Nerf Accustrike Raptorstrike Review (7/10)

Pop, lock, and drop it.

Nerf's new Accustrike series didn't have all that great of a start after releasing two arguably dull blasters. The Alphahawk, while it had a fantastic shell didn't have much more to offer in terms of performance or creativity. Of course Accustrike was destined to grow, and I saw more potential from the line with it's rather good breed of new darts. Now, Nerf has finally dropped us a what appears to be the heavy hitter the lineup has been lacking. This is the Raptorstrike, an answer to the lack of sniper type blasters Nerf has available.

Size compared to a Centurion.

I meant to review the Raptorstrike several months ago but got too caught up in work and school to find to time to type one out, so this blaster is kind of old news by now to some. That being said, this is Nerf's first true sniper rifle since the Centurion so it doesn't exactly have a huge bar to clear in terms of practicality and performance. The Raptorstrike is about as large as the Longstrike but lacks any sort of ability to strip it down into a smaller form factor. That being said, the shell is excellent and relatively lightweight, much like the smaller Alphahawk and you get spare magazine storage in the back.

This thing is flimsy and really doesn't serve much of purpose.

The Raptorstrike comes with a small number of "gimmicks" as I'd call it. The first is a front mounted adjustable bipod with telescoping legs. This is probably the best bipod Nerf has produced in my opinion but seeing as they don't get much practical use anyways, it's kind of a wash. The other is this kind of goofy flip up sight that springs up at the push of a button. It's kind of flimsy and if there's any part of this blaster that's going to fall off and get lost, it's this. For whatever reason, you don't get a top rail either, which kind of severely limits the Raptorstrike's customization factor compared to other blasters.

The bipod is pretty solid! But will you use it?

That all comes down to the blaster's performance; is it any good? The action is very smooth and the Raptorstrike can put darts down range at about 35 to 50 feet without much of a fuss, which is fine but it's no better than say a Retaliator or an Alpha Trooper. I think the heavier darts may contribute to the somewhat "eh" levels of performance but at the end of the day, nothing really jumps out at you. That's easily the most glaring issue with the Raptorstrike, along with virtually every sniper before it is that it's performance hardly backs up the blaster's size or price tag. To put it a bit more clearly, it just doesn't feel all that different or special. Sure it's fun to mess around with but as far as practical applications go, this thing falls short of almost any number of the smaller blasters out there.

Looks like every other mag fed springer from the past five years.

Internally there really isn't much of a surprise to any seasoned modder. You'll find the internals relatively similar to that of the Retaliator in terms of plunger size and spring strength. This great if you plan on modding it as this thing should be able to handle a vast number of things you can throw at it. At that point though, you can't help but wonder; why not just buy a smaller blaster with a more widely supported aftermarket?

The Raptorstrike is a fine blaster on all accounts. The performance is solid, the shell is excellent, and it's just fun to mess around with. What's really disappointing to me about this blaster though is really just that it's brings virtually nothing new to the table. You can buy a multitude of smaller blasters that would do all the same things for nearly half of the Raptorstrike's $50 dollar price tag. I mean really, the price really, truly sucks. So with that in mind, it's great for play but if you have any serious intentions, the Raptorstrike might not be the best blaster for the job. With that, it deserves a 7 out of 10.

The Verdict

Class- Sniper Rifle

Range- Good, around 35 to 50 feet with solid accuracy.

Size- Similar to a Longstrike.

Reliability- Jamming is a possibility due to the magazine fed system.

Ammo- 6 Accustrike Darts, can accept Elites.

Modding- Most standard magazine fed springer mods might work in this.
Value- At $50 it brings hardly anything new to the table, but at least it looks great.

Is It Better Than?

Centurion- Depends, the Centurion is probably the epitome of shattered expectations. While it is capable of out-ranging the Raptorstrike by a vast margin, it's performance is so badly inconsistent that it pretty much levels the playing field. It's colossal size and mile long draw length make it especially horrible in close quarters. Unlike the Alphahawk, there is hardly any modding potential for the Centurion due to it's over-engineered reverse plunger system and you cannot buy spare magazines, although Buzz Bee ones do work. I won't deny, even with all these faults, I love the Centurion because of how seemingly badass it is, but if you're going in blind, keep your expectations low.

Longshot- No, the Longshot was the first and amazingly, still the best. While it's out of the box performance isn't any better or worse than the Raptorstrike, and the front gun attachment is basically useless junk, it has by far the most modding potential out of anything in it's size class. The Longshot packs a colossal, no nonsense direct plunger and can take heavy spring loads without complaint. This allows it to hammer darts down range at over 100 feet while maintaining it's relative ease of use. Finding a complete one nowadays is a bit tricky although the cut down Zombiestrike model is still sold in store.



Ultra Tek Snipe- Depends, this was an unexpected gem from Buzz Bee. It performs remarkably well and is compatible with standard size darts and mags, on top of being dirt cheap. The issue I found with it was potentially crippling reliability. The bolt handle on my first one snapped off after only a few mags put through it. If you can find a means of reinforcing the handle, the Snipe is seriously good.