Size Matters

One of the things I tend to see a lot of when I loan out blasters to use for Nerf Games is that folks are often drawn to the larger blasters.  There's a connection in their minds that the Bigger the Blaster, the better it is and I've always thought it was funny to see how it unfolded to not always be the case.

More after the Jump>>


Smaller blasters, like single-shot front-loading pistols, can be just as lethal on the battleground as the guy with the big blaster, if not more.  In a game where speed and agility is usually a key force to winning, lugging around a Vulcan and extra ammo belts may not get you a victory.  While it might have better firepower or you may have modded it to shoot faster, farther, better than before, a big blaster will always slow you down, no matter how strong or fast you are.  I can speak from personal experience with this when I took my modified Vulcan out for a spin.  At first, it was great keeping my foes at bay with it's firepower and range, but once I was out of 25-round ammo belts and scrambling to reload it, it was just a gigantic hunk of plastic.  Another attacker was using a Raider CS-35 with the iconic drum they come with.  He too found himself in serious trouble when he had spent the 35 streamline darts and was running around searching for ammo.

I'm not saying a small blaster is the way to win, but instead that we shouldn't discount their usefulness and abilities.  This is why a lot of folks carry a "Sidearm" or backup blaster with them, too.  There was a point where I was using nothing but my modified NiteFinder, leaving my hulking Vulcan on the sidelines, taking careful aim with it and being more effective with a single-shot.  I also ran into times when I wished I still had that firepower though, as a single-shot blaster doesn't lend itself well to handling more than one opponent, like when a team is rushing you.

I suppose the thing to take from all this is not to let the size of a blaster determine your choice.  That, and if you're going to use a big blaster, take a sidearm with you.  Smaller blasters like the Jolt, Secret Strike, Scout, and other pocket-sized blasters work great.  However, if you want your sidearm to have a little more "oomph", but also want it to be easily stored, tomorrow I'll have a review up of a holster that could be very useful to Nerfers and Laser Taggers alike.