Nerf Rival Khaos MXVI-4000 Review (10/10)

You're either perfect, or you're not me.

After the revolting experience I had with the Brainsaw I was on the hunt for some of the more desirable of the Fall 2016 Nerf lineup. I happened to find the Double Dealer and the Mastodon at Toys R Us but I figured I would check Target out and sure enough I struck gold. One of the most requested ideas for a Rival blaster was an automatic rifle, especially with the popularity of full auto Zeus mods out there. So Nerf decided to deliver and this is it, the Khaos MXVI-4000 and it's ready to kick some serious ass.

Size compared to a Stampede. It's big. Like really big.

Not much has been covered on this blaster yet so I think I'm one of the lucky early birds but this thing was not cheap. Once you get the Khaos out of the box it instantly hits you just how massive this rifle is. Easily the closest thing to compare it to in terms of size and weight is the Stampede but even then the Khaos still packs a bit more bulk. Fully loaded and with it's six D cell batteries, the Khaos weighs about six pounds exact with no place to mount a strap. However the blaster is quite comfortable with a large grip and a good stock length. It just feels very solid and balanced overall but be prepared for some weight.

The magazine is designed to be as easy to load as possible.

Then you get the the massive 40 round magazine that the Khaos packs; seriously this thing is wider than a Centurion magazine. Inside it are four 10 round tubes that have their own spring pusher which can be compressed and locked into place. The top of the mag also flips open so loading HIRs is as easy as just dropping them in. The flip open top is also designed to break away and be reattached if you knock into something with it while it's open which is very thoughtful. The angular design does make it a little weird loading it into the blaster and you might accidentally hit the open switch on the mag and spill ammo everywhere if you load it in with the frontmost part angled vertically. You eventually figure it out and get used to it but it's definitely different feeling from regular vertical mags.

Dual flywheels with a new belt feeding mechanism.

So it's big and holds enough ammo to clear a whole room, how does it shoot then? Pretty violently to say the least and for anyone experienced with Rival the Khaos is pretty much just a full auto Zeus which is awesome. It hits hard and accurate, topping out at around the 60 to 70 foot mark like the Zeus. The rate of fire isn't slow but it isn't too fast either making the Khaos very controllable in terms of rate of fire allowing you to conserve it's 40 round capacity. It does sound a bit louder than the Zeus which must mean the motors have been upgraded to handle the faster feeding. Instead of a repeating pusher mechanism, Nerf has used a new belt mechanism that continuously feeds HIRs into the flywheels. Another blaster, the new Hyperfire uses this same mechanism but the Zeus is much more consistent than the Hyperfire which seems to jam constantly. There are gears involved in this belt mechanism so I don't know if boosting the motors will cause any problems with this but general voltage upgrades and motor swaps should work alright in the Khaos.

The Khaos is a monster of a blaster with the performance and looks to back up that claim. It may be big and heavy but it's rather comfortable and the balance between raw firepower and precision with it's performance is awesome. It does have a few quirks in that the magazine can be a little tricky when it comes to loading it into the blaster and the lack of strap mount but those aren't too serious. The only thing I would like to see in the future with this is the option to buy extra mags(Next step is making a vest that can hold the damn things)because this is blaster that can very well be used on it's own without a secondary. The Khaos is worthy of a 10 out of 10 in my book because it's a very good performer dropped into an intimidating as hell package. Definitely one of the best stock blasters, if not the best I've ever used. Just prepare your wallet for the hit it's going to take.

The Verdict

Class- Heavy Assault Rifle

Range- Excellent, around 60 to 70 with great accuracy

Size- Similar to a Stampede but a bit bulkier.

Reliability- Jams are possible but so far I've had none.

Ammo- 40 High Impact Rounds

Modding- Loads of possible potential, voltage and motor upgrades galore.
Value- At $70, this is a very expensive blaster, but it's performance makes the price sting a little less.

Is It Better Than?

Nitron- Yes, this was the closest thing to the Khaos back when Vortex was still relevant. It may be full auto out of the box but it shoots so slow you wouldn't even notice. It's also notably less powerful than the Khaos. Plus the HIRs seem to be more stable than XLR Discs in flight. The Nitron is a big, heavy paperweight that now shoots obsolete and discontinued ammo. Khaos wins.

Zeus- Depends, the Zeus is an extremely good blaster and can fit the bill in a lot of situations. The Khaos and it can trade punches all day in terms of range and accuracy but the former eats it alive in terms of rate of fire and ammo capacity. However the Zeus is a more manageable package even though it too has a good amount of weight to it. Right now the Zeus has more practical uses since you can buy spare mags for it but you can't really go wrong with either.


Stampede- Yes, along with the Nitron and the Swarmfire, the Stampede was one of Nerf's last heavy assault rifle type blasters until now. It still holds a presence in the modding world being the only electric plunger blaster produced to use magazines and having potential for some serious power. Stock however, the Khaos absolutely destroys the now discontinued Stampede but this bad boy should still be part of anyone's armory.