Monday, October 24, 2011

Nerf N-Strike Rayven CS-18 – Battle Test!

Photo courtesy of the Canberra & Southern NSW DartTag crew
Our man Neil took the range tests for the Rayven CS-18 one step further and brought it into a Nerf war situation to see how it faired in "real world" battle. If you've seen the videos to date, you'll know that with voltage mod, these puppies are making some pretty impressive ranges, but how does that fare when under fire from others?

Full review after the jump.



Where: Nerf Survivor 2 (Urban Combat).
Test conditions: 16.8 volts with 35 drum, 18 drum and 18 straight clip.

First things first. Make sure you check Urban Taggers range test videos here on the blog and my own battle test videos on the Canberra & Southern NSW Dart Tag (Nerf Wars, HvZ) page. OK. Sitting comfortably?

The phrase ‘game changer’ is one I’ve heard a few times bandied about whenever Nerf releases something new. I heard it about the Stampede and the entire Vortex range. Stampedes are still certainly much in evidence at HvZ games around the world yet the undead shamble ever onward still. The Nitron? Praxis? Don’t even go there. After all the hype about the new Vortex range I – along with many of you – leave them at home. Thats not to say my Vortex gear doesnt get a good a work out – I just use them exclusively for indoor Nerf games. But the Rayven is a different proposition entirely.

Whether you intend dual wield, use it as a single primary, or your secondary, the Rayven is going to have a large impact out there at the pointy end.

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Lets talk about how I went rolling with one of these bad boys in ‘battlefield’ conditions.

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 The main complaint you hear from people about flywheel blasters is they’re noisy and you can’t hide or go ‘stealth’. Putting aside how ridiculous this comment is in the first place – I mean who goes to a Nerf War/HvZ event and spends their day hiding? ‘Sniper’ wannabes who play way too much COD? Pfft.

But I digress. The Rayven has the same set up as the Nitron, so as opposed to the Barricade the flywheels and motor are only spinning when you activate them via the second trigger. So you can still easily sneak around and then let rip. The flywheels do spin up pretty quickly. I had to be fast on the draw a couple of times and it didnt let me down there I’m happy to say. We are talking close range here though – rushing corners etc – so you wouldnt be expecting the distance from the shots you would if the flywheels had had a proper chance to fire up fully.

At 16.8 volts it sounds like a chainsaw. So yeah, once you start firing people know where you are. Thats not an issue to me, and trust me it wont really be an issue to you either. Simply because 25 metres away the guy trying to get a shot away with his Longshot just got sprayed with 10 darts by you. Seriously girls and boys there were several instances at the Nerf: Survivor 2 game when the opposition literally melted away from me. I was spraying a 35 drum as fast as my little trigger finger was letting me and at consistent 25 – 30 metre ranges. And you would no doubt notice from the videos that some darts did just dribble out of the barrel. That was a combination of old (and soft) darts and user error. Others of course helicoptered out (again ‘bad’ darts) or veered wildly off in all directions.

Having said that, my Whiteout LongStrike with Orange Mod Works Stage 1 kit does the same thing. The difference being with the Longstrike I’d be pushing one decently aimed shot every second. With the Rayven in that time I’ve already got 3 darts in the air. And really the accuracy of the Rayven is pretty good considering youre working with Streamline darts being fired under extreme stress. Suppression fire at targets 25 – 30 metres away? Its an amazingly valuable thing when you are faced with multiple opponents. 

Feedback from attendees at our event was all very positive about the Rayven. Or rather positive in a negative way: “...Neil you’re a freaking menace with that thing...” and “...that thing is just wild...”. A quick show of hands had just about everyone getting one – if not two! Which brings me back to HvZ and the prospect of dual wielding these puppies. Even with a 35 drum in the blaster its very light and the drums dont really get in the way. Ergonomically the 18 drum works best. Its also worth mentioning at this point the Rayven has a lot more in common with the Nitron than the Barricade. There are locks all over the place. A ‘reversed’ 35 drum didnt work with the Rayven because of the magazine locks.

So bearing all that in mind I’m going to put it out there and say that a bunch guys n gals dual-wielding Rayvens with 35 drums is going to have a serious impact not only on HvZ but Nerf games as well. In my experience with HvZ your effective engagement distance (i.e. where the shizz goes down) is 0 - 20 metres. You’ll now be able to push that back to 25 – 30 metres with an absolute shower of darts and get yourself some serious breathing space from the hoard no problems.

 If we’re talking Nerf events we’re talking about the ‘golden hundred’. That 100 feet mark by which many measure their Nerf modding skills (and manhood – or lack thereof) on. As you’ve seen with Pocket's range test vid of the Rayven at 16 volts it’ll do the golden hundred and then a bit more. Of course the burning question is how long the Rayven will take the extra voltage before it dies. I have no idea but I’m going to have fun finding out.

So in conclusion when the Rayven is out on general release I’ll be picking up a couple more. And Nerf are going to to have to release something pretty spectacular after this for me to think about ever buying a new blaster. Its that good.

 Note: Photos of the internals you say? Check the Canberra & Southern NSW Dart Tag page this coming Tuesday night (Australian Eastern Summer Time).

41 comments:

  1. Can't wait until this comes out!!

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  2. Snipers aye? I guess your wars don't have blasters that shoot up to 80metres. Not dick waving or anything, but that thing is nothing compared to what you've already seen..

    P.S. I still think this sucks outdoors. Much more of an indoor application for an 'urban setting'. It's not like it's your aim to convince me that this blaster is great, but I'm still not convinced. All I hear is bzzzzz in that video, nothing else.

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  3. Also... the Longshots you see at your wars are crap. I've seen longshots hit the 50-60metre mark at our wars. Try spraying from that far away. Oh yeah, I didn't think you could. We have players who can hit players from that distance too which is crazy.

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  4. Very nice. I can't wait for it to come out here in the states so I can get 2.

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  5. Loving the rayven already! Would the voltage increase damage it though? I think the rayven is perfect enough, i wouldn't modify it.

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  6. an excellent review Neil, i am most impressed with this new 'weapon' cheers for your comprehensive write up! sam

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  7. Speaking as someone on the receiving end of the damnable thing, the difference it made to gameplay was quite incredible.

    Running away wasn't much of an option most of the time(although I tried). However, it was still vulnerable in close quarters (if you can see Neil, and not hear him, you got a decent shot before getting hosed with darts). Still, when the day comes that everyone's wandering around dual wielding these things, it'll be a dart maker's paradise.

    Given we run with stock darts at our wars, and darts of varying quality and age, the performance was no less impressive. I'd genuinely fear that thing on weighted stefans for power and range.

    Oh, and as for sniping? We've got gear that snipes. This thing borders on artillery fire. When we can mount a cluster of them together as StormRayvens, it's fighting in the foam shade time...

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  8. @anon

    please do realise that we run with stock darts and not stefens, if we did go with stephens i'd be hitting 60m easy with longshots. as this is safety issue that our group has agreed on

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  9. no doubt it wasn't intended to be a sniper, anyone who complains about the noise should realize there are plenty of "quiet" or "sniper" blasters available already. this thing looks insane at close range, a tough opponent for a modded stampede or a slamfire gun. killer reviews of this monster!

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  10. @anon who replied at the post - You think we use stefans? Righto buddy. We actually use silicone moulded silicone tipped darts. Stock darts are shit, and what we use is still safe. Ask UrbanTaggers about it. I sent him a few samples.

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  11. And you wonder why I don't want you on my page Thanh when make you continue to make disparaging remarks, run down everyone elses opinion, carry on like the only way to Nerf is your way and act like the nob you are. Your silicon darts are still sitting in the packet you sent them in. And thanks for the love/begging letter. Funny how its always someone elses fault you're a douchebag.

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  12. Is there any info about the release date of the Rayven so far? Will we be able to buy them before Christmas?

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  13. Haha. I've tried so many times to apologise, but hey, if you aren't going to accept it. I will just offer my 'douchebaggy' opinions why I dislike flywheels =).

    Freedom of speech my friend. Freedom of speech. Not my fault you got offended cause I said melee in HvZ would be too OP for HvZ :P. You need to loosen up! It's so funny how you're so angry over such a simple and fun hobby, kissing up UrbanTaggers because he brings in all the new and crazy blasters. Don't worry, I still think you're still a mad dude Neil =). I'm not being sarcastic either :P. You offer the 'other side' of modding to this great community.

    Such a trivial matter, UT, I don't mind if you hate me over this either, but the way everything is going, it's pretty immature for these events to occur. It's such a toy at the end of the day. A really fun hobby.

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  14. All was quiet down the right-side flank. They waited, sweaty hands gripping tightly under the hot morning sun. Perhaps they were safe, perhaps there was no incoming force.

    And then they heard something in the air. Something that they knew meant their doom.

    The Rayven's roar...

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  15. How does this blaster fare with Lefty use? Being a lefty, I can't see using the drums as comfortable.

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  16. About all this "safety" shit, just shut up and use unsafe darts. Jeez, this makes me think that people who use Nerf guns in wars are either little kids who are too scared to get hurt or just pussies in general. In fact, it ALMOST makes me want to switch to Airsoft or paintball. Almost. Pussies are the reason why the Recon CS-6 was recalled. Recons were stronger and better before a couple of pussies complained about the plunger tube pinching them. It's just a pinch. Grow up and deal with it. Now about the Rayven, I'm probably not going to buy it, due to the fact that it's a flywheel blaster. Now about the Longshot, don't diss it when you've probably used a Longstrike before it. Longshots are the SHIT. In fact, who wants a Rayven when you can have a Longshot? If only Hasbro wasn't stupid enough to discontinue the Longshot in the US! ~Amiante, RANT OVER.

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  17. he was makin it rain out there.. btw lovin the accents eh mate??? lol

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  18. bitching contest Geez guys they are all just toys

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  19. This is all getting a little heated isn't it? I think people are entitled to their opinion and it is human nature to believe their view is the only view. especially on the internet.

    I always thought The Canberra Dart Tag people WERE Urban Taggers. "kissing up to" is news to me.

    In the eyes of the every day folk, we're all a little nutty. We should be embracing our fellow nerfers and not criticising one another for opinions. You have more in common with each other than a guy holding the football.

    Finally: any nerf war that uses darts that hurt makes no sense. and that is MY opinion.

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  20. Longshots are boring as batshit. I don't see the point in reading up on new blasters available if you're only going to have a cry about why X isn't a Longshot. They're everywhere in Australia. Big whoop.

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  21. Moral highground is an interesting concept. Taking it in a situation like this one doesn't make you any better than the person you're arguing with. Just makes you sound smug and somewhat condescending; especially with the use of emoticons that say "no, I am not taking you seriously because my Nerf is obviously better than yours". It's not hard to read between the lines, Lilbro. The fact of the matter is, no one likes being told how to run their events and how to play (This also applies to the ranting anon who thinks people are pussies for not wanting to get hurt while playing with toys). No one likes having an "outsider", if you will, try to impose rules on a community they probably don't, and probably won't ever, have anything to do with. People will appreciate constructive criticism, but never just a straight "That's a stupid idea, melee would be way too OP" when you've probably never tested it out yourself. It's their choice. Simple as that. And if you don't like it, you're probably in another state (or country) so it shouldn't concern you anyway.

    Anyway, with my own little rant out of the way...

    The effectiveness of the Rayven in those situations looked great. If you were hoping to use it as a suppressive fire sort of blaster, then it's working perfectly. Amped to 16v though makes me think I'd need a set of ear muffs to use it... I look forward to hearing it on the 17th!

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  22. Hey Neil how'd you get the Rayven up to 16.8 Volts with such a small battery compartment? What kind of batteries are you using?

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  23. The question is if the in built barrle help the Rayven at these high voltages or hinder it. If it does have a hindering aspect at some ranges/voltages .. moddifing a barricade with a clip, rev up trigger and barral attachment along with the same motor array as the raven and you could very well have a better gun while running at lower as well as higher voltage/ranges. Testing a raven motors and loading mechanisum with the barrle removed would be a great test.. see if thats possible. My suspicition is the barrle only helps at lower power at higher power any contact with any surface causes way to much rebounding/randomness. The nerfs just seem like they have had too much contact in the barrle chamber when they come out at higher speeds. Which would not happen with a barricade.

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  24. A couple of answers for the questions that peeps have left here:

    TheCrimsonTrooper - I'm sorry to say they certainly didnt make it for lefties! Straight clips and 35 drums will get in your way. Best bet for you would be the 18 drums.

    Mou Cow: I was using 4 x 4.2 volt AA 14500 'Ultrafires'.

    And as a general observation I don't think the Rayven will take the 16.8 volts for long periods of time without something bad happening.

    Me and the boys are still testing to find the optimum voltage. We're also looking at replacing the existing motors with something that will take more juice. We'll let you know how we get on.

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  25. DO you have any oppinon on my barrle question.. i think its the most important feature of this gun.. first offical nerf flywheel gun with a barrle. (Photon storm china blaster the other) It and good clip system suport are the only things people should be examining as every thing els can be changed/added to other guns

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  26. also using streamlines only yet allowed moddifed guns to the extream yous imply with custom motors some thing you may want to rethink. You are in a situation where a flywheel or spring coming out of a stressed gun is a larger risk than the amunition. I would sugest upgrading to a larger tipped ammo type if flywheels become popular. And suggest using eye protection with any mods in play and with even stock fly guns.

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  27. "Longshots are boring as batshit." Are you fucking kidding me? Okay, so it may be nothing more than a toy blaster modeled after a sniper rifle, but it's better than any other Recon reshell! You want exciting? Get a Stampede! Now, in response to Malee_Necromancer, I'm not trying to say that my way to Nerf is better than anyone else's, I'm just saying that everyones acting like little girls (Is that a better term than "Pussies"?) because they don't want to get hurt. I suppose that I said it a bit too "Troll-like", and I'm sorry if it offended anyone. I'm just tired of everyone being so weak. But enough of that. Forgive and forget? ~Amiante.

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  28. Oh, and I agree with the "Melee weapons would be too OP for HvZ" thing. Just think about it. ~Amiante.

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  29. You just called people who don't want to play like you do "little girls" and "pussies" for not wanting damage inflicted on their person. Yeah, you sound like a troll. And after continuing to say all that you then call them weak and "forgive and forget"?

    You sir, are an asshat. Way to be insincere and a misogynist. I hope you get punched in the dick.

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  30. Dear UT,



    My name is James Hamilton and I have a Pop Culture blog called Geekstronomy. I was researching a Nerf article on line and came across your info on the new Rayven CS-18. You are the only site with any info about this new blaster including the only photos I could find. I wanted you to know that I used a photo of yours and video to show my readers the gun. I also put a link back to your article since it was so in depth and packed with great photos and info. I hope that there isn't a problem with this.



    Thank you,

    James

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  31. To the anonymous who posted his/her comment on October 26, 2011, 12:35 PM...I don't have a dick. Not everyone who collects/plays/etc. with Nerf is a boy. All I'm trying to do is reason everything out. Yes, I admit, I did sound quite trollish, and I'm sorry. But, admit it, the world's gotten weaker. No offence. ~Amiante.

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  32. Quote:
    "Snipers aye? I guess your wars don't have blasters that shoot up to 80metres. Not dick waving or anything, but that thing is nothing compared to what you've already seen..

    P.S. I still think this sucks outdoors. Much more of an indoor application for an 'urban setting'. It's not like it's your aim to convince me that this blaster is great, but I'm still not convinced. All I hear is bzzzzz in that video, nothing else."

    I think there's one thing you don't get mr troll, in nerf you don't go and hide 80 metres away from everyone else and then randomly take shots, you attack, go on the front line, and I think this gun is excellent for that!

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  33. anyone know when its coming out?

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  34. To the anonymous who posted his/her comment on October 29, 2011, 9:00 PM...Actually, you COULD go and hide 80 metres away and "randomly take shots". It all depends on your game-style. In example, the Rayven is good for fast-paced HvZ games (Or at least, it looks like it could be good for that, given the fact that it's a flywheel blaster). I don't see anything else the Rayven could be used for, though, other than Capture the Flag games. ~Amiante.

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  35. The flywheel noise is a problem for tight indoor/CQB wars where you often DO need to use stealth to sneak around. If you're playing Unreal Tournament style matches outdoors with little cover, then obviously it makes no difference.

    Anyway, since I play indoor most often, I'm not such a fan of the flywheel, though that may be slightly biased given that I owned the original Tommy 20 which is by far the worst blaster I have. Jams very often and has little range.

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  36. Yeah, I have the Tommy 20 as well. It's sad to admit that my Tek 6 is better than it (The Tommy 20, I mean). I think it was the Barricade that made me hate flywheels, though. I bought the Tommy 20 when I was little, and none of my friends showed an interest in Nerf/ any other toy blaster brand, so I never played in wars. I was always shooting at walls or Bratz dolls, and the noise it made never mattered. Now I'm at an age where most of my friends showed an interest in Nerf/any other toy blaster brand, so I started having wars more often. So I bought a Barricade. When I turned it on, BZZZ. I was pwned. And it wasn't supposed to be a stealthy game! I mean, the Barricade is awesome, but that noise. THAT NOISE. :C. Long story short, I hate flywheels now. xD. I apologize for the awfully long comment. ~Amiante.

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  37. Third time I'm gonna see the question. Release date. Anyone have ANY idea when the freaking RELEASE DATE is? I wanna try this at the next HvZ game. :D

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  38. where do i buy it? i live in the states

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  39. I bet this would be good with an AT drum, it would have the same capacity and be more 'efficient'- easier to use, you could say.

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  40. I don't like what they said about no stealth in Nerf!! thats one of the most important part. I can not count how many times that I have won a round by using my stealth skills.. I have taken out people who have been using heavily heavily heavily modded guns that easily hit the 100 foot mark..with a stock recon and vigilon... This was possible because of what? did my dart magically catch the wind and then lock onto a persons body heat signature? No of coarse not! Its because i snuck up and shot them! Stealth is a GIANT part of Nerf! how bout a small groom of survivors HIDING from o hoard of Zombies.. or a Sniper(because there can be snipers in Nerf) hiding and waiting to shoot....
    Thats all for now...

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  41. I agree with Amiante.. A lot of the Nerf community has become weak. Nerf is fun no matter what! I don't care how you play, but please! enough with the comments about how modding is dangerous! Do you know how I play Nerf? With my blaster, plenty of ammo, mad skills, and 2 10 inch combat knifes. I use the Knifes to pick locks, and they also contain fireworks and matches. They let me climb up large dirt ravines, and they are VERY useful! If people complain that you are making a foam dart "Dangerous"... Come play a game with me.....

    Seriously, Paintball is legal and it hurts more than a modded dart.. So is airsoft! So just suck it up, have fun and play Nerf! no pain, no gain..

    ~GNR

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