XD Rapidstrike "Whitestripe"

XD: eXtra Distance or eXtreme Disappointment?

It's finally here! You can put down your paint and tape, the Elite XD Rapidstrike with the long awaited white stripe has landed! While the white stripe and "ELITE" look pretty sweet it's not all puppies and rainbows...

Blood Angel's "Stock" Dart Analysis

Many of you may remember this little gem, and now, Blood Angel is back, with even more data on more darts! Without further ado, scroll down after the break dear reader!

Stock Darts

Dart Analysis & Comparison

 

We've been talking about doing an analysis/comparison for some of the new darts on the market for a little while now. Imagine how surprised we were when one of our readers and local players, Blood Angel beat us to it! Ok, we weren't all THAT surprised, we were kind of dragging our feet on this one. Those that know him know that whether it's making a pump grip Retaliator, a Foam Converted Arrow Gun , or even just storing his blasters, he never does anything half way. The same is true with this wonderful write up and analysis that was submitted to us.  Read on an enjoy!



(Picture heavy post after the break)

I Got The (Elite) Blues

Best Elite EVAR!

Ok Hasbro, what gives? Why do you make things so confusing? We've heard in the past that elite ranges were the new standard, and we were happy about that, ecstatic even. We were diggin’ reshells of our old favorites and lovin’ the new and innovative designs that were debuting. It was mostly easy to tell the difference from old to new, most of the old stuff was yellow. The few that weren't were easily distinguished by the blazon white stripe of the elite line.  So why Hasbro? Why are you re-releasing non elite blasters with elite colors?! First the Jolt, then the Barrel Break and the Reflex. To my knowledge these weren't the bestselling blasters to begin with, so I can understand not wanting to spend the time and money to improve them to elite ranges. So why repaint them?! Listen, I get it, you want more variety, but you want to phase out the yellow of old. Fans will see it as tainted and under performing. So, why not release them in a different color? Or without the white stripe? Or NOT AT ALL. I mean, they had their day in the sun, if they weren't great sellers why bring them back? You already have superior offerings at those price points and with similar blaster types. 

Dart Holes: A Solidworks Simulation

As many of you heard on the latest episode of Nerfcast, we had some really awesome content provided by one of our good friends Mitchel. With more information coming out in regards to the new suction darts it seemed like the perfect time to throw this information out to the community.  Mitchel's studies show the effect of the hole in the side of the dart's head on it's flight path and that it's more than likely not responsible for the instability of the dart. It's really cool to see some hard data and a great read. We're sure we'll see debates about this continue into the future, but this is really an awesome step in more information for the community. Once again, super big shout out to Mitchel!

We've included the document after the break, or you can view the document HERE.

***Warning embedded document after the break***

Mega Centurion on Amazon & Release Date

The Mega Centurion has popped up on Amazon.com. Listed as a for sale by "Nerf" and boasting a price of 49.99 & free shipping, this item is pre order only. It's is set at a September 1st release date. Will it be the same for brick and mortar stores? We don't know for certain, but it's likely that it'll start trickling in before then.

Amazon pre-order link: http://www.amazon.com/Nerf-N-Strike-Elite-Centurion-Blaster/dp/B00BG8F0IW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1372493018&sr=8-3&keywords=nerf+centurion

Special thanks to Paul for the heads up!

Elite Pinpoint Sights & Accessories

That's right, you demanded it, so here it is! The petition to get those Elite Pinpoint Sights we've all wanted to the shores of the good ole' U.S. of A! (ALSO: EVERYWHERE ELSE!!) We want Hasbro, and all retailers of Nerf products to know that there IS a market for these lil' blue buggers as well as other Nerf accessories. So click on the link below, the image to the left, or the widget on the right to sign the petition. Show your support and let's help build the Nerf brand!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/elite-pinpoint-sights/

Nerf officially announces Mega Centurion

Hasbro has finally revealed their new Mega Centurion blaster on their Facebook page. After a teaser of a red  page and the promise of an announcement put up this past Saturday, fans were in a frenzy to see Nerf's big news. Today they posted a link to the 360 View on Popular Science!

Facebook Post can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151515721923171&set=a.270863463170.145574.158498753170&type=1&theater

Elite Alpha Trooper Giveaway!

Want a FREE Elite Alpha Trooper?! 

Live in the US?  

Then YOU are qualified!

To celebrate the release of the Elite Alpha Trooper Nerfcast and Bay Area Nerf are giving one away absolutely free. You can be the envy of all of your friends for getting the best deal on this brand new highly sought after blaster ever! Did someone else clean out your local Target and brag about getting these for $6? Well fear not fellow Nerfers, now is your chance!

How do you win you ask? It's simple:

First go over to our facebook page at www.facebook.com/bayareanerf and click the "Like" button! 

Next send an email with the subject Alpha Trooper Contest to bayareanerf@gmail.com telling us something you like about the podcast! Be sure to spell the subject correctly as this is how we'll sort out entries and choose a winner.

Finally, get your friends to like our page as well! We won't draw a winner until our page hits 100 likes.

There you have it folks! The quick and easy way to get your hands on a new, in box, unopened Elite Alpha Trooper!

Thanks and good luck!

Contest open to US applicants only. Blaster and shipping costs will be paid for by Nerfcast and Bay Area Nerf.

Centurian Australia Rlease Date Announced!

Squadron Of Foam Tasmania (S.O.F.T.) did a little digging and Hasbro Australia has replied with a release date for the Centurian. When asked about the Longshot, Hasbro Australia replied:

"Hi Michael,

Unfortunately, Hasbro Australia no longer distributes this particular product.

The new range of Nerf Elite will have a comparable blaster; “The Centurian”, this will be available at retail stores in October 2013."

The original Facebook post can be found here.

What does this mean in terms of a US release date? We're not sure yet but hopefully they won't be far apart from one another.

Bay Area Nerf Exclusive: Nerf Rapid Strike Internal Pictures

Hey everyone! Some internal shots of the Rapid Strike have been circulating around the net. If you want to take a look at the internals before the blaster comes out, now's your chance! Note that none of these pictures were taken by us at Bay Area Nerf and that we cannot confirm the direct source of the pictures.

Pictures after the break!

Rapidstrike Box art leaked

New images of leaked box art for the Rapidstrike have cropped up online. The clear 18 round clip has been confirmed, and it looks like the acceleration trigger suggest this is another flywheel blaster. It also looks like Nerf is returning to the CS naming convetion with this being the Rapidstrike CS-18. Full image gallery can be found here: http://imgur.com/a/YUSvu

Original pictures found here: http://tieba.baidu.com/p/2270580934?pn=1

Phone Mount Mod for the Stryfe

Happy Easter everyone! We got a Sunday treat for you modders out there who are looking to record video during your games. Our buddy BFU has designed a simple and clean cam mount that can be used with the Nerf Stryfe and potentially other Nerf blasters utilizing the rail system. Full write up after the break!

U.S. Release date for Elite Alpha Trooper!

My Last Dart has new information regarding the release date for the U.S. Alpha Trooper! According to his contacts at Target.com, we will see it stateside May 15th 2013! Head over to his page for more details!

Elite Rapid Strike Leak?

Earlier today a Nerf Blaster dubbed the "Nerf Elite Rapid Strike" was posted on a European shopping website. Not much is known about the blaster, but from the design it appears to be an elite version of the Stampede. The design looks to include a switch for an electronic system below the trigger, but it is unknown if it's a semi-auto or full-auto blaster. The stock also has an orange switch, alluding that it might be adjustable. The website lists the price at 74.90 CHF (Swiss Franc), which equals about 79.10 USD. There is no official confirmation from Hasbro on this blaster or it's MSRP. Website link after the break.

Clear 18 round magazine?

My Last Dart has reported (via Lamlamomo at the HVZ forums) pictures of a new clear 18 round elite magazine. The pictures have since been taken down from the original source (Baidu) but have made their way onto the 'net.

What does this mean? Will the elite series be getting more color choices? Will these be for sale individually? Are we getting new colors of darts? Hopefully, all of the above.

Nerfcast Episode 7: Rebelle

Hey everyone, the new Nerfcast episode is out! This week, Josh and Shawn take a look at the new Nerf Rebelle line being launched for female audiences. YouTube link after the break.

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New Barrel Break

Photo courtesy of Toys "R" Us website

Looks like there's a new version of the Barrel Break IX-2 up for pre-order on the Toys "R" Us website.
The blaster sports a new blue paint job, but neither the box nor the blaster mention the elite series (other than darts). There's also a sticker on the box art that indicates it's a Toys "R" Us exclusive. With the elite Alpha Trooper being confirmed as a Target exclusive, could this blaster along with the dart tag line be what Toys "R" Us is getting? Will Walmart have any exclusive blasters? Hopefully we'll find out soon. This blaster is set to release February 22, according to the site.  Maybe once people start getting their hands on them we can see if there's any improvement to range.


The pre-order page can be found here:
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=18723366

Toy Fair London 2013

There's been a lot of information going around from the recent Toy Fair 2013 in London. We obviously weren't able to attend, and we haven't been able to find any official press release from Hasbro. However, Ash, who runs a UK based Nerf blog over at My Last Dart was not only able to go, but to get the scoop on some very exclusive intel regarding the 2013 Nerf season. Now, without any further ado:

Part 1

Part 2

Great job Ash, we're all in your debt. Not to mention we're drooling with anticipation! We'll wait with baited breath until you can reveal more about what you've found out.

Elite Alpha Trooper Confirmed!

There has been lots of speculation surrounding the production of an Elite version of the Alpha Trooper, including leaked proposed internals and an unconfirmed shot of the blaster. However, the bloggers over at UK Nerf War have some pictures suggesting that it will be available there in March:

"Spotted in the new Spring/Summer copy of the 'Argos' catalogue by one of our eagle eyed followers, the Elite Alpha Trooper will be available from March."

No word yet on a US release date, so stay tuned as details unfold. For now, we'll all hope that this doesn't follow the pattern of the Stockade, which still hasn't shown up here!  Also, interesting to note is that there is still no confirmed name for the blaster. Originally many rumors were disregarded as pictures show a fuzzy "Alpha Trooper CS-18" (or 12 as some claim, it's hard to tell) on the side of the blaster as well as the old N-Strike logo. This seemed to not keep in line with the new naming convention of the Elite series. However, with the release of the Triad EX-3 and the Rough Cut 2X4 it's possible that the CS-12 is a reality. Only time will tell.

The original post can be found here: http://uknerf.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/elite-alpha-trooper-it-real.html

Hit the jump for more pictures from some leaked internals that were originally found here: http://tieba.baidu.com/p/2075368632