite XD Stockade requires 3 AAA batteries and unfortunately these aren’t included in the box so you will need to pick them up yourself to avoid disappointment.
The Darts
NERF Mega
As we picked out the Roto Fury in this guide we are obliged to point out that you will need to pick up some compatible darts! MEGA darts are slightly larger than their Elite cousins, coming in at around 9.0 CM (Elite Darts are 7.2 CM) and won’t fit your Elite blasters. MEGA darts have a special design which means they whistle whilst in flight – not only will your opponent be feeling bad after getting struck but one of your amazing shots but they will hear it coming!
N-Strike Elite Glow in the Dark
As we are looking at some slightly fancier blasters, it is only fitting we look at some slightly fancier darts! In terms of flight and accuracy, the Elite Glow in the Dark Darts (12 pack) don’t offer much more firepower (they are exactly the same in that respect) but they do glow in the dark (and look damn cool)!
What could be more satisfying than loading up your newly acquired Elite XD Stockade with 10 glow in the dark darts and causing havoc in the night. Follow your darts as they fly through the air and find their target, listen to the cries of frustration and confusion as your opponents try and fire back only to find you have already moved position. These darts are a lot of fun and most have for anyone looking for a bit of flair in their blasting game.
The Accessories
If you have been following our guide you probably have yourself a couple of blasters, a dozen or so spare darts and nowhere to keep them all! At this stage we would recommend picking yourself up a Tactical Vest kit.
The N-Strike tactical durable and lightweight and allows you to carry additional kit onto the blasting field. When your opponents are down to their last darts you’ll be fully kited out with an entire arsenal in easy reach. The N-Strike tactical vest also includes two quick reload clips for even easier loading – just make sure you have enough ammo to keep them fully loaded.