Hello everybody, again, long time no post. This time, its more Nerf news, although not exactly new. Rogue One blasters are already being spotted in the wild in Singapore, and Accustrike leaks are now off the Nerf subreddit’s front page. But still, here’s my take and speculation regarding the new blasters that have or will be hitting the shelves soon.



NERF ACCUSTRIKE

Undoubtedly, the biggest gripe that everybody has had with Elite darts is their horrendous accuracy. Under normal conditions, you can’t expect a single dart to go where you want it to, thus becoming necessary to shoot multiple darts to get a confirmed tag. The hollow head of Elite darts pushes its centre of mass away from the tip, thus resulting in a loss of accuracy. Accurate alternatives include the off-brand Koosh darts, FVJs or Buzz Bee Extreme darts, but a Nerf only solution has been missing for some time (I personally prefer BOOMco darts, but they’re probably going out of the scene). With new Accustrike blasters being leaked, more info on new dart designs has surfaced. Let’s check it out!

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This is the Accustrike Alphahawk, a revolver style bolt action rifle, and no matter how cool that sounds, its a reshelled Spectre, down to the shape of the cylinder release. But, let’s not get too critical. The handguard and the trigger area look good enough, the rest, not so much. There’s too much negative space in the blaster, the curves and sharp edges are heavily contrasted, there’s no barrel, and the only saving grace is the adequately sized stock. But it looks good enough for extra swag points 😉 Winston Wong from the Nerf Singapore Facebook Page was the first one to report on this, and speculation regarding a new kind of dart quickly emerged on the Nerf subreddit. Gavin Lim Kang Jie, another Singapore nerfer (Link to his 3D printed parts store above) also found this, thus confirming the presence of the new kind of darts

Now whether this is an elite dart variant or an entirely new kind of dart is still not entirely confirmed, but from what it seems, it might be a new dart. Let’s hope it is.

Nerf Star Wars Rogue One Blasters

Next up is the Star Wars Rogue One lineup of blasters and playsets being released by Hasbro, with product info, opinions and of course, speculation.

Nerf Star Wars Rogue One Rapid Fire Imperial AT-ACT ($299.99)

Lead the charge against the Rebel Alliance with the 3.75-inch scale RAPID FIRE IMPERIAL AT-ACT Playset! The AT-ACT can be controlled by remote or smart device, and actually moves its head and authentically walks into battle. Features an armored cargo and cockpit that can transport multiple figures. Open up the playset to unload cargo and send Stormtroopers into battle. This powerful vehicle features rapid-fire NERF dart cannons and comes with 3.75-inch JYN ERSO, exclusive C2-B5, and exclusive IMPERIAL AT-ACT DRIVER figures. Includes one vehicle and three figures. Requires 4 1.5v D batteries, not included. Available at most major retailers and on HasbroToyShop.com. Available: Fall 2016.

It’s a remote controlled AT-ACT that shoots pews. Not recommended for actual Nerf battles, we already have an overpriced RC drone for that, thank you very much.

Nerf Star Wars Rogue One 3.75-inch Rebel U-Wing Fighter ($49.99)

Fly into battle with the 3.75-inch scale REBEL U-WING FIGHTER and its heroic pilot CAPTAIN CASSIAN ANDOR! This Rebel starship features NERF dart firing cannons and adjustable wings to switch between flight and battle action modes. Includes vehicle, figure, and 2 NERF darts. Available at most major retailers and on HasbroToyShop.com. Available: Fall 2016.

Chase down Rebel starships with the 3.75-inch scale IMPERIAL TIE STRIKER piloted by the Empire’s best IMPERIAL TIE FIGHTER PILOT! Recreate epic battle scenes from ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY with a NERF dart firing canon. Includes vehicle, figure, and 2 NERF darts. Available at most major retailers and on HasbroToyShop.com. Available: Fall 2016.

Nerf Star Wars Rogue One Sergeant Jyn Erso Deluxe Blaster ($49.99)

Charge into battle with the ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY NERF JYN ERSO DELUXE Blaster! This blaster features laser blast sound effects and GlowStrike technology that make it look and sound just like the blasters from the film. Rebels can attack opponents from up to 65 feet away and battle into the night with the blaster’s light effects and glow-in-the-dark darts. Includes 6-dart clip and 6 Elite GlowStrike darts. Requires 4 AA batteries, included. Available at most major retailers and on HasbroToyShop.com. Available: Fall 2016.

A $50 Stryfe reshell that, with the right accessories, will look like an MP-5, one of my favorite weapons. And also on that note, I don’t really have a problem with reshells. If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it. Flywheel semi auto setup is efficient, cost effective and simple, why change it if its already good enough?

EDIT: The moment I post old news, new news pops up. Here’s a Target exclusive version of the Jyn Erso blaster in a blue recolor, with an included Raider stock, a Spectre barrel, a Modulus scope and a 12 dart clip, all for a hefty price of $80. There hasn’t been so much want for a blaster kit since the Kohl’s exclusive Stryfe Mission kit. Credits to Gavin Lim Kang Jie for the find.

Nerf Star Wars Rogue One Imperial Death Trooper Deluxe Blaster ($34.99)

Nerf Star Wars Rogue One Imperial Death Trooper Deluxe Blaster ($34.99)

Choose the Dark Side with this ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY NERF IMPERIAL DEATH TROOPER DELUXE Blaster! GlowStrike technology light effects and glow-in-the-dark darts are perfect for sneak attacks against the Rebel Alliance. Pump-action blasting fires 3 darts in a row, making sure opposing forces don’t stand a chance against the Empire. Includes 3 Elite GlowStrike darts. Requires 3 AAA batteries, included. Available at most major retailers and on HasbroToyShop.com. Available: Fall 2016.

I was hoping it would be a shotgun style front loading blaster, but it turned out to be an overbuilt, overpriced Triad.

Nerf Star Wars Rogue One Captain Cassian Andor Blaster ($19.99)

Fight alongside the Rebels with the ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY NERF CAPTAIN CASSIAN ANDOR Blaster! Featuring GlowStrike technology light effects and glow-in-the-dark darts, missions won’t have to end when the sun goes down. This front-load, single-shot blaster will have Stormtroopers running for cover! Includes 3 Elite GlowStrike darts. Requires 3 AAA batteries, included. Available at most major retailers and on HasbroToyShop.com. Available: Fall 2016.

Nerf Star Wars Rogue One GlowStrike Dart Refill ($9.99)

Stock up on these glow-in-the-dark darts and be ready for galactic battles! This refill pack includes 14 Nerf Elite foam darts that glow when used with Star Wars Nerf GlowStrike blasters (sold separately). Available: Fall 2016.

Also, there’s this new Elite blaster that showed up on Blasterparts

Its a sleeker, non-cylinder flipping out Strongarm, and it reminds me of the Cycloneshock. There’s nothing wrong with it, of course, but we kinda had it already, so no complaints.

Well that sums it up for today. A big thanks to Blasterhub and Gizmodo for the info on Rogue One blasters. I’ll be seeing you soon with more news, reviews and more!