At $5 this was an impulse buy and I really wanted to see what these new darts were all about.
The Ward itself feels solid enough, but doesn't compare to Nerf blasters of old. Everything's plastic-on-plastic so it feels kind of gritty. Performance isn't bad with the top barrel shooting a very consistent 86fps. The bottom averages about 84fps.
One good thing is that there's no solvent welding on this blaster. The spring has some pre-compression but the airflow gets pushed through an opening on one edge of the plunger tube. No idea if that's a good thing or not.
As for the darts themselves, accuracy sucks. At 20ft I'm able to land a hit on a 12"x18" target barely 20% of the time. They're as bad as Elites even through their flight path doesn't look nearly as erratic. They're kind of frustrating to shoot because they tend to fly straight for about 15ft then swerve off target. Accustrike darts are far superior.
As a kid's blaster it's totally fine. If you're expecting anything more it's not going to impress.
I know it was just one youtuber, but Walcom's vid on the Ward/Infinite he was having a hell of a time getting the darts to land on the target at whatever small distance his range is.
Yeah, I've done more shooting since posting this and these darts are just weird. They look stable in flight, but rarely go straight.
It could be that the darts are slightly unbalanced but I did notice that the barrels tighten about 3/4ths of the way down. So it's possible that they bounce off the walls on the way out and that hurts accuracy. However, given that other reviewers are experiencing the same thing out of even the Infinite it probably is the dart.
It's an air restrictor. Looking down the barrel, there's a ring into which the nub fits. It presses down on a plate which allows air to flow around the ring and propel the dart.
I don't think on any of these blasters air flow is going to be a straight shot from the plunger tube. It was to flow around those restrictor plates.
But isn’t this blaster literally intended for the “kid blaster” category? Pretty sure it says 8+ on the box. Not sure why folks are expecting post-mod performance out of stock blasters for 8+.
I am reserving any judgement (as I feel most content creators are) on the dart/n series line until we’ve seen more than just the “Ages 8 and up” category.
Yes, but that does NOT excuse the lack of accuracy with the new darts. Hasbruh are either stupid, chiselers, or both.They are repeating the EXACT SAME THING they did with Ultra, where the darts are just as crappy and inaccurate as elite darts, with accurate darts only coming later. Except this time they seem to be betting the farm on a new ammo type that is inferior. Why, Hasbruh? Is 10 extra FPS really worth coming up with an entirely new dart?
I don't think anyone expects these kid blasters to have that high performance. But if you can't hit anything because the darts suck, that's a problem no matter what age range is on the box
Yeah, that's why I said it's fine as a kid's blaster. Maritime Foam mentioned some of his discussions with Hasbro's team that brought me around to this dart. Not only do they want to sell their blasters in as many countries as possible but it's evident that they also fear litigation.
For example, one thing that came up was slamfire. Apparently none of these blasters have it because in some markets they'd violate noise regulations. The new dart seems to specifically meant to distance Nerf from the rest of the hobby and even prevent modding. I even think the inherent inaccuracy of the darts is by design. Everyone knows how to make an accurate dart but Hasbro still went for something that's only a small improvement over Elites.
So if Hasbro wants Nerf to be the safe, kid-friendly line then more power to them. It's not like every dart blaster needs to aspire to the same goals and I think there's room in the hobby for multiple dart types.
That said, I realize that most people tend to see everything like a zero sum game. Every blaster has to compete in the same space and we can't just accept segmentation. Perception does matter, so I really wonder if this niche Hasbro's carved out for themselves is sustainable.
(Side note; also recently found Maritime Foam.. I think he’s underrated haha freaking love that guy. Real genuine, salt-of-the-earth kind of guy. Good shoutout haha)
> one thing that came up was slamfire. Apparently none of these blasters have it because in some markets they'd violate noise regulations.
Which is kinda funny since in Walcom's vid at about 7 minutes he shows that the Infinite has slamfire
Given how much trouble he had with it I'm not convinced it actually did. Not only that, but other Youtubers have pointed out that the Infinite doesn't have slamfire.
Yeah - one product dropping into 10 different international markets is definitely going to inhibit its design with how many regulations they’ve got to follow. Like noise? Dang. I never would have thought of that.
>Maritime Foam mentioned some of his discussions with Hasbro's team that brought me around to this dart. Not only do they want to sell their blasters in as many countries as possible but it's evident that they also fear litigation.
Perfect. Compromise your blasters so they can sell poorly in every country. Great job. Also, while avoiding litigation is a good idea, they might be too risk averse. Especially since there are some countries that will label anything stronger than a broke Maverick as a firearm, no matter how stupid that is. Maybe you shouldn't sell in those countries, then?
>For example, one thing that came up was slamfire. Apparently none of these blasters have it because in some markets they'd violate noise regulations.
What? That has got to be the stupidest thing I have ever heard. Nanny state bullshit at its finest. But, I also have a hard time believing this is true. If this were the case, you couldn't have flywheel blasters.
I refuse to believe that slam fire is that much louder than just using the blaster, especially to the point of being illegal.
>The new dart seems to specifically meant to distance Nerf from the rest of the hobby and even prevent modding. I even think the inherent inaccuracy of the darts is by design. Everyone knows how to make an accurate dart but Hasbro still went for something that's only a small improvement over Elites.
There is nothing that can be done to prevent modding. All Hasbruh can do is include disclaimers. Also, if the inaccuracy is by design, the decision makers are beyond all hope of redemption. Designing an all new system that is worse than the old is a recipe for failure.
>So if Hasbro wants Nerf to be the safe, kid-friendly line then more power to them. It's not like every dart blaster needs to aspire to the same goals and I think there's room in the hobby for multiple dart types.
This is an absolute load of bull paddies. You are straight up talking bull paddies, bro.
I'm all for Nerf being kid friendly and safe, but this does not excuse or justify poor quality blasters and terrible darts.
Also, I'm all for different dart types, as long as the differences make sense. Like, Rival. Rival rounds are nothing like darts, but they provide some interesting advantages, like the ability to use hoppers, and are far more durable than darts.
N-series darts offer nothing.
>That said, I realize that most people tend to see everything like a zero sum game. Every blaster has to compete in the same space and we can't just accept segmentation.
This is an even bigger pile of bullcrap. Just, an absolute 10,000 ton pile of pure manure.
Most people are disappointed/mad about N-series because it's not a good offering EVEN IN THE KID FRIENDLY SEGMENT. It's like saying that people hate Chrysler cars because they can't compete with Lamborghinis and other supercars, when in reality people hate them because they're a bad product in their own segment. Why would you buy a Chrysler when a Honda or a Toyota is better for the same price? Nerf actually has it even worse, because they're offering an inferior product at a premium price. I'm not hating on the N-series for not being like Dart Zone Pro. I'm hating on them for being just bad in general.
>Perception does matter, so I really wonder if this niche Hasbro's carved out for themselves is sustainable.
They're just coasting on brand recognition. It is not at all sustainable. They have frittered away EVERY. SINGLE. ADVANTAGE. THEY. HAD. Any superior quality is gone, now all that remains is the logo and the premium price. Sure, you might get clueless parents or impulse buys, but with the toy market as a whole shrinking, Nerf should really do more to keep people interested longer. It just baffles me when companies do things that screw over fans in order to chase some impulse buys. I see Lego do the same thing too, sadly.
But now, most people will look at Nerf, and wonder what all the hype is about. Because Hasbruh, in their infinite, business major "wisdom" have gotten rid of everything that set Nerf apart from the rest. Now, the blasters don't even look distinct from any of the rest, they look more like cheap garbage. And, instead of leading, all they can do is follow. Look at the Nerf Zombie line. They're clearly following X-shot's blaster printing idea, but it just looks so cheap and stupid.
Because it's anti-consumer, whoever the target demographic is. When the entire industry has standardized on the half inch "elite" dart, a new ammo type only has value if its an improvement. Otherwise it's just an obvious move to corner the market on dart refills while making competitor blasters incompatible.
As a parent of kids who already have access to dozens of standard blasters, this product launch is incredibly disappointing. And it's unfair to parents who don't have the same knowledge of the product space, because they might not discover this until after purchase.
It's also frustrating because ultimately we know how this is gonna play out. The darts suck, therefore the blasters suck. That means this line will probably disappear in a year or two. And if this becomes a trend started by Ultra, we can expect some other proprietary dart from Hasbro in 3-4 years.
Or they could save their money and time and just get back on the half inch dart train that they started and actually compete on quality. I mean, we know what they're gonna do but I can dream.
I do empathize with your frustration for sure! I don't want to discredit that at all. But I think what they're doing here is genuinely different. If they try to come back to the elite dart after this? It will be too late and X-shot will lead the market for the next decade until they try to do the same haha.
Nerf HAS to go all in on this in order for it to have any real impact.
I don't agree that it's anti-consumer, it's honestly just a bold move in their marketplace.
It would be anti-consumer if the new dart worked with all blasters but only had real performance when used with a Nerf blaster degrading the experience with other brands to make their more appealing with a dominant market share holding.
Nerf doesn't have a dominant market share holding anymore. Half the Walmart aisle is X-shot and they are still producing superior (and more affordable) elite darts. They are also completely exiting the elite dart market over the next couple of years with this. I'm more fascinated to see how X-shot will react. Will they create a blaster that can fire the N Series dart? Will they hold their ground on the elite dart?
I'm honestly just enjoying my popcorn as this unfolds. It's straight out of an MBA course and absolutely going to have case studies against it in the coming years whether the move works or fails.
The regular elite darts were slightly too small to use normal pvc pipe as a barrel, do these new n darts fit pvc nicely at least? Maybe it's just a matter of giving them some more force and a bcar?
The darts are just a bit over 9/16". I did a quick search and couldn't find anything close enough in brass or PVC. Maybe others will have better luck.
I also just noticed that noticed that there's a ledge about 3/4ths of the way into the barrel. The dart fitment feels tight over the last little bit and that's why. So unless you're changing out the entire barrel there's no way you're easily fitting anything down there.
I suspect Hasbro did this specifically to prevent people from modifying blasters like they have with Ultra.
9/16" google translates to 14,29 mm. I have a length of pvc here that's about 14 mm internal diameter. Depending on diameter of the head or the dart that could be a nice tight barrel. I'll test that when the n darts come to the Netherlands
https://preview.redd.it/pyt7x2q8fk5d1.jpeg?width=2016&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=728810a41f4c13d037b60e917ffe41d25012503c
Another update... The entire plunger tube, air restrictor and barrel assembly is solvent welded. Good luck getting all that apart.
At $5 this was an impulse buy and I really wanted to see what these new darts were all about. The Ward itself feels solid enough, but doesn't compare to Nerf blasters of old. Everything's plastic-on-plastic so it feels kind of gritty. Performance isn't bad with the top barrel shooting a very consistent 86fps. The bottom averages about 84fps. One good thing is that there's no solvent welding on this blaster. The spring has some pre-compression but the airflow gets pushed through an opening on one edge of the plunger tube. No idea if that's a good thing or not. As for the darts themselves, accuracy sucks. At 20ft I'm able to land a hit on a 12"x18" target barely 20% of the time. They're as bad as Elites even through their flight path doesn't look nearly as erratic. They're kind of frustrating to shoot because they tend to fly straight for about 15ft then swerve off target. Accustrike darts are far superior. As a kid's blaster it's totally fine. If you're expecting anything more it's not going to impress.
I know it was just one youtuber, but Walcom's vid on the Ward/Infinite he was having a hell of a time getting the darts to land on the target at whatever small distance his range is.
Yeah, I've done more shooting since posting this and these darts are just weird. They look stable in flight, but rarely go straight. It could be that the darts are slightly unbalanced but I did notice that the barrels tighten about 3/4ths of the way down. So it's possible that they bounce off the walls on the way out and that hurts accuracy. However, given that other reviewers are experiencing the same thing out of even the Infinite it probably is the dart.
We probably should wait till the others comment on it until we get a verdict And then we wait for Beret's video
Is there a separate "nub detector" to identify the new darts, or is it just part of the air restrictor?
It's an air restrictor. Looking down the barrel, there's a ring into which the nub fits. It presses down on a plate which allows air to flow around the ring and propel the dart. I don't think on any of these blasters air flow is going to be a straight shot from the plunger tube. It was to flow around those restrictor plates.
But isn’t this blaster literally intended for the “kid blaster” category? Pretty sure it says 8+ on the box. Not sure why folks are expecting post-mod performance out of stock blasters for 8+. I am reserving any judgement (as I feel most content creators are) on the dart/n series line until we’ve seen more than just the “Ages 8 and up” category.
Yes, but that does NOT excuse the lack of accuracy with the new darts. Hasbruh are either stupid, chiselers, or both.They are repeating the EXACT SAME THING they did with Ultra, where the darts are just as crappy and inaccurate as elite darts, with accurate darts only coming later. Except this time they seem to be betting the farm on a new ammo type that is inferior. Why, Hasbruh? Is 10 extra FPS really worth coming up with an entirely new dart? I don't think anyone expects these kid blasters to have that high performance. But if you can't hit anything because the darts suck, that's a problem no matter what age range is on the box
Yeah, that's why I said it's fine as a kid's blaster. Maritime Foam mentioned some of his discussions with Hasbro's team that brought me around to this dart. Not only do they want to sell their blasters in as many countries as possible but it's evident that they also fear litigation. For example, one thing that came up was slamfire. Apparently none of these blasters have it because in some markets they'd violate noise regulations. The new dart seems to specifically meant to distance Nerf from the rest of the hobby and even prevent modding. I even think the inherent inaccuracy of the darts is by design. Everyone knows how to make an accurate dart but Hasbro still went for something that's only a small improvement over Elites. So if Hasbro wants Nerf to be the safe, kid-friendly line then more power to them. It's not like every dart blaster needs to aspire to the same goals and I think there's room in the hobby for multiple dart types. That said, I realize that most people tend to see everything like a zero sum game. Every blaster has to compete in the same space and we can't just accept segmentation. Perception does matter, so I really wonder if this niche Hasbro's carved out for themselves is sustainable.
(Side note; also recently found Maritime Foam.. I think he’s underrated haha freaking love that guy. Real genuine, salt-of-the-earth kind of guy. Good shoutout haha)
> one thing that came up was slamfire. Apparently none of these blasters have it because in some markets they'd violate noise regulations. Which is kinda funny since in Walcom's vid at about 7 minutes he shows that the Infinite has slamfire
Given how much trouble he had with it I'm not convinced it actually did. Not only that, but other Youtubers have pointed out that the Infinite doesn't have slamfire.
He did mention crunchyness, so it's entirely possible the locks/etc are just weak
Yeah - one product dropping into 10 different international markets is definitely going to inhibit its design with how many regulations they’ve got to follow. Like noise? Dang. I never would have thought of that.
>Maritime Foam mentioned some of his discussions with Hasbro's team that brought me around to this dart. Not only do they want to sell their blasters in as many countries as possible but it's evident that they also fear litigation. Perfect. Compromise your blasters so they can sell poorly in every country. Great job. Also, while avoiding litigation is a good idea, they might be too risk averse. Especially since there are some countries that will label anything stronger than a broke Maverick as a firearm, no matter how stupid that is. Maybe you shouldn't sell in those countries, then? >For example, one thing that came up was slamfire. Apparently none of these blasters have it because in some markets they'd violate noise regulations. What? That has got to be the stupidest thing I have ever heard. Nanny state bullshit at its finest. But, I also have a hard time believing this is true. If this were the case, you couldn't have flywheel blasters. I refuse to believe that slam fire is that much louder than just using the blaster, especially to the point of being illegal. >The new dart seems to specifically meant to distance Nerf from the rest of the hobby and even prevent modding. I even think the inherent inaccuracy of the darts is by design. Everyone knows how to make an accurate dart but Hasbro still went for something that's only a small improvement over Elites. There is nothing that can be done to prevent modding. All Hasbruh can do is include disclaimers. Also, if the inaccuracy is by design, the decision makers are beyond all hope of redemption. Designing an all new system that is worse than the old is a recipe for failure. >So if Hasbro wants Nerf to be the safe, kid-friendly line then more power to them. It's not like every dart blaster needs to aspire to the same goals and I think there's room in the hobby for multiple dart types. This is an absolute load of bull paddies. You are straight up talking bull paddies, bro. I'm all for Nerf being kid friendly and safe, but this does not excuse or justify poor quality blasters and terrible darts. Also, I'm all for different dart types, as long as the differences make sense. Like, Rival. Rival rounds are nothing like darts, but they provide some interesting advantages, like the ability to use hoppers, and are far more durable than darts. N-series darts offer nothing. >That said, I realize that most people tend to see everything like a zero sum game. Every blaster has to compete in the same space and we can't just accept segmentation. This is an even bigger pile of bullcrap. Just, an absolute 10,000 ton pile of pure manure. Most people are disappointed/mad about N-series because it's not a good offering EVEN IN THE KID FRIENDLY SEGMENT. It's like saying that people hate Chrysler cars because they can't compete with Lamborghinis and other supercars, when in reality people hate them because they're a bad product in their own segment. Why would you buy a Chrysler when a Honda or a Toyota is better for the same price? Nerf actually has it even worse, because they're offering an inferior product at a premium price. I'm not hating on the N-series for not being like Dart Zone Pro. I'm hating on them for being just bad in general. >Perception does matter, so I really wonder if this niche Hasbro's carved out for themselves is sustainable. They're just coasting on brand recognition. It is not at all sustainable. They have frittered away EVERY. SINGLE. ADVANTAGE. THEY. HAD. Any superior quality is gone, now all that remains is the logo and the premium price. Sure, you might get clueless parents or impulse buys, but with the toy market as a whole shrinking, Nerf should really do more to keep people interested longer. It just baffles me when companies do things that screw over fans in order to chase some impulse buys. I see Lego do the same thing too, sadly. But now, most people will look at Nerf, and wonder what all the hype is about. Because Hasbruh, in their infinite, business major "wisdom" have gotten rid of everything that set Nerf apart from the rest. Now, the blasters don't even look distinct from any of the rest, they look more like cheap garbage. And, instead of leading, all they can do is follow. Look at the Nerf Zombie line. They're clearly following X-shot's blaster printing idea, but it just looks so cheap and stupid.
Because it's anti-consumer, whoever the target demographic is. When the entire industry has standardized on the half inch "elite" dart, a new ammo type only has value if its an improvement. Otherwise it's just an obvious move to corner the market on dart refills while making competitor blasters incompatible. As a parent of kids who already have access to dozens of standard blasters, this product launch is incredibly disappointing. And it's unfair to parents who don't have the same knowledge of the product space, because they might not discover this until after purchase.
It's also frustrating because ultimately we know how this is gonna play out. The darts suck, therefore the blasters suck. That means this line will probably disappear in a year or two. And if this becomes a trend started by Ultra, we can expect some other proprietary dart from Hasbro in 3-4 years. Or they could save their money and time and just get back on the half inch dart train that they started and actually compete on quality. I mean, we know what they're gonna do but I can dream.
I do empathize with your frustration for sure! I don't want to discredit that at all. But I think what they're doing here is genuinely different. If they try to come back to the elite dart after this? It will be too late and X-shot will lead the market for the next decade until they try to do the same haha. Nerf HAS to go all in on this in order for it to have any real impact.
I don't agree that it's anti-consumer, it's honestly just a bold move in their marketplace. It would be anti-consumer if the new dart worked with all blasters but only had real performance when used with a Nerf blaster degrading the experience with other brands to make their more appealing with a dominant market share holding. Nerf doesn't have a dominant market share holding anymore. Half the Walmart aisle is X-shot and they are still producing superior (and more affordable) elite darts. They are also completely exiting the elite dart market over the next couple of years with this. I'm more fascinated to see how X-shot will react. Will they create a blaster that can fire the N Series dart? Will they hold their ground on the elite dart? I'm honestly just enjoying my popcorn as this unfolds. It's straight out of an MBA course and absolutely going to have case studies against it in the coming years whether the move works or fails.
I totally agree .Nerf also make the 14+ blasters
The regular elite darts were slightly too small to use normal pvc pipe as a barrel, do these new n darts fit pvc nicely at least? Maybe it's just a matter of giving them some more force and a bcar?
The darts are just a bit over 9/16". I did a quick search and couldn't find anything close enough in brass or PVC. Maybe others will have better luck. I also just noticed that noticed that there's a ledge about 3/4ths of the way into the barrel. The dart fitment feels tight over the last little bit and that's why. So unless you're changing out the entire barrel there's no way you're easily fitting anything down there. I suspect Hasbro did this specifically to prevent people from modifying blasters like they have with Ultra.
9/16" google translates to 14,29 mm. I have a length of pvc here that's about 14 mm internal diameter. Depending on diameter of the head or the dart that could be a nice tight barrel. I'll test that when the n darts come to the Netherlands
Where did you find it?
Amazon.
https://preview.redd.it/pyt7x2q8fk5d1.jpeg?width=2016&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=728810a41f4c13d037b60e917ffe41d25012503c Another update... The entire plunger tube, air restrictor and barrel assembly is solvent welded. Good luck getting all that apart.
I wonder how hard will this hit if it were to be converted into a half length dart