Review: Nerf N-Strike Alpha Trooper CS-18

Nerf Alpha Trooper CS-18. It's Tuff. Really.

Nerf's much anticipated Alpha Trooper CS-18 is an awesome blaster. Coming with it's own 18 round mini drum with it's cues from the Raider, this blaster is light weight yet packs a considerable punch with an impressive array of features for quite the decent price and is rapidly becoming the blaster of choice for many Nerf wars.

US-wise, The Alpha Trooper CS-18 is officially supposed to be a Target US exclusive, but elsewhere in the world it is carried in other toy stores as well (albeit still featuring the "only at Target" sticker!) I received mine online in July. The box was surprisingly lightweight; this isn't a heavy blaster at all.

Alpha Trooper CS-18 box

Inside the packaging, it's a pretty basic kit- one blaster- check. One 18 round drum? check. 18 streamline darts? check. Good to go!

Alpha Trooper unboxed.. 

Off the bat, The Alpha Trooper boasts the same slam fire feature as with the Raider CS-35- keep pressure to the trigger and pull back the cock under the barrel and you can straight away have impressive rapid fire action. Distances are quite impressive and are proving to be better than the older range of blaster such as the Recon and Longstrike; Nerf have seemed to improve their firing mechanisms for their new 2010 range ..though I do only test it in close quarters firing. Yes, it does still use a reverse plunger but it doesn't feel at all "under tuned"; it's also quite accurate when requiring single shot firing.

Alpha Trooper CS-18 unclipped

The Alpha Trooper comes with it's own 18 round drum, that also takes it's cues from the Raider CS-35. It's surprisingly small (and some would even say "cute") and lightweight and takes standard streamline darts. Drums are more prone to jamming than clips are, but often this is due to operator error- take the time to insert your darts with care and you should have minimal issues.

Comparison between the Alpha Trooper drum and the Raider drum

Of course the Alpha Trooper's drum can fit in other clip compatible blasters- pictured here below with a standard CS-6 Recon. You can also see the size comparison between the two blasters.

Alpha Trooper drum in a Recon CS-6

In hand, the Alpha Trooper is surprisingly lightweight. It's easy to hold and quite comfortable, and the pump action style priming under the barrel is easier to cock than the Recon's top slider.

Alpha Trooper in hand.. Swoooit..

The Alpha Trooper supports tactical rail accessories, as well as allowing for the detachable stocks found on the Raider, Recon, Spectre and Super Soaker Shotblast water guns. It doesn't have any allowances for barrel extensions, but then it's long enough as it is.

Alpha Trooper CS-18 with Raider drum and Blast Shot stock

Overall, the anticipation and hype for the Alpha Trooper CS-18 is well deserved.  While it's a compact and lightweight blaster but it packs a significant punch with the 18 round high capacity drum and slamfire capabilities. It also looks awesome and the ability to add a stock to it means you can customise your "look" to suit your roleplay needs:)

I'd definitely rate it as one of my favourite blasters and would happily recommend it to anyone. They are becoming more and more available worldwide and they're priced at a decent cost of under 30 dollars AUS as of Nov, 2010. Whether you're just starting out, or have several blasters already, the Alpha Trooper CS-18 is an almost "must have" for your arsenal. Check it out.

Usability: 7.5/10
Out of the box performance: 8.5/10
Cool factor: 9/10
Price point: 8/10