War. What is it good for? Absolutely nothing. Nerf War Games on the other hand? It’s good for a lot. Give a group of boys (and even girls nowadays) a bunch of toy guns and a bag of Nerf darts. What do you think is going to happen next? WAR. Nerf War, to be precise. And once that starts, there will be no stopping. There will be no time-outs. There will be no going back. There is only… the War!

Nerf War Games!

Ready to wage Nerf Warfare? Grab a few blasters, grab a lot of foam ammunition, then grab the rest of your gear and suit up. Nerf War Games are competitive, team-based battles using Nerf guns. A Nerf War can take  place anywhere, from inside your house or apartment, to your office, backyard, front yard, park, field, the woods, etc. Anywhere you choose.  A Nerf War can be waged between just you and a buddy, or between much larger groups of players. It doesn’t matter. Nerf War Games can be a lot of fun and they are comparable to laser tag, paintball, orAirsoft battles. Nerf War is a lot easier and more accessible than those game types, though. And it’s a lot more versatile than water gun fights. It is the perfect middle ground, especially with the advent of the Nerf Rival line of blasters and accessories.

Rules of Engagement.

Like with real battle, there are always rules of engagement. Nerf War Games are no different. There is a set of established rules for every game. A lot of the rules are standard for every game. Some of them can be bent. Others can be broken. In Nerf Wars there is generally no punching, kicking, or tackling. Generally no roughhousing. The players Hit-Points can determined beforehand based on game type and player preference. Hit-Points determine how many times you can be shot, or “hit” before you are out of the game. Once you’re out, you might be down and out for good, or you might be able to be revived by a teammate. You may or may not be able to head back to a team base to respawn. Typically, any kind of blaster is allowed. Even certain modified blasters. Sometimes toy melee weapons and foam grenades are alright. It all depends on who is organizing the game and how they feel about the topic. In the end, all of the players of the game can agree on different sets of rules. They can customize it how they see fit. That’s the beauty of Nerf War. It’s adaptable, changeable, malleable even. The war itself is just as customizable as the Nerf guns we use in the battles.

Nerf War Games Types.

Video Game fans rejoice. Nerf War games types are mostly derived from their digital counterparts. Gears of War, Call of Duty, Battlefield, all the popular first person shooters have had some kind of influence on Nerf Wars. There are similar match types and play styles. The whole kit and kaboodle. So when you’re done playing Call of Duty on your Xbox, you can grab a Nerf blaster and run outside and play COD in “real” life. Check it out.:

• Team Deathmatch. The original multiplayer game mode. TDM is team battle at its simplest and most pure. Just kill or be killed. The objective of this mode is to eliminate the enemy team, pure and simple. The first team that reaches the point or kill goal wins.
• Capture The Flag. Another classic game mode. CTF is a game mode where the objective is to capture the enemy teams flag and bring it back to your base. Usually you cannot return the enemy flag to your base unless your home flag is at your base. The team that captures the predetermined number of flags wins.
• Domination. There are several different control points across the playing area or “map.” Each player has a team base control point, that can’t be captured unless all other points are held. A team can capture a control point by standing inside of it for a certain time period, usually 10 to 15 seconds. The team that captures all points wins.
• Free-For-All. Free for all is a game of deathmatch without the team. It’s every man for himself. Battle every enemy player until there is only one man left standing. Alternatively, players respawn and whoever reaches a set amount of kills wins.
• Hardpoint. There is an area that the teams must fight to get to and then capture. Once the hard point is captured, the team that controls the hard point loses the ability to respawn. After the team is cleared out from the hard point, the enemy destroys that hard point. Whichever team holds the hard point the longest is the winner.
• Search and Rescue. Each team has a hostage from the enemy team. Teams fight to rescue and free the hostage. Once the hostage is rescued, they can be given a blaster. Fallen teammates can be revived by touching them while they are down. The first team to rescue their hostage and bring them back to their base wins.
• Assassination. Each team has a team leader or captain. The goal of the game is to eliminate the enemy teams leader. The leader can only use a sidearm or sometimes only a single shot blaster. Whichever team kills the enemies leader wins the game. The player who took out the leader becomes the leader in the next match.
• Wingman. This is another similar mode to TDM. Lying somewhere in between TDM and Free-For-All is Wingman. Players form many teams with only 2 players on each team and set out to eliminate all of the other enemy teams. Last players standing win.
• Hunger Games. This game mode is based on the movie series of the same name. The rules follow the rules of that movie as well. Teams will be made up of 2 players each. At the start of the match, all Nerf weaponry is stockpiled in the middle of the arena. When the battle begins all players must run to the weapon pile to get what they can without getting blasted. Last person standing is the victor.
• Humans vs Zombies. HvZ. This last Nerf War variant is so popular and so huge that a lot of people don’t even categorize it as a Nerf War. They put it into its own category. At its base, though, it is a Nerf War. It is basically a game of tag, with Nerf blasters. Human players use Nerf guns and wear bandanas on their arms. Zombie players have no weapons and wear bandanas on the head. Typically, Zombies must feed on Humans by touching or grabbing them. Then, the Human player takes their bandana and puts it around their head, thus becoming a Zombie. The game ends when either the Zombies or the Humans are wiped out.

These are just a few of the more popular Nerf War games types. There are many other game modes out there. The best part is, you can make up your own rules and come up with your own game type. This game is limited only by your own imagination. The possibilities are endless.

Nerf War Loadouts.

If you are to have any chance at defeating your enemies and achieving victory, your weapon loadout must be up to par. Your gear must be top notch. You must always be on point. Never let them catch you slipping. Haha. I’ll go over one loadout for you guys. Real quick like.

Primary: Nerf N-Strike Elite Rapidstrike CS-18 Blaster.

TheNerf N-Strike Elite Rapidstrike CS-18,  the very best there is. When you absolutely, positively, got to tag every melon-farmer in the room; accept no substitutes. This is the pinnacle of Nerf weaponry. Full auto, high powered, accurate. The Rapidstrike is the Nerf primary. From the shape, to the size, to the grip. The overall feel of this blaster is superb. Alternatively, you can use the Nerf Cam ECS-12. The Nerf Cam is a very similar blaster with a built in low res camera. Pick up the Nerf N-Strike Elite Rapidstrike CS-18 on Amazon.

Secondary: Dual Nerf N-Strike Elite Stryfe Blasters.

The Nerf Stryfe is an excellent blaster. And it’s apparently the base foundation for the upcoming Nerf Modulus blaster. The Stryfe is a strong enough weapon to stand on its own as a primary, but stripped of all attachments, it’s easy to use this as a secondary weapon. Semi-auto, compact, and powerful. These can also be pretty effectively dual wielded. Akimbo Stryfes, ftw. Alternatively, I’d suggest a Nerf Elite Rayven. It’s another great semi-auto flywheel blaster. So dual Stryfe’s or one Rayven. Your choice. The Styfe typically goes for cheap, which means it won’t cost much for two of them. Well worth it.

Sidearm: Nerf N-Strike Elite Strongarm.

The new best-selling sidearm blaster, the Nerf Strongarm. Move over, Nerf Maverick, there’s a new kid in town. This smooth, slam-firing, beauty is the main option for your trusty sidearm. Unable to ever jam, this six-shot revolver will never let you down. Load up your six darts, cock it back, and you’re good to go. Alternatively, I’d use a Nerf Elite Retaliator, with no attachments. The main body of the Retaliator is pistol sized, and it uses clips. Win-Win. The Nerf Strongarm can be found on Amazon on the Bestseller List.

Backup: Nerf N-Strike Elite Triad EX-3.

Take a Nerf Jolt and force it to swim in the pond outside the nuclear plant in Springfield. Then sit back as it painfully mutates to grow 2 more heads. What do we call this three headed beast? We call it the Nerf Elite Triad of course. When you run out of ammo for everything else, it’s good to have a backup plan. You have no idea how many times the Triad will come up clutch just when you need it the most. At less than ten bucks, you can feel at ease picking up one of these tiny blasters.  Amazon.com.

Nerf War Finale.

There you have it, guys. That’s the gist of it all. Nerf War in a nutshell. You grab your blasters, grab your foam ammo, and get all the rest of your gear in order. (my article on Zombie Strike loadouts has a good guide on Nerf War tactical gear). Then you decide on your game plan and your course of action. Select a Nerf War variant and get ready to wage full on foam warfare. Raise your weapon!