Okay, so I got the idea to make a Nerf Zombie Strike loadout using only Nerf blasters from the Zombie Strike line. Nerf Zombie Strike blasters were made for the popular Nerf War variant Humans vs Zombies. Humans vs Zombies, or HvZ as they call it, is a zombie themed game of tag, using Nerf blasters. Think of it like that Infection game mode from the last Call of Duty, but in real life. It is played primarily in colleges and universities all over the world. However, it can be played by anyone at any time. The rules are simple and anybody can set up a game of HvZ. You can find more specific information on the Humans vs Zombies website.
Zombies Are Coming…
Zombies are coming. You know it and I know it. Even Donald Rumsfeld knows. So why be unprepared? Don’t leave yourself exposed like a nerve. Grab your gear, grab your ammo, and raise your weapon. And you better strike before the zombie strike apocalypse ensues. Don’t know what to pick? No worries. Allow me to lay before you a plentiful plethora of Nerf blaster goodness. My Zombie Strike loadouts will start with tactical gear for you to wear, head to toe. Then I’ll get into the blasters and ammo. These tactical gear loadouts will try to adhere to the outlined rules of HvZ battles. Here we go.
HvZ Tactical Gear: Head to Toe.
Camera. During any fun outdoor activity, someone should always have a camera. And why shouldn’t that person be you? The GoPro line of cameras has been a staple in the extreme-action/sports community for a while now. They are known for their compact, lightweight, rugged cameras that can be mounted anywhere. The GoPro HERO4 records up to 4K High Definition video and also captures photos. Wifi and Bluetooth connectivity are an added bonus. But that doesn’t even begin to get into all the features of this camera. For any Nerf War, though, I’d suggest a head mount. The GoPro HERO4 BLACK Starter Bundle comes with the camera, a 32GB SD card, and the GoPro Headstrap Mount + Quick Clip. In other words, it comes with everything you need. Did I mention it was waterproof? The Starter Bundle is retailing for the same price as for the camera only. So you’re essentially getting the head strap mount and the memory card for FREE.
Tactical Cap. For those sunny days, you need some kind of hat. You can’t blast those zombies with the sun in your face. Why not a Condor Mesh Tactical Cap? It’s good for keeping the sun out of your eyes. Or if you want to look even cooler, flip it around backwards. It will keep your hair back and out of the way and it will keep the sun off of your neck. It is fully adjustable and it has 3 different locations for your team patch. The mesh material also makes it very breathable so you don’t sweat as much. Available on Amazon.com in 10 different colors.
Shooting Glasses. This also goes to the point about being able to see what you shoot. When the zombie strike comes, you want to know where to place that perfect head shot. These lenses provide 99.9% UV protection and have a helpful smoke color. (They’re also available with clear lenses.) And of course, with all these foam darts flying around towards peoples heads, someone is bound to get hit in the eye. While it’s unlikely to truly injure you, it will hurt a little bit. It will be annoying and it will make your eye tear up. While this is happening, the zombies will get you. They won’t wait. So, that’s why I recommend the Remington T-72 Shooting Glasses. The wraparound lenses on these glasses offer up supreme stray dart protection. They are also scratch and impact resistant. More info.
Bandana. In HvZ, a bandana is mandatory. The bandana lets people know who the humans are and who the zombies are. The human players wear a bandana around an arm or on their thigh. The zombies wear the bandana on their heads. This ensures there are no zombie strike cheaters surprises. You could just snatch up a regular bandana (you can get some good ones here) or you could go for something a little different. Personally, I always suggest trying new things. That’s why I recommend the Bundle Monster 6pc Seamless Bandana Set. There are a few different sets, but each set includes 6 different headscarves. They come in different colors and designs. They can be worn on the head, arm, neck, face, etc. Wear them as a foulard, bandana, scarf, wrist wrap, beanie, pirate cap, headband, or sahariane- whichever suits your personal style and preference. You can find these bandanas on Amazon.com.
Zombie Strike Attire. For clothing, pretty much anything will do. Just some pants and a shirt. For this article, though, I’ll stick with the tactical garb. So for a shirt, I recommend the 5.11 Performance Polo Shirt. This shirt was built with law enforcement and military personnel in mind. It features snag, rip, and wrinkle resistance SmartWeave fabric. The fabric also provides moisture wicking and is quick drying and antimicrobial. Check on Amazon to see if these haven’t sold out already. For pants, I’m going to go with the Blackhawk Lightweight Tactical Pant. The large top-opening cargo pockets have elastic webbing inside to secure up to three magazines. They have a Teflon coating that makes them water repellent and stain resistant. 
There are so many pockets and compartments with velcro and webbing and elastic and zippers that I don’t even know where to start. Just know this: these are very functional pants. You can find your future pair online right now in whatever size you need. For shoes, I’m going to stay tactical and go with the Under Armour UA Valsetz RTS Tactical Boots. UA ClutchFit tech wraps your ankle like a second skin for powerful support. Micro G foam turns cushioned landings into explosive takeoffs. Features an Ortholite sockliner for increased 
comfortability. These boots are so comfortable that it feels wrong to even call them boots. Just writing this has made me want to buy a second pair. Come join me and pick up a pair of these on Amazon.com.
Chest Rig. Wanna be the very best? Like no one ever was? You need to do a little extra. Go above and beyond the call of duty, so to speak. You need a chest rig. C’mon, this whole gear section was for tactical equipment. What’s more tactical than a chest rig? So grab the Condor MCR1 Molle Chest Rig and suit up. It allows you to affix different attachment holders to the rig via the molle system. What I would use on this vest are mainly NarrowBase mag holders, and maybe one of their holsters. I would attach three NarrowBase mag holders to the front bottom portion of this rig.
Three double nmag holders would allow me to carry six 18-dart magazines. Sweet. Or, I could replace one of the double mag holders with a NarrowBase holster, like the one for the Hammershot. That way, I’d still have four 18-dart mags. But I’d also have a sidearm strapped to me, sort of in a cross-draw position. I could fit the six mags and a holster, but I don’t want things to get too bulky. Other things to attach to the Molle would be a radio pouch, hydration pack, or whatever else you might need. The selection is that huge. Condor Chest Rig., Amazon.com.
Battle Belt. Was the chest rig too much for you? Or maybe it was not enough? Either way, the Condor Gen II Battle Belt is worth looking into. It functions much the same way the chest rig does, except it just goes around your waist. You can still attach a whole host of molle compatible attachments to the belt, including The battle belt does require a web belt to be worn inside of it, which requires a separate, albeit small, purchase. For this, I’d attach a radio, a dump pouch for empty mags, and maybe a rip-away pouch for random items. I’d probably also throw on NarrowBase holsters on each hip for dual-wielded Hammershots. The Condor Gen II Battle Belt is available in a few different colors and sizes at Amazon.
Gloves. What tactical gear would be complete without a pair of shooting gloves? These Mechanix Wear Fingerless Gloves should do the trick. They will most definitely increase your grip on your Zombie Strike blasters. But, due to the fingerless design, they won’t get in the way of reaching for equipment or pulling the trigger. It also helps that they look extremely cool. Available now in 2 different sizes on Amazon.com.
Slings and Straps. Your Zombie Strike primary blaster should be on a shoulder strap or sling or
something like that. Point blank, period. When you are out of ammo, you should be able to drop your blaster without really dropping it. It should fall back down to your side or you should brush it around to your back. Then, you can whip out your secondary or backup blasters and unload on them before the zombie strike. You can use the Nerf branded Bandolier Kit strap and that would work just fine. It’s a good product and it holds spare darts and a few extra clips. But, you know me, I like to do a little extra. So I’m going to have to suggest the 1 Point Rifle Sling System Adjustable Multi-Mission Bungee.
Another thing I’m going to recommend is the Condor Pistol Lanyard. It attaches to one end of your Nerf pistol, like the Zombie Strike Hammershot, and helps to make sure your pistol isn’t dropped. The other end attaches to your tactical vest or web belt. If you don’t have your sidearm in a secure holster, like the Narrowbase ones, your blaster popping out and falling out is a real risk. There can be a lot of running around in HvZ and your blaster will be gone before you know it.
Nerf Zombie Strike Blasters.
Ah, now on to the best part! The actual blasters! Remember, I’ll be sticking exclusively to the Zombie Strike line of blasters by Nerf. No other blasters allowed. This will be a challenge, for sure. But once again, here we go.
Zombie Strike: The Run and Gun Load-Out.
Primary: Nerf Zombie Strike Longshot CS-12 (Modified). 
The Longshot is one heck of a gun. A heck of a gun! Stock, it’s still the same blaster it was in 2006, but that’s why you’ve got to open it up. Lift up the hood, take a look inside. A few quick and easy mods and you can bring it back up to more modern times. Remove the air restrictors, fill the breach hole, throw in a new spring, and you’re pretty much done. Then, my friend, you’ll have an old school, new edition blaster that puts current Elite models to shame. eBay.com.
Secondary: Nerf Zombie Strike Hammershot (Akimbo). 
The Hammershot is a solid 5-dart revolver type blaster. It features good range and accuracy, on par with other Elite sidearms. It also is a very good looking weapon. Best of all? These blasters can be dual-wielded. Yes, they are primed with the hammer on the top rear of the gun. That hammer can easily be cocked back with one hand. Yes, grab two of these blasters and prepare to unload on these zombies. Winning! Amazon.com. Sells out frequently, though. If it’s sold out, check for it on eBay.com.
Melee: Nerf Zombie Strike Strike-Blade. The Strike Blade is a repaint of the classic N Force Vantage Sword from yesteryear. Tough and durable, the Strike Blade sword will chop down zombies in a flash. If the zombies are getting too close, take out this sword and silently dispatch zombie after zombie. Heads will roll. Amazon.com.
Explosives: Nerf Zombie Strike Z-Bombz. The Z-Bombz are the grenades of the HvZ world. In most games, the players will just used balled up socks. I know, Nerf just came in to monetize that sock-bomb market, but I actually like these Z-Bombz. The designs are pretty entertaining. One of them is a ripped open football with dynamite shoved inside. Hilarious. eBay.com.
The Breakdown.:
The Nerf Zombie Strike Longshot is an awesome blaster. It was great in ’06 and you can make it great in ’15. Just a few simple mods that literally anyone can do, that’s all it takes. You should always stock up on ammo for your primary especially, so grab a few extra mags online. I like to carry around 3-5 extra mags in addition to the 1 that comes with the blaster. You can get more 12-dart clips from eBay, or you can just buy the 18-dart clips on Amazon.com. I actually saw someone online duct tape two 18-dart Rayven clips together in the middle at the battery compartments. The battery compartments left enough room to insert the mag into the blaster and have the other one taped right next to it for fast mag switching. Seemed to work very well. Your choice. For my secondary, I have two Zombie Strike Hammershots. These guns are so cool. The fact that you can dual wield them makes them even cooler. They are sleek and easy to handle and they have 5 shots a piece. If 10 shots isn’t enough to take down the zombies, then you can pull out the Zombie Strike Strike-Blade sword and finish them off. The Strike-Blade is also good for a few stealth kills if there are only a few zombies around. If you’re in a jam, a grenade or two will always be clutch. That’s why I carry at least a few Z-Bombz at all times.
Zombie Strike: The Shotty Blast Load-Out.
Primary: Nerf Zombie Strike Sledgefire Blaster. I LOVE the Sledgefire blaster. It’s a *blast* to use. From the break-action operation, to the shell-loading, to the awesome unique paint job, the Sledgefire is awesome! It’s a shotgun, so the reloading isn’t the fastest, but it is not painfully slow either. Especially if you stock up on extra Sledgefire dart shells. The blaster comes with 3 shells that hold 3 shots each. But that’s only 9 shots before you’d have to reload the shells. Unacceptable. Luckily, Hasbro realized this and manufactured spare shells. You can find them on eBay or Amazon. As for the Sledgefire itself, you can grab that cheapest on Amazon right now. It’s going for only about half off retail pricing.
Secondary: Nerf Zombie Strike FlipFury Blaster. The FlipFury has an interesting untold backstory. It’s inspired by the Nerf modding community’s design of double and triple cylinder Nerf Mavericks and Strongarms. Nerf took their idea and ran with it, refining the design and adding a lever to rotate the cylinders. Cool. So now we have an official double-cylinder Nerf Strongarm, with a Zombie Strike paintjob. This thing blows the Strongarm away, too. I chose this as the sidearm to make up for the slow loading of the Sledgefire. Find the FlipFury on Amazon.
Melee: N
erf Zombie Strike Machete. The Machete is great for hacking and slashing if the zombies get too close. Like I always say, “let the machete strike before the zombie strike.” Okay, so I never say that. But that doesn’t make it any less true. These foam machetes are also pretty aerodynamic and can be thrown pretty effectively. Pick it up on Amazon.
Explosives: Nerf Zombie Strike Z-Bombz. With a shotgun as your 
primary, you’re probably going to be using grenades more than ever. I’d grab six of these and carry them in your utility pouch, if you’re using the chest rig or battle belt. You can scan both eBay and Amazon looking for these, as sometimes eBay has a better deal on Z-Bombz. Prices starting at about $10 usually.
The Breakdown.:
The Nerf Zombie Strike Sledgefire is just too fun to use. Despite it’s shortcomings, I still enjoy using it as my primary sometimes. It gets boring when everyone is trying to use the “best” blasters. Everyone ends up using the same thing and that’s no fun. If you use the Sledgefire, make sure you stock up on a bunch of extra shells. You don’t want to have to reload the shells in the middle of battle. It’s just not going to work. Next, I knew I would need an exceptional sidearm to back up my primary, so I went with the FlipFury. The FlipFury is basically a Nerf Strongarm with double cylinders, Slam-Fire and all. After your FlipFury is empty and you’re trying to reload your Sledgefire, you might need some kind of melee weapon to fend off the zombie hordes. So I selected the Nerf Machete as I thought it fit well with this loadout. Finally, Z-Bombz. I’m just going to include grenades in every loadout. Why not? Grab six of these to use if you’re too afraid to get close enough to use your machete.
Zombie Strike: The Heavy Gunner Load-Out.
Primary: Nerf Zombie Strike Doominator. The Doominator hasn’t even come out yet. I haven’t used it and I’m already building a loadout around it. It’s that epic. The Doominator is modeled around an M32 Grenade Launcher, but it still shoots single Nerf darts. It features 4 different cylinders with 6 chambers each. That means the dart capacity goes up to 24 rounds. Pretty much the same as the 25-dart drum. Set to release later this year, I know this blaster will be a hit amongst Nerf fans. Should be available soon at Amazon. In the meantime, check out my preview of the Doominator here.
Secondary: Nerf Zombie Strike Sidestrike. The Sidestrike is basically a Nerf Elite Firestrike with the signature Zombie Strike paint. Instead of the built-in laser light beam, it has a pretty nifty holster. Also, the priming mechanism is internal on the Sidestrike. They both hold extra darts near the muzzle. This makes the Sidestrike a very capable backup weapon. Even though it is a single fire blaster, it reloads very quickly. Pull the slide back to cock it and then you’re ready to shoot again. The Sidestrike is on Amazon, but occasionally appears on eBay for a little bit cheaper.
Melee: Nerf Zombie Strike Hammer Combat Kit. The Zed Squad Hammer Combat kit comes with the “hammer,” which looks like a lead pipe rammed through a brick. It also includes a face mask for some reason. I think the mask, if it fits, would make for a cool look for this Doominator class. Get two of these, because you’re going to be throwing them like the Hammer Brothers from Super Mario. You can check eBay for this one, but it’s consistently cheaper on Amazon.
Explosives: Nerf Zombie Strike Z-Bombz. The Doominator is great and all, but what do you do when you’ve finished firing off those first 24 darts? You have to reload all of those darts in each chamber, one by one. The Doominator looks like it shoots reasonably fast, too. When you’re empty, you’re going to be reaching for the Sidestrike. While you’re shooting one zombie at a time, more will be approaching. Time to toss the trusty ol’ grenades into the mix. These are a toss up (pun intended) as to where to find them cheaper. On eBay, the starting price is around $10. On Amazon, I’ve seen them on sale for even cheaper.
The Breakdown.
The Zombie Strike Doominator is a very epic looking grenade launcher inspired blaster. The only thing that might have made this blaster more epic, is if it shot all 6 darts from the cylinder at once. Six shots at a time? That’d make it more true to its grenade launcher origins. Definitely want to keep the Doominator on a sling, so try the Nerf Elite Bandolier. For the secondary, what else would I pick but the Doominator’s own little brother, the FlipFury. Both of those blasters are multi-rotating-cylinder blasters. The choice was an obvious one. How could I choose anything else? Using these two larger than life blasters will give you a total capacity of 36 darts before you need to reload. Not too shabby, huh? The Hammer melee weapons were just to try something new. They’re different, just like these two blasters, so I thought it would be a good fit. Definitely want to use two of these, because you will be throwing them. Finishing off the class, as always, is a set of Z-Bombz explosives for your zombie shredding pleasure.
Zombie Strike: Loadout – OVERKILL.
Primary: Nerf Zombie Strike Longshot CS-12 Masterkey (modified blaster). Yup, my Overkill class also features the Longshot. This is one of my favorite spring blasters ever. There’s just something about the look and feel of this gun. It also has a huge plunger tube which is easily exploited, with a few simple mods, to output amazing power. If you search online, you can find of tons of ideas for other mods and custom paint jobs, etc. This includes the masterkey mod, which I highly suggest. Cut down a Nerf Rough Cut and attach it to the under-barrel of your Longshot. eBay.com.
Secondary: Nerf Zombie Strike Sledgefire. This and the Rampage are my favorite Nerf shotguns ever. There, I said it. The Rampage is better with reload speed and it can’t be beat for just unleashing a barrage of foam at your enemy. The Sledgefire, like I stated earlier, is just a buttload of fun for me. I always loved the idea of using shells and after using this, I love them even more. I also dig the break-action design of this blaster. If you flick it a little, the empty shell will pop out of the Sledgefire when you go to reload. Too cool. I used to really like the Slingfire, but that shotgun is only good for trick-shotting with the lever. Amazon.com.
Sidearm: Nerf Zombie Strike Hammershot (Akimbo). I love any sidearm blaster that I can fire with one hand. Enter in the Hammershot. The six-dart capacity Zombie Strike revolver blaster. The Hammershot can very easily be fired with one hand. Blasting 6 darts per hand at the same time is just too good to pass up. I’m going to almost always recommend dual-wielding these bad boys. Akimbo Hammershots for the win! Amazon.com.
Backup: Nerf Zombie Strike Doublestrike. The Doublestrike is a small backup revolver that fires 2 darts, one at a time. After that, you have to load another two darts. It lies somewhere in between a Nerf Jolt and a Triad, but it uses hammer-action like the Hammershot. So it’s not a bad little blaster at all. And it just might be good to have one on hand for when you’re down and (almost) out. Amazon.com.
Melee: Nerf Zombie Strike Machete. The Machete is just one big zombie killing knife. It just looks so rugged and dangerous that I thought it was a perfect fit for this overkill class. Channel your inner Trejo and double up with these. Because why not? Amazon.com.
Explosives: Nerf Zombie Strike Z-Bombz. At this point, I am quite sure I don’t need to go over these again. They are cool little foam “grenades” that you throw at zombies to stun them. They come in handy. Bring at least 6 of these with this class. That is all. eBay./ Amazon.com. Different prices, but different sets sometimes, too.
The Breakdown.:
So for this Overkill Class loadout, I just took my favorites from each loadout, pretty much, and mashed them all together. If you can manage to carry all of this without it being too bulky, you will be almost unstoppable. You are prepared for everything with this class. The modified Longshot will be on a bungee sling in a ready position at all times. The Sledgefire will be in another sling, or a scabbard behind your back. For this loadout, look into getting some shell holders to mount on top of the Sledgefire. The Hammershots will be in holsters on the sides of your hips. The Doublestrike will be tucked in your waist, or in an ankle holster. The machete will be in a sheath on your thigh. The Z-Bombs will be in one of your pouches or attached directly to your chest rig tactical vest. You should have about 6 mags, 9 sledgefire shells, and about a million darts.
Ammo Stockpile.
No loadout is complete without a good supply of ammunition. Nerf is no different, you need a lot of ammo. A lot of foam. In keeping with the Zombie Strike theme, I’m going to suggest you stock up on a bunch of these Zombie Strike Darts. If you go with my Overkill Class, I’d suggest no less than 100-150 rounds of ammunition. Never run out of ammo, you never want to be down to your last dart. Then you’ll have to decide if you want to try to take out as many zombies as you can, or if you should save that last dart and blast yourself. Foam to the head hurts, man. You don’t want to have to do that.
Conclusion (Final Thoughts).
Okay, whoa, this post turned out to be a little bit longer than I thought it would be. Okay. Basically, I just tried to have fun with these loadouts. With the gear and the blasters, I just tried to stick to a fun theme to mix things up. Full tactical garb and gear and purely Zombie Strike blasters, I thought, would be a fun and refreshing idea to write an article about. But I also learned something here. The Zombie Strike line of blasters still has a long way to go. They’re getting there, sure, but they still have a ways to go. There is no definite solid primary blaster. The Longshot CS-12 is essentially unchanged from its original iteration in 2006. It’s a great blaster, but it does not hold up to the standards set by current Elite blasters. If you get that blaster, you absolutely have to mod it out. Now, I kept talking about modding the Longshot and I told you to search the internet, but here’s a teaser on some of the things that can be done with the Longshot with some effort.:
If you’re not comfortable with modding, then you don’t want the Longshot. Plain and simple. The Sledgefire is a fun, fun, amazing blaster and I wholeheartedly recommend it. However, the cold hard truth is you’ll probably get annihilated trying to use that in HvZ or any Nerf War. When everyone is using these Elite flywheel blasters, you’ll be outgunned pretty quick. As far as all of that tactical gear, a lot of it would really come in handy. But, you’d have to be pretty serious about Nerf to buy all of that. If you’re just a regular guy who plays with Nerf once in a while, just throw on what you usually wear day-to-day. For me, that’d be something like a graphic-tee, some Diesel jeans, and a pair of Nike sneakers. But I also like to wear the chest rig or battle belt sometimes, too. That’s it. No one mold fits. This is just what I thought would work best, but what works for me may not work for you. These are all solid products here and I stand behind each and every one. But you just have to pick and choose and see what works best for you. Well, that’s it. That’s all folks. Tactical gear from head to shoulder, knees and toes. All of that and more. Hope you enjoyed reading about my Zombie Strike Nerf Blaster Loadouts!
Foam Head Opinions