It's been a month but it's time for a new blaster review! This one has been out for a while now and I've passed it up simply because it's overshadowed by much more tempting options but now I've got it. I've given the Modulus line plenty of crap for being simply a cash grab filled with meh blasters and accessories but this looks to be different. It's got an almost vintage aura of ridiculousness that you don't see in many modern blasters and it's got launchers! Who doesn't love guns attached to guns? Meet the Tri-Strike, the Modulus line's newest and most stupid blaster.
Size compared to an Alpha Trooper.
The Tri-Strike is the fourth blaster in the Modulus line and it feels like an attempt at trying to spice up what already is a pretty stale lineup. I mean just look at how bizarre the thing is with it's multiple barrels, exposed tubing, and top mounted launcher. It looks like an ergonomics nightmare but it's actually comparable to the Demolisher in terms of feel. It's a bit front heavy and when aiming the launcher blocks your line of sight completely but it feels generally very comfortable and sturdy. I will gripe that the mag ejection switch is located in a slightly inconvenient spot where it's completely out of reach from any of your movable digits while holding the blaster normally. This sucks but it can be worked around with a little practice.
The stock and launcher can combine into a standalone unit.
As you would expect from the Modulus line, the Tri-Strike's main focus is on it's accessory capability. I won't go into detail on this because I'm certain we all know Modulus attachment kits are generally useless pieces of shit that Hasbro charges a pretty penny for. The blaster takes pride in it's twin secondary launchers that complement the main magazine fed blaster; forming the triad of firepower. On top you get a launcher that fires standard Demolisher missiles and below, an underbarrel which fires Mega darts through a 2x2 smart AR system. Both are sadly push pull which instantly means promises of fuck all accuracy plus range depending on how much you lift at the gym, and it sure as hell delivers on those promises.
Internals are pretty standard for most magazine fed blasters these days.
There isn't anything to gripe about on the main blaster, it's quite solid. Damn solid actually. The action is very smooth and it hits nice ranges of 40 to 60 feet with average accuracy. The secondary launchers however... good lord. The nade' launcher on top of being absolutely horrendous to operate both attached and standalone can barely hit 20 feet with a good slam on the plunger. This is probably attributed to the amount of dead space between the plunger and the barrel thanks to that hose. The underbarrel Mega dart launcher hits slightly better 30 foot ranges but the AR system leaks air and it will spit multiple darts out at piss range. Internally the Tri-Strike shares much in common with the Retaliator family meaning that the extra $30 bucks you spend on this thing is only reinforced by two horrendously shitty push pull gimmicks that hook onto an otherwise fine blaster like tumors. I knew the Tri-Strike was going to be lame when I first saw it but this just sours my opinion of it even more.
The Tri-Strike is what I like to call a complete and utter clusterfuck. It's tries to do way too much stuff and the end result is just a difficult to use disaster that is completely underwhelming in it's two token features. It sucks because the main blaster is genuinely good and the two launcher attachments could have been cool IF they had some proper internals, but once again corner cutting totally ruined a potentially fun, goofy blaster. For that, the Tri-Strike earns a 5 out of 10. It's not worth the $50 premium over a Retaliator or something of equally practical equivalence just for stupid attachments. Save your money.
The Verdict
Class- Modular Rifle
Range- Good, 40 to 60 feet on the main blaster. A lousy 20 feet for missiles and 30 feet for Megas.
Size- Comparable to a Demolisher 2-in-1 with considerably more bulk.
Reliability- Possible jams. Smart AR system on underbarrel is leaky and misfires.
Ammo- 10 Elite Darts, 1 Demolisher Missile, and 4 2013 Mega Darts.
Modding- Similar to the Retaliator.
Value- At $50, it's immensely overpriced compared to less expensive, and more usable equivalents.
Is It Better Than?
Retaliator- No, the Retaliator is one of the most versatile springers ever made. While the Tri-Strike's main blaster performs similarly, the gimmicky and ultimately terrible attachments serve as no selling point for the Tri-Strike over the Retaliator. Not to mention it's nearly $30 bucks less than the Tri-Strike. Go figure.
Hi YALE. basically I dislike all things MODULUS but I do like the attachments which I sometimes repaint in N-STRIKE or ELITE colors... Also still enjoy the blog... the NERF stuff(Ha) 7
Yeah I'm with you on that, some of the attachments are pretty cool especially that blaster stock.
In case you were wondering why the Nerf content has been pretty low lately, it has just gotten kind of stale. Nothing all that worthwhile has been released recently and the cool stuff is too expensive. I'm just expanding the blog's scope in the meantime, but more dart blaster content will come. Just not in as high of volumes as before. Cheers.
I think the Modulus line is definitely aimed at younger kids who aren't concerned about performance. My eight-year-old nephew got a Tri-Strike for Christmas, and he loves it. He already had a Retaliator and a Crossbolt, but he has a ton of fun reconfiguring the Tri-Strike with the extra attachments he also got. The missile is amusing, but the Mega launcher is pretty mediocre. You really have to mash the Megas in to make sure the Smart AR works properly. I can't imagine it being practical in a Nerf war.
Personally, I like his Crossbolt...but only after I opened it up to remove some of the locks that were causing it to jam all of the time. It's gone from being the most problematic of the three blasters to being the most reliable. And while the crossbow arms are in the way a bit, there's just something really satisfying about the blaster, from the elegant loading mechanism to the twang of the string when you fire.
Retaliator- No, the Retaliator is one of the most versatile springers ever made. While the Tri-Strike's main blaster performs similarly, the gimmicky and ultimately terrible attachments serve as no selling point for the Tri-Strike over the Retaliator. Not to mention it's nearly $30 bucks less than the Tri-Strike. Go figure.
Hi YALE. basically I dislike all things MODULUS but I do like the attachments which I sometimes repaint in N-STRIKE or ELITE colors... Also still enjoy the blog... the NERF stuff(Ha)
ReplyDelete7
Yeah I'm with you on that, some of the attachments are pretty cool especially that blaster stock.
DeleteIn case you were wondering why the Nerf content has been pretty low lately, it has just gotten kind of stale. Nothing all that worthwhile has been released recently and the cool stuff is too expensive. I'm just expanding the blog's scope in the meantime, but more dart blaster content will come. Just not in as high of volumes as before. Cheers.
I think the Modulus line is definitely aimed at younger kids who aren't concerned about performance. My eight-year-old nephew got a Tri-Strike for Christmas, and he loves it. He already had a Retaliator and a Crossbolt, but he has a ton of fun reconfiguring the Tri-Strike with the extra attachments he also got. The missile is amusing, but the Mega launcher is pretty mediocre. You really have to mash the Megas in to make sure the Smart AR works properly. I can't imagine it being practical in a Nerf war.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I like his Crossbolt...but only after I opened it up to remove some of the locks that were causing it to jam all of the time. It's gone from being the most problematic of the three blasters to being the most reliable. And while the crossbow arms are in the way a bit, there's just something really satisfying about the blaster, from the elegant loading mechanism to the twang of the string when you fire.