It’s no secret that I deeply admire the Nerf Rival series. My enthusiasm is evident in several reviews of Rival guns already featured on this site, and you can anticipate more insightful evaluations in the future.
Rival blasters are known for their power, intimidating appearance, smooth firing mechanism, and diverse range of shapes and sizes.
In this article, I will share what I believe are the nine best Nerf Rival guns, and I will also explain what the Rival series is all about.
Here are 9 Nerf Rival Blasters that are highly recommended.
Top 9 Nerf Rival Blasters 2024
Now, let’s examine these nine Nerf Rival guns in greater detail.
1. Nerf Rival Nemesis MXVII-10K
The Nemesis is considered by many to be the most popular Nerf Rival blaster. It is a high-performing, fully automatic flywheel and conveyor blaster with a firing capacity of 100 rounds, making it a game-changer in Nerf.
The rounds are loaded through a detachable hopper system designed for this purpose. It allows for the quick loading of 100 rounds and claims a velocity of 100 per second. It should be noted that this is a fully automatic blaster, which may not appeal to everyone.
The Nemesis is a highly enjoyable machine that has set a high standard for future blasters in the Rival series. Despite not being the newest blaster, the Nemesis remains one of the most popular options in the Rival series.
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2. Nerf Rival Artemis XVII-3000
The Artemis is a spring-powered blaster that was released in 2017. It is smaller than the Nemesis and features a pump-action priming system. With a firing capacity of 30 rounds, it also has a turret system at the front that rotates during priming.
The Artemis blaster has three magazines on top, each capable of holding ten rounds. When you prime the blaster, the barrel rotates and uses a round from one of the three magazines to fire.
The Artemis features single-fire and slam fire, with a big sliding handle at the front that serves as the primer. It is an efficient and ergonomic mechanism with a visually appealing design, if not somewhat intimidating.
3. Nerf Rival Kronos XVIII-500
The Kronos is a pistol-style spring-action blaster that was first released in 2018. It has a firing capacity of 5 rounds and carries a spring-loaded internal magazine.
Reloading, priming, and priming is a smooth process with the Kronos. Its attractive appearance and impressive performance make it a highly recommended Rival machine.
Pistol-style Nerf guns may not be suitable for everyone, but the Kronos is highly recommended as one of the top blasters in its category.
4. Nerf Rival Hades XVIII-6000
The Hades is a blaster from the Phantom Corps sub-series, released in 2018. It features pump-action and has both single and slam-fire capabilities.
The Hades blaster features an integrated magazine that can hold up to 60 High-Impact rounds. The priming and firing mechanism is user-friendly, and reloading the rounds into the magazine is simple.
The Hades and Artemis are similar in appearance and mechanics. The Hades has a larger magazine capacity and is a larger blaster than the Artemis.
5. Nerf Rival Perses MXIX-5000
The Perses is a compact flywheel and conveyor blaster introduced in 2019. It has a firing capacity of 50 rounds and uses a hopper system to load the rounds, similar to the Nemesis.
One notable feature of the Perses is its comfortable and lightweight design, high capacity, and impressive performance. It is a fully automatic blaster with a smooth and fast-firing mechanism.
The conveyor feeding mechanism, along with the hopper system, functions effectively and enhances the performance of the Perses Rival blaster. Although jams may occur occasionally, they are infrequent and can be easily resolved by removing the hopper.
6. Nerf Rival Prometheus MXVIII-20K
The second Phantom Corps machine on this list of best Nerf Rival blasters is the Prometheus MXVIII-20K. It is impressive and intimidating and offers a great playing experience, making it a valuable addition to your collection.
The Prometheus was released in 2018 as a fully automatic flywheel blaster with a 200-round firing capacity. It shares similarities with the Nemesis, although some may argue that the Nemesis is a more formidable weapon.
The hopper magazine is removable, allowing for easy reloading of 200 rounds. Once fully loaded, it has a claimed maximum rate of fire of 8 rounds per second.
7. Nerf Rival Takedown XX-800
The Nerf Rival Takedown was released in early 2020 and is a pump-action blaster that can hold up to 8 rounds. It features an internal magazine that can be accessed from the top of the blaster by opening a small hole through a priming action.
The priming mechanism with the pump handle at the front operates smoothly, as does the firing. It is important to note that it is a single-fire only, despite the priming handle giving the impression of slam firing.
The Takedown has a somewhat awkwardly shaped grip but is comfortable and fits nicely in larger hands.
The Takedown is a reliable and straightforward Rival blaster that merits inclusion.
8. Nerf Rival Roundhouse XX-1500
The Roundhouse, released in 2020, is a spring-powered slide-action gun with a 15-round magazine. Despite its bulky appearance, it is still considered a pistol-style blaster.
The Roundhouse features a rotating magazine made up of five integrated mini magazines that are shaped like tubes. Each magazine tube holds three rounds, resulting in 15 rounds. Despite its complex appearance, it is easy to adapt to and enhances the enjoyment of the experience.
In terms of performance, the Roundhouse is satisfactory. The only drawback is that jams can occur due to the rotating magazine if the priming action is not executed correctly.
9. Nerf Rival Pathfinder XXII-1200
The Nerf Rival Pathfinder XXII-1200 is a spring-powered pump-action blaster released in 2022. It features an adjustable iron sight, an integrated shoulder stock, and a detachable 12-round magazine.
The Pathfinder belongs to the Rival subseries, which includes blasters in a yellow and light blue color scheme and introduces a new ammunition type called Accu-Rounds. Accu-Rounds are similar to the classic Rival Round but have larger dimples to enhance performance.
The Pathfinder has two iron sights: a rear sight that can be adjusted and a front sight above the muzzle. The rear sight allows for both lateral and vertical movement.
Although the performance of the Pathfinder may not stand out compared to other Rival blasters, it has a pleasing appearance, performs adequately, has a decent ergonomic design, and is priced reasonably.
About the Nerf Rival Series
The Nerf Rival series was officially introduced in 2015, with the Apollo XV-700 and the Zeus MXV-1200 being the initial blasters.
The Rival series, officially known as RIVAL, was created to provide high-performing blasters for competitive team vs team play. Rival blasters are usually offered in red and blue color schemes, promoting team play.
A new type of ammunition was created specifically for the Rival series. Known as High-Impact Rounds, these projectiles differ from darts as they are small yellow balls with dimples resembling golf balls.
Naming Convention
The Rival Blasters have unique and interesting names, such as Artemis XVII-3000 and Prometheus MXVIII-20K.
The names of the blasters are impressive, and they were not randomly chosen.
The names have origins in Greek and Roman mythology. For instance, Prometheus is recognized as a Titan God associated with fire.
The letters correspond to Roman numerals that represent the release year of each blaster. As an illustration, the Artemis was released in 2017, denoted by the Roman numeral XVII, which signifies 17.
Some Rival blasters also have the designation (M), indicating they are motorized. One example is the Prometheus, a motorized blaster released in 2018, hence the inclusion of (M) and XVIII in its name.
The 3000 bit in the Artemis name indicates a magazine capacity of 30 rounds multiplied by 100. In contrast, the Prometheus has a capacity of 200, which is 100 multiplied by 200, resulting in 20,000.
To summarize, this is how the Prometheus MXVIII-20K was named.
Prometheus is a Greek mythological figure, M represents a motorized blaster, XVIII stands for 1820, and K represents 100 multiplied by 200 rounds.
How cool is that?
Safety
The target demographic for the Rival series consisted of older children and adults. Rival blasters were not intended for young children due to their high power. Additionally, the ammunition used, High-Impact rounds, differs significantly from the traditional Nerf darts.
The recommended age for Rival Blasters is 14 years and older, which is appropriate given their power and ammunition.
When the Rival series was released, the blasters did not meet the toy safety standards in Australia, resulting in their prohibition. This demonstrates the significance of this range of blasters.
In general, Nerf Rival blasters are considered to be safe. While being hit by a High-Impact round can be felt, it is not painful. However, it is recommended to wear goggles for eye protection.
Sub Series
Like other Nerf series, the Rival series of blasters includes several sub-series, the most notable being the following.
- The Edge sub-series focuses on precision and target shooting, and the blasters in this sub-series are colored lime-green.
- Phantom Corps is a sub-series of blasters that are marketed as non-team-based. The blasters in this series have a color scheme of black and white, distinguishing them from the red and blue Rival models.
- The Accu series features a new ammunition type called Accu-Rounds, designed to enhance shooting accuracy and velocity. Blasters in this range have a yellow and light blue color scheme and are equipped with adjustable sights.
Three blasters in the above list of best Nerf Rival guns come from different sub-series.
The Hades and Prometheus are included in the Phantom Corps sub-series, while the Pathfinder is included in the Accu sub-series.
FAQs About Nerf Rival Guns
What is the Nerf Rival series?
The Nerf Rival series was introduced in 2015 for competitive team vs team play. Rival blasters feature a red and blue color scheme and use a new ammunition type called High-Impact Rounds – small dimpled balls resembling golf balls.
What are some of the most popular Nerf Rival blasters?
Some of the most popular Rival blasters include the fully automatic Nemesis MXVII-10K, spring-powered Artemis XVII-3000, pistol-style Kronos XVIII-500, high-capacity Hades XVIII-6000, fast-firing Perses MXIX-5000, and intimidating Prometheus MXVIII-20K.
How many rounds can Nerf Rival Blasters hold?
Nerf Rival blasters have firing capacities ranging from 5 to 200 rounds. The Nemesis MXVII-10K holds 100 rounds, the Artemis XVII-3000 holds 30 rounds, and the Prometheus MXVIII-20K holds a massive 200 rounds.
What age are Nerf Rival blasters recommended for?
Nerf recommends Rival Blasters for ages 14 and up due to their power and High-Impact Rounds. Rival blasters exceed toy safety standards in some countries due to their higher velocities.
How do you load rounds into a Nerf Rival blaster?
Rival blasters are loaded using detachable hoppers, rotating magazines, slide action priming, pump action priming, or inserting rounds directly into an internal magazine. Loading mechanisms vary for each blaster.
What safety precautions should you take with Nerf Rival?
Always wear protective eye goggles when using Nerf Rival blasters. Although High-Impact Rounds are not painful, they can cause eye injuries. Do not aim Rival blasters at faces or unprotected eyes.
Can you modify Nerf Rival blasters?
Yes, Rival blasters can be modified to enhance performance and aesthetics. However, modifying blasters can make them unsafe and should only be done by experienced modders. Modifying blasters also voids the warranty.
What is slam fire in Nerf Rival blasters?
Slam fire allows a Rival blaster to rapid-fire multiple rounds with just one trigger pull by holding down the priming mechanism. Blasters like the Artemis XVII-3000 and Hades XVIII-6000 offer slam fire.
What are the Rival Accu and Edge sub-series?
The Rival Accu sub-series focuses on accuracy using new Accu-Rounds. The Rival Edge sub-series is designed for precision target shooting. Both feature unique color schemes and adjustable sights.
How are Nerf Rival blasters named?
Rival blasters are named after Greek mythology figures. The letters indicate the year released, while numbers represent magazine capacity. An M indicates a motorized blaster.