How to Choose a Nerf Gun for Your Play Style

Taking Your Preferred Play Style Into Account

Run-and-gun. Don’t wait for your enemies to bring the fight to you—get out there and take it to them! Players who take the commando approach don’t stand still for very long and fare better with blasters that shoot quickly, reload easily, and have a high ammo capacity. Nerf brand blasters generally have a low rate of fire, so try something like the Dart Zone Spectrum or Worker Phoenix. Be sure to pack a secondary blaster such as the Dart Zone Storm Squad or Pro Mk.II for when your main blaster runs out of ammo (or, if you're in a high FPS game, to tag closer targets). Make sure it can fit in your pocket if you don't have a holster.

Play the defensive. Hang back and defend the home base or keep critical pathways covered by laying down a rapid defensive fire. Defensive players tend to post up in one place and maintain a limited amount of movement within the area. For these folks, blasters that fire in powerful bursts at close range will be ideal. This can also be a secondary role for the snipers, since blasters that are actually good (ie not made by Nerf) are usually all-rounders.

Lie in wait as a sniper. If you’re playing in a more open space, you have the option of a "sniper". Nerf "sniper" blasters do not fire darts from long range or with greater precision than assault-style blasters and handguns. Designated modded snipers can be a great asset to securing victory in a Nerf war, especially when you’re playing with large teams. The Dart Zone Nexus Pro is generally regarded the main entry point for sniping at $50 USD, though you might also fare well with the silence and range of a Zing bow (bows made by Nerf are extremely inaccurate). You can be a sniper for defense too. If you're out of darts, have a magazine refill and if you have a storage stock, store a magazine in it. If your sniper is completely out of ammo, have an accurate pistol like the Dart Zone Pro Mk.II or Aeon Pro. Remember, half-length darts (36mm) are better than full-lengths, since they're more front-heavy (but lighter), so they're more stable in flight. Patient players with good aim make the best snipers. When sniping, keep yourself concealed to avoid being forced into a showdown.

Be versatile. Do a little bit of everything. Run, jump, take cover, strike from a safe distance or get up close and personal to do your damage. Though different blasters have different functions and characteristics, it’s more about how you play the game. If you’re just in it to have a good time, you can make almost any type of blaster work for you. Simpler is better for players who frequently play many different roles. Pump-action springers like the Alpha Trooper and Dart Zone Conquest Pro are great all-rounders.

Choosing a Primary Blaster Based on Individual Specifications

Pick a blaster of appropriate size. Once you have your play style or role as part of a team figured out, equip a blaster of the right size to help you accomplish your mission. Most "heavy gunner" blasters are only that big for show. Most high rate of fire blasters can be compact and easy to move, eliminating the need for heavy gunners.

Decide how much ammo you’ll need to carry. Make sure you’ve got enough darts to survive the round. Snipers and players who pick their shots carefully will be able to get by with magazines that hold fewer darts (like 15). The run-and-gun types, however, will want to either stockpile extra cartridges or arm themselves with a high-capacity blaster like the Nemesis, Purses, or even Prometheus. Load up on extra magazines (sold separately) so that you can reload mid-game. It's recommended you modify your blasters to shoot half-length darts, so magazines like the Worker Talon mags and Out Of Darts Tachi mags are great options. Certain Nerf blasters like the Disruptor and the Hammershot are cylinder loaded, which means it’s easy to scoop darts right up off the ground if you need to quickly reload on the spot.

Attack from long range. Why rush in and risk a make-believe suction-tipped demise when you can pick off your friends from across the backyard? Set up a sniper post and wreak havoc on your foes from far away. Long-range weapons like the 3D printed Caliburn, longshot (especially modded) or even a Nerf bow-and-arrow can help you accomplish this feat while putting yourself at medium to low risk. Modded long-range weapons can send darts flying up to 100 feet, and some (like Bradley Phillips') can even reach 200. If the Nerf blaster is not modified but its range is high then it can reach a maximum of 65 to 100 feet. By using optionally available modding accessories such as stronger springs, brass barrels, and (if you're using balls) hop-up tabs, the range of every blaster can be increased up to 100 feet on the basis of their mod capabilities.

Wield two blasters simultaneously. You’ve got two hands—why not use two blasters? Simply pick up an extra weapon and keep those trigger fingers working overtime. Try it with smaller, easier to handle sidearms like the Hammershot, Stryfe, or even primary weapons like Slingfire and Hyperfire. What you’ll lack in ammo capacity and precision, you’ll make up for in having two of them. although this will require you to be able to carry and reload them, which is quite a hassle. Any flywheel blaster will do just fine, because they can be operated with only one hand. Reloading is pretty hard, but if you have 2 Stryfes with 18 round magazines, you'll have 36 shots before needing to reload. Take time to line up your shots. It can be easy to burn through ammo when you’re carelessly firing two weapons at once. This will be useless if you're using Nerf Elite darts, since they don't care how long you take to aim your blaster, they'll go wherever they want. Dart Zone wafflehead darts are best for most blasters.

Selecting Secondary Weapons

Keep a sidearm as a backup. When the big blasters run out of ammo, you’ll need to keep a smaller sidearm on you to stay in the game. Your sidearm should generally be the opposite of your primary nerf gun, for example; if your using a heavy machine gun like the Perses your sidearm should be a heavy hitter such as the aeon pro or a modded pistol. You generally switch to your sidearm when your primary blaster ammo is spent or it experiences a jam, it’s also wise to switch to your secondary when your primary becomes ineffective, with the above loading this might mean your targets being out of range. It may just be the thing that pretend-saves your life! Make sure you save a few darts for your sidearm. Many of the more compact Nerf blasters only hold between 3-15 darts. These types of blasters are easier to dual-wield, provided you’ve got the means to carry them.

Take out enemies stealthily with a bow and arrow. Opt for a bow and arrow over a point-and-shoot device in situations where you need to be swift, silent and deadly. Nerf bows shoot long, sleek “arrow” darts impressively long distances with pinpoint accuracy. The bows made by Zing are good options. The drawing and firing action of a bow makes significantly less noise than regular blasters, which often click loudly when they fire.

Consider using melee weapons, some examples are: Warlock Axe, Swift Justice, Vigilance, Marauder Longsword, Vendetta Doublesword, Strikeblade and maybe even a custom foam weapon. Add a little variety to your games by having everybody switch to a Nerf sword or battleaxe for close quarters combat. Nerf’s line of melee weapons are molded from a single piece of soft, sturdy foam that safely allows players to bash each other to their heart’s content. They can be strapped to the player’s back and used in addition to or in place of pistols and other sidearms. Best of all, they never run out of ammo. Be sure that these are made out of soft foam and your games have rules for them. Pair a sword with an assault-class like the Spectrum to become unstoppable in ranged or hand-to-hand skirmishes.