S.O.F.T Review - Nerf MEGA Centurion: It still has a long way to go...

[Alex] Hey Squddies, yet another over-due review from yours truly! :D

This will be my last "BIG" written review, whereas future reviews will be much shorter and more condensed :P

The Centurion has already made the rounds and been reviewed to death - almost literally - but I am still keen to *quickly* point out my opinions and ideas on the Centurion.

A quick summary about the Centurion before I leap into it:

 - First blaster of the MEGA sub-series
 - Fires the new, larger MEGA darts
 - Uses a 6-dart MEGA magazine
 - Includes a new design of Bipod
 - Features a tactical rail underneath the barrel and one on the top section of the blaster
 - Longest length blaster to-date - exceeding that of a fully assembled Longstrike

APPEARANCE AND HANDLING

Everything about the Centurion is "big" - the sheer size of it speaks for itself, as well as the new "big" darts and magazine it features. I still cannot fathom how younger, smaller kids are even supposed to carry this monster around though!

I really like the look and feel of the Centurion. It feels solid and design-wise reminds me of a mash-up of several blasters: Longshot base, Longstrike barrel and the Stampede trigger grip. The red colour is a welcome sight and the barrel's side panels design has grown on me. Holding the blaster into my shoulder feels nice and comfortable with my trigger-grip just the right distance away.

But one thing I do NOT like though is how the Nerf designers had in mind how one is supposed to hold it with my OTHER hand...

(Above) The only available large enough space for the off-hand to rest and support the size/weight of the Centurion is here: right in front of the trigger grip... it feels far too close to uphold the sheer length of the front end. But this just seems the be how Nerf envisaged the Centurion to be held :\

This is where my hand *WANTS* to go: it is a comfortable half-way distance on the blaster, without feeling like my hands are too close together.

The problem is... a magazine usually sits there to even fire the darn blaster, so my hand can't really go there. Trying to support the blaster by the bottom of the mag feels... awkward.
.

This is the only other acceptable spot for bigger guys like me; holding the front of the magazine while loaded. This still feels a bit clunky to me, but does not feel like I'm reaching too far forward either.

The Centurion would have been AWESOME if it had a bloomin' scope! Seriously; it is marketed and designed to be "like" a sniper rifle... don't give me that Call Of Duty "no scope" bull... gimme a pretty yet non-functional MEGA scope! D:<

A Longshot scope looks sweet on the Centurion... if only it was red ;_; time to get painting~

The MEGA 6-dart magazine is huge... in fact I don't like it because of its size. Even for someone with big hands it can be a struggle to un-load from the blaster, and because of its size it can be a pest to reload and carry extras around. I can understand why the magazine HAS to be so big...

...because the MEGA darts are massive too! I really like the idea of firing large caliber darts at my foes, and I am really looking forward to future MEGA blasters or mods to help improve MEGA performances - specifically "true" ranges and better accuracy (which I will cover shortly).

The new Bipod that comes with the Centurion is nice though. It folds up either front or backwards, and when deployed it makes for a good stand or support for when hiding behind wall cover or lying prone on the ground.

The only problem I find is the legs aren't quite tall enough for longer blasters like the Centurion; the back end / shoulder stock hits the ground a bit early, so you cannot aim up on an angle very high. Some have complained the legs collapse a bit easily, but I haven't had any issues with mine; it holds its position solidly unless I give it a really big intentional bump.

BLASTER OPERATION:

As many others have reported, this is where the Centurions' reputation starts to fall apart. Here is a quick list to keep it brief:

 - The priming draw action is very long - 3x that of a Longshot
 - The MEGA magazine frequently jams
 - The MEGA darts are highly inaccurate and veer off course drastically due to the lightweight tip and the two whistler holes
 - The foam tube thickness of the MEGA darts are very thin; easily prone to damage
 - The breech and loading system tends to jam / chew / tear / bend darts
 - The breech 'mouth' is made of thin and flimsy plastic. My U.S. version has already broken in two spots, and now struggles to fire darts properly.
 - The plunger tube is a reverse PT design which in short is a very inefficient system and difficult to mod without doing a complete replacement.

The biggest killer for me is that the Centurion U.S. version claims 100ft ranges (30-ish meters) ... I have only ONCE out of several hundred shots been able to get CLOSE to that. Most shots only go about half of that (even when angled up) but a few too many just splutter out. At first I thought I may have gotten a dud, or my darts had worn out, but it seems to be a familiar tale with other Centurion owners even when using brand new darts.

My breech area has already been chipped in two places simply from regular use. This happened when I took it to its first Nerf War... it didn't even last one round before it started having firing issues. I also suspect that the odd " V " shape opening in the breech is a bad design that usually bends / chews darts whenever they do not *perfectly* slide in.

One small redemption is the sound and "recoil" the Centurion makes - basically when the blaster is fired the plunger tube releases the air to fire the dart, *then* the breech snaps backwards into the open position ready to reload. This double-action gives a lovely "Ka-CHUNK!" sound and has a bit of kick behind it.

MOD POTENTIAL / IDEAS: 

This.... *thing*... seems to be designed for the sole purpose of making modders smash their heads into a brick wall of frustration. The plunger tube is near impossible to mod without breaking it open, and even then wouldn't do much to solve the issue. The MEGA darts themselves I really think it boils down to the tip being too light and those two holes for the whistle effect that causes inaccuracy. The foam tube is too thin, but possibly can be reinforced (looking into that).

What is available for "mod kit" purchasing at the moment is a simple conversion kit from Blasterparts.de to make the Centurion take regular size Streamline / Elite darts: 

BlasterParts.de Centurion Caliber Converter

There is also Xplorer's "Xarrett" kit which renovates most of the internals, including a custom plunger tube which excites me greatly :D - however at the moment you have the option of using Stefan sized darts or normal Streamline / Elite sized darts, and is a bit on the expensive side (but for good reason!): 

Xplorer Xpower kit for MEGA Centurion
So far I have yet to see a custom made kit or advanced mods that redeems the new MEGA dart system. I'd still love to use MEGA darts since the idea of firing a large caliber foam dart at an opponent for an epic Head-Shot is appealing for me -- whereas for normal size darts like Elites... that's what I have my Longshot for :P

What I plan on doing for my Centurion is foregoing the magazine system (which I find just chews and jams more than actually loading and firing...) and going for a singled approach; using a custom design breech that loads from where the jam door normally sits, and having it a proper sealed barrel system (kind of like a brass breech Longshot). My hurdles at the moment is making the MEGA darts accurate *and* fire a long distance; right now it's one OR the other, as well as finding a way to fix / replace the plunger tube system with something more powerful... maybe even a small air-tank?

CONCLUSION:

Well, it's a tough one because I really want to like the Centurion, and there are various aspects where I do. But at the end of the day it was supposed to be an awesome dart slinging machine, and instead we got a giant, unreliable, spluttering, dart chewing mess of a blaster.

From an Out-Of-The-Box-Performance view I only give it 3 out of 10 MEGA darts. I loved the look, design, feel and that recoil effect that it has, but I hate how unreliable and badly it performed.

For Nerf War Practicality (regardless of issues) it is rather impractical due to its size and limited dart capacity. *IF* it actually fired the long distances that it claimed it could *AND* be accurate, it would be a worthy foe... but since it cannot fire far or accurately, as well as the fact that mine broke during early Nerf War battle... I cannot give a dart score for War Practicality

For Modding Potential at the moment I give it a 2 out of 10 MEGA darts. Unless you want to change it to something other than MEGA darts (which even then may mean spending big bucks to do so) there isn't really anything you can mod except for taking out the Air Restrictor, which by the sounds of it doesn't help much anyways... But for me I am still determined to "get it right" somehow. The only redemption for modding is for cosmetically - I've seen some AWESOME cosmetic changes to the Centurion, like this one from JohnsonArmsProps:

JohnsonArmsProps Centurion

---

Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this rather long, delayed but eventually completed review :P just to finish up on here is some low-res *slow motion* eye candy for when the Centurion actually DOES work:

~ Alex

S.O.F.T Update: Alex eases his finger off the trigger...

[Alex] Hey Squaddies, I have an announcement to make.

As of now, I am stepping down from my 'S.O.F.T duties' of doing Nerf blaster reviews.

I am NOT quitting the S.O.F.T team though (and certainly will not be giving up on Nerf :P).

I will still be around for news and updates, providing modding advice and suggestions, and particularly remaining active on the S.O.F.T Facebook page for discussions (I am pretty much always around FB anyway...)

Every now and then I will be posting up 'mini articles' and my thoughts on blasters (new and old), but no longer in the fully fledged video or written essay format.

Why am I announcing this?

The main reason is I feel I owe it to our readers. This is for all the times I have said "I will be doing the ____ blaster review soon!" ... but either takes forever or never happens. I could have very easily just not said anything and just let it slide and hopefully be forgotten. But no, I'd rather get it over with rather than let it linger and cause future problems. Plus I still want to contribute to S.O.F.T and be a part of the team - just going down a different path that suits me better.

Why did I do blaster reviews? Because I enjoyed doing them; it was a great way for me to express how I liked/disliked certain blasters, how they worked, and to give advice on whether they are worth buying or modding, and to interact with fellow Nerf fans.

But doing blaster reviews for S.O.F.T to the level of detail and quality that I strive for is simply becoming increasingly difficult to uphold. I feel very discouraged seeing the days, weeks, months go past when I last did a review, and I keep thinking to myself "I have to do another blaster review!" and getting upset and feeling like a failure over not doing more reviews.

But that's just it; I used to do reviews because it was FUN to do; Nerf is supposed to be FUN! But if things are getting stressful trying to do an activity that I'm supposed to ENJOY doing, then there must be something wrong.

I eventually came to the conclusion that I am simply not in a position to do big video or written / photographic reviews like I used to or want to; my track record of reviews for this year clearly shows that.

I organise and run Wars for my local Nerf community; the Hobart Nerf Squadron. I do a fair amount of modding where I can, not just for myself but also for fellow HNS members. As the HNS group has evolved, my time and energy has become more invested in it. Combined with the fact that my retail job requires that I work Saturdays, means I don't get a nice 2-day weekend to work on big projects or spend much time on what I want/need to do.

Outside of Nerf, I've had a lot going on in my personal life - which needless to say, I will not discuss - but suffice to say it was a wake up call on how I run and manage my life which needed some serious attention. It has gotten to the point now that I feel like I'm putting too much on my plate for me to chew through to get done. Nerf is a big part of my life at the moment, and I want to look after my hobby, but I have got to look after myself first.

So stopping doing Nerf reviews is one of those things I've decided to get off my over-loaded plate, and in doing so get the unnecessary stress off my chest. I want to keep doing Nerf related activities fun; not stressful.

However on a more positive note; I *will* be doing a mini-review in the near future; a cut down version of the Centurion review that I was working on.

The future mini reviews will be *very* short, sweet (bittersweet perhaps?) but more importantly going straight to the point about what my experiences with the blaster/s have been like, and what mods I would consider doing. It will be cutting out a lot of the "bloat" that is either really obvious or self explanatory, such as how a blaster looks or operates.

So I hope you enjoy the upcoming mini reviews I have planned, but more importantly I hope you all understand where I am coming from with this post :) see you again soon!

~ Alex.

Quick Review: Nerf N-Strike Elite Pinpoint Sight - A PROPER accessory. :D

(Link) Hey guys! Hope this post is finding all my Squadron friends alive and well. Now, we all know about the history of the Nerf Pinpoint Sight, right?

The Nerf Pinpoint Sight (PPS) has a pretty illusive history. Resembling an SMG Scope, it has been praised by the NIC as being one the most 'useful' 'first-party' Tact. Rail attachments Nerf has ever produced, and demand has been high for this sight ever since it has been released under the N-Strike brand several years ago. But, it has remained under our radar for many a year, having never being bundled with a main blaster, only being released under a Mission Kit in the yellow N-Strike era, which was pretty rare to find. And of course, if you're a mad collector like me, you'll try anything to get one :P 

It HAS been announced that the PPS will be seeing an Elite 'remake/paintjob' and will be offered as a bonus at Australian stores later this year. Now, this news is rather exciting! A few of my friends from the mainland received 'Elitetified' PPS's as a bonus for being awesome :D

I received an EPPS, by luck or by chance (in this world, it is the people you know :P) a PPS from the one and only Uncle Neil of Canberra DT group fame, and when I picked up the package from the mailbox, I was SO ecstatic. I swear, my face was like this:

Uncle Neil, if I ever make it over to a Canberra event, I am gonna shake you by the hand. :D Now, I think we all know what comes next. REVIEW TIME! :D (Pic spam detected) 

The Elite PPS comes in a rather small box, with minimal box art.
Fun Fact: It is the same box art from the yellow N-Strike era. :P

Instructions... Always useful. :D

Now, has anyone TRIED using the EPPS on the Hail-Fire? No?
Good job, you get one Gold Star :P

Is that a blue Maverick? Well, that's just lazy. :P

What you get in the box is rather small, just the holy grail and instructions
 Even the instructions are simple :P But it gets the job done. 

The EPPS styling is VERY similar to an SMG Scope,
something you would find out of Call of Duty or Mass Effect.

I'll let the pics do the talking. :D

Not bad, eh? It is pretty sweet. :)

The crosshairs. Sources say the pane is on
more of a slight angle than the original, but I couldn't confirm this.

The light is a bit tiny if you ask me, it IS just a small LED. But it does get the job done :D

If you're not sure how the EPPS works, turn the light on, and attach to a blaster. The goal is to line up the light, the center of the crosshairs and your target in one straight line. I'll demonstrate this in an upcoming vid.

It is actually pretty accurate, with only a few darts going off-course due to the individual nature of each dart and blaster I've tested the EPPS with.

Requires 2x AAA batteries to operate, friends.

Mounted on top of a Strongarm. Line up the target and BAM!

Mounted on a Retaliator, it is a bit of a design flaw while priming,
but it DOES add to the feel and 'RIFLE' aspect.

The config of DREAMS. Ever since the yellow N-Strike days,
people have been begging Nerf for PPS's JUST for this config. :D

Elite Alpha Trooper CS-12 (Omega Trooper CS-25) + EPPS + Retali Stock + Rampage 25-dart drum = EPICNESS.

FPS view. The PPS does add to the blasters,
looking down the scope taking aim is VERY cool. :D

So, what do I think? It's a good buy, especially if you like customizing your blaster and collecting Nerf. If you ever find one going for cheap, grab it. :D Plus, there is that sense that you own one, one of the rarest items in Nerf history. :D

Now, the exact details for the upcoming Australian store deal for the EPPS haven't been confirmed yet, but as soon as we have some solid intel, we'll post it up on the blog. Till next time, Squaddies! :D

I swear, Uncle Neil is a Nerf saint :D

The S.O.F.T. Show: Elite RoughCut 2x4 Review (Shotgun Mania!)

(Link) Hey guys, new review time! :D For this episode, we talk Shotguns. Cause we love shotguns. :P But mainly, it's a review about the Elite RoughCut 2x4. :D

YouNERF: Nerf Blasters Edition | Dude Perfect

(Link) Gotta love slow-mo vids, right? The cool dudes at Dude Perfect give the 2013 Trio a run. AND IN SLOW MOTION :P

Link's Customisation Corner - Omega Trooper CS-25

(Link) Hey Squaddies, time for a bit of awesomeness. We are all familiar with the story of the EAT (Elite Alpha Trooper) right? It received a rather lacklustre reception here in Australia. :(

Thanks to our Head of Intel, Crispy, I managed to get a UK EAT. :D Great deal? Yep, considering it was FREE :P But when I recieved it, there was a few aesthetic details missing, and I was a little disappointed. So, I thought I might take this matter into my own hands. 

Squaddies. I'd like to introduce you to the...

OMEGA Trooper CS-25. :D (Epic Reveal Music activate!) :P

Expect to see a review on the Omega Trooper (and the Elite Pinpoint Sight) soon. :D

What do you think? Pretty cool, eh? Bearing in mind I only had book labels at my disposal at the time. :P

Nerf Zombie Strike SledgeFire [English Subs] [Deutsch] [HD] [Unboxing] [...

(Link) A VERY nice review on the upcoming ZS SledgeFire. Gotta say, I'm rather keen for it now :D

S.O.F.T. EXCLUSIVE: InterNerf - Saulsbury St. Studios

(Link) Hey Squaddies! This post has been a long time in the making. Wondering what it is? Well, I'll explain.

I thought about giving interviews with some of the big name bloggers/personalities a go after seeing some examples from our friends on the NIC. And who better to start off with than the fine fellas from Saulsbury St. Studios, the creators behind the popular 'The Great Nerf War' web-series. So, I shot them a few question via FB, and they got back to me today! :D 

Link: First off, I'll say: what a massive honour this is for us, and it's a pleasure to have you guys here with us today. Could you introduce yourselves, and what you do?

Austin: Well actually, this is Austin Hill, I play Edgar in the series and am the co-founder/caretaker of the YouTube channel, Saulsbury St. Studios!

Austin (Cpt. Sullivan Edgar)

Link: For those new to The Great Nerf War, could you give the Squaddies a quick synopsis?

Austin: The Great Nerf War is a web-series that takes place in a world where Nerf weapons are the only weapons and a civil war has broken out between the rising threat, The Belligerwitch, and The Peace-Bull.

Link: In case you guys don't know, we here at the Squadron are massive fans of your work. What was your inspiration to kick start this great series? (A huge love of Nerf, we ALL know that :P)

Austin: Well thank you very much! Well I actually created the series from a pretty humble and almost silly moment. I was playing Call of Duty: World at War (Btw, I'm a pretty big WWII history buff) and I would glance occasionally at the Nerf gun in the corner of the room which was a gift from a friend who has yet to appear onscreen! The idea just started brewing That rifle is the same one Edgar almost always uses; we call it Baby Blue. The night I shared the idea with my best friend - who plays Baineswolf - we filmed the Unofficial Training Video!

Link: When you first started, did you ever think that your series would reach this level of popularity in the NIC (Nerf Internet Community)/YouTube? I know for a fact, those first days of starting something new are a bit all over the place. 

Austin: No, definitely not. I am still shocked at its success! The training video got a much bigger response among our friends then any of our previous videos and that was really the start of it.

Link: The series has come a long way since 'Rescue Cue', hasn't it? 11 episodes, 2 seasons, and going strong. Do you have any favourite behind-the-scenes memories while filming? And any particular episodes that stand out?

Austin: Well each episode is very special. Everyone puts a LOT of heart and work into each one. I don't know if I can really slim down to really one favorite moment or episode but I can give a few OF my favs, lol. I love the journey/story that "Deceased Feast" reaches, it's our longest episode and was the hardest to make but it also packs the most in. During "Lost in Frost," one of the Bulls comes in on a sled and that wasn't easy to choreograph and at one point he flew right past the camera! Luckily we were recording! "Fight by Candlelight" will always be a very special episode to me personally, even though it is our lowest view count lol. We were just trying different things and the series changed a lot in that episode. There are literally hundreds of phenomenal memories/moments of filming!

TGNW: Rusted Trust

Link: What makes the series so great is the characters, in my opinion. Their personalities, the in-jokes, their struggles against each other, and of course, their signature blaster of choice The people that star in your videos, are they all friends, locals, or volunteers? (All united by a love of Nerf, I reckon. :P) And do they choose how they want to portray their characters?

Austin: Yup, they are all friends! I am a theater major in college so I have been blessed to be surrounded by tons of talented folks. They all kindly come out to help me. Earlier on, I had specific ideas for characters and approached people with who I wanted them to play, like New Mexico, Nhine, McSaint, or Soloman for example. Others were the creation of certain people but they had to run it by me at least lol.

Link: Do you ever get questions asking whether how good Commander Nhine or Firefly would be in a fire fight? 

Austin: Do I get asked that? Lol, well sure. I never wanted Nhine to even really touch a gun because I thought it would break the illusion we built for him and Firefly... I don't know lol.

Link: Two questions in one now, if that's okay. Do you guys film at locations locally, and how do you pick them? I love the episodes set in the snowy forests.

Austin: Yeah locations are a big deal to me. There are literally thousands of videos with Nerf fights in people's backyards and I am all about showing an audience something they have never seen before. I can never tell you where we are though lol, only because I want our fans to place us wherever they like. I have heard so many different ideas of locations that I think it would break the magic of not knowing. Yeah the snow ones are a blast, and twice as hard to film but twice as rewarding once we wrap!

Link: What sort of camera and editing software do you guys use? I would imagine it would take a while to get everything just right for publishing.

Austin: Well sometimes I edit and sometimes some of our cast have edited. We have filmed with several great cameras but the main one we've been using lately is from Florentine himself! He and his family have been essential in helping make TGNW the series the way it is today.

TGNW: Fight By Candlelight

Link: How does the making of an episode process go? (I would imagine it would start off with pen and paper/keyboard) And do you ever find yourselves improvising? (Making it up on the go) How do you guys come up with such awesome names for your episodes? There have been some real creative ones. 

Austin: Well I usually plan the episodes several in advance. I actually wrote all the initial episode scripts except for "Convoy Ploy" (which was written and directed by Florentine), "Fight by Candlelight" was co-written with Captain Harry and "Deceased Feast" was largely comprised of ideas from our cast. I plan a film day about a month in advance, rally up as much as I can and usually we just take a day to film. A couple of our episodes have required re-shoots but the bulk is always done in one day. We improvise some, I'm always open to new ideas so my cast knows they can contribute something if time is permitting lol. Yeah a lot of thought goes into those titles lol. We just try to find titles that correspond with the events of the episodes and go from there, ya know? Like "Fate Ain't Late," stemmed from me speaking out loud to the frustrations with uploading "Lost in Frost;" boom. Title. lol!

Link: The music of each episode is a highlight for many. Now, I do know you guys feature a band on your channel as well, 'The Jones Noir'. Do you have an awesome time writing and featuring your own music?

Austin: I am very glad to hear the music is a highlight! The composition and playing is me as well, actually. We record with the very very kind Florentine and his father (who is also a character in the series). The Jones Noir is actually me and the character who plays The Lion, and "Apparition's Mission" was the first time we combined forces - wait, actually that's not true. We wrote a tune for "Deceased Feast" that never got recorded. However, a lot of the score in that episode are the riffs from that song; kind of like the AM tune is sort of played throughout and then you hear the actual tune at the end.

Link: And just one quick general Nerf question: Is there a favourite blaster between your cast and crew? It can be any blaster. And are there any upcoming blasters you'd love to feature in future episodes?

Austin: Well Captain Harry loves that Optimus Prime blaster, I love Baby Blue. The Strife has been a big hit among us and I think more than a couple of the cast were frustrated that I put the Hail-Fire on the shelf like I did because they all wanted to use it! I'm actually a huge fan/supporter of the Vortex line and the Ravyn is always popular. Flo loves his duel-wielding of course, ingeniously cocking both without putting them down. I have recently seen that Elite RapidStrike - I think it looks pretty boss.

TGNW: Almost Ghost

Link: Any chance of a hint of what is set for the next series?

Austin: Well the war is supremely changing so expect some major changes to the series (in a good way of course), there will be lots of surprises. There is a new Belligerwitch leader, and she is pretty darn intense! We also are currently filming our five-part web series, "I, Batman" which I am very excited about!

Link: Well, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk to us today mate. And of course, we'll be looking forward to Season 3. 

Austin: Thank you very much, Link! This was really cool and you asked some really great and thoughtful questions. Feel free to ask anything else! I don't know if our series would have continued had it not been for such great fans like yourself. So thank YOU. 

- Austin (Cpt. Sullivan Edgar)

So there you have it, S.O.F.T.'s first interview! What did you guys think? :P If you and your blog/website/YouTube Channel/yadda yadda yadda :P would like to be featured in an interview, send me a message at 1835link@gmail.com and we'll sort something out! :D

[Review] Nerf N-Strike Elite Stockade -- FINALLY!

[Alex] Hey Squaddies :D I have finally completed the video review on the Stockade as I promised WAYYYY too long ago xD

The Stockade has been an interesting blaster for me to use both casually and at HNS Nerf Wars, but also to modify and review based on my experiences with it... infact it took me about four attempts that I wasn't happy with before I came to this final take :D I've certainly learned more about making shorter / more interesting vidoes ... I hope! D:

I (again) apologise that it has been so long since I've done any significant written or video material; I've had a lot going on in my personal life, things to catch up on and deal with, as well as running my own local Nerf community, the Hobart Nerf Squadron (HNS) which on occasion tends to take priority of my free time :P

On the other hand, I have a couple more videos to come, as well as a "new plan" that I intend on adhering to; one video per month, with smaller written articles frequently in-between :P

I also plan on doing some personalised vids specifically on my Hobart Nerf Squadron Wars and Events, as well as my own personal modded blasters and going over how and why I modded specific ones - especially the cosmetic mods like I did on my "Longunov" and "Iron Kurtain" -- so I'm excited to do that too!

I hope you all enjoy this review, and as always please feel free to comment here, on the Facebook page, or on the YouTube channel what you think about the Stockade or the review in general :D

The S.O.F.T. Show - Nerf News 4/07 & Elite Strongarm Review

(Link) The new monthly review is live! In this presentation, I try my hand at reading the news, and deliver the long overdue Strongarm review! Hope you guys enjoy, and sorry for the wait. :D

Bunker Talk - The MEGA Centurion WITH Link and Alex

(Link) G'day mates! Time for something a little NEW here at the Squadron. (It was Alex's idea, actually.) Every month, Alex and I will come together and have an online meeting/clash of the minds over Facebook, and discuss (until it melts) ONE Nerf-related topic until ALL of them are done and dusted. (Kinda similar to Hamish and Andy's Business Brunch, if you need more clarification.) Our dialogue/conversation is contained below, for you all to read. If you'd like to leave your own opinions about a topic, then go on right ahead. :D

This month, it's all about the upcoming MEGA blaster, the Centurion. My dialogue will be written normally, Alex's in Italics. Enjoy! :D

Alrighty! if between now and next week, take some notes on each blaster / series of what you think (like, dislike, effect on Nerf community) and I'll do the same, although I may add some extra Nerf War and modding elements to it - then we'll try and have like a Facebook messaging conference together, record the conversation, and edit it into a inter-review xD (This is how it was born, nice job Alex) :D

Ok, first off; what do you think about the Nerf Centurion? Lets start with what you LIKE about it.

Well, thank you for that MARVELOUS question Alex.

I have a certain respect for Nerf, and the quality of their products. But when they decide to make something this HUGE, my excitement goes through the roof. When I first saw the leaked pictures and a demo from Tony Stark, I hadn't experienced that same feeling since I bought my faithful Longshot. I just have a certain respect for tall/long things, being tall myself. I know the size isn't practical, but it does help with the 'WTF is Dat' factor. Also, it's set to be the next generation of the Longshot, so I am PRETTY keen. How about you?

(off the record: lol dat intro :P)

Well, leading on the fact that it is essentially the successor to the Longshot in terms of being big, sniper-rifle-esque and, hopefully, powerful.

I'm a fan of the red with white stripe colour, and I think it's a smart move in terms of not being Elite colours, nor the old N-Strike yellow. A lot of people were keen on the Red Strike limited edition Longshot, and I think the Centurion in Red suits very well.

So now, what do you DISLIKE about the Centurion from what you've seen thus far?

At this stage, I'm pretty much liking what I am seeing. Except, when you introduce a new Ammo type, there's that SLOW, agonizing wait for refill packs, and addition clips to be released. Six shots ISN'T much, until Nerf released refill packs. But this issue hopefully should resolve itself with time, as more MEGA blasters and interchangeable parts are announced.

Well, I recall somewhere that there will be refill packs and clips released, but whether or not they come out at the same time as the Centurion, we'll have to wait and see (although it did happen with the Hail-Fire and the extra 4x 6-dart clips and darts if I'm not mistaken? Or at least they weren't too far behind)

As I recall, it took a fair while for the Vortex refills to arrive here in Tasmania, or in my neck of the woods, anyway. Also, I'm still waiting on my orange disc refills, Nerf... I do make a valid point though, right?

Oh yeah, definitely - although the Hail Fire is a more recent example.

Anyways, back to where I was going with it.

Two things I dislike about the Centurion itself (aside from the extra darts and clips issue) is that it doesn't come with an aesthetically pleasing scope (although the only scope Nerf ever made which was of any use or accuracy was the pin point sight xD) but more to tie it in with the sniper-esque feel.

Secondly (from what Tom found on some Italian Nerf forum) the Centurion dislodges its clip by pushing the priming bar FORWARDS from the middle position. Pulling it BACKWARDS from the middle position primes the blaster. I can foresee this may lead to some jamming / accidental clip release issues, however I need to verify this.

Overall, the aesthetics certainly sing out to me especially the grip and shoulder stock area that is very reminiscent of the Stampede / Rayven grips and the Longshot-style shoulder stock.

Certainly, the aesthetics scream 'GET ME, I MEAN BUSINESS' (like Shining Foam said, it looks like something that was plucked out of Mass Effect, which'll look awesome with my N7 hoodie), but since it is confirmed when you DO attach the barrel extension, it WON'T come off, similar to the Longstrike's stock. Slightly disappointing, and it will get in the way when it boils down to CQC, when agility and maneuverability is the key.

I've always seen Nerf (well, in my life anyway) as more of a casual collector's hobby, and not so much SERIOUS FACE WAR toys. With the Centurion, I feel it is going to be more of a casual blaster, due to it's size and darts used.

We'll be adding more to this post as it gets closer to the release date for the Centurion, due October 2013 here in Aus. If you have any thoughts about the Centurion that we didn't cover and would like to share, post a comment below! :D 

Battle of The Blasters 2013: Round 4

(Link) Seems like you guys weren't keen on voting for either the Speedload 6 or Speedswarm. :( But thanks to any ONE vote, the Speedload 6 took out Round 3. Come on guys, I expected better! :P Anyway, time for the next round! 

That's right, it is the Firestrike VS Triad. Oh, a tricky one? :O Think hard, and vote for your favourite, either by commenting below or Facebook. :D

So far, our victors are:
1: Vortex Pyragon
2: N-Strike Spectre REV-5
3: Dart Tag Speedload 6