Nerf battles used to be a friendly skirmish. An exchange of slow and painless foam darts.
Those days are long gone.
With the introduction of the Nerf Rival series, the intensity of nerf wars has been cranked to ten, and each of these ball-rocketing beasts will make your enemies wish they just stayed home and played Fortnite.
Rival blasters have a few characteristics that set them apart from other types of blasters.
- Ammo: Rival blaster fire a unique round called High-Impact Rival Rounds. These ball-shaped rounds are made of soft foam and are designed to be highly accurate and fast!
- FPS: Rival blaster fire at much higher speeds than traditional dart blasters. They typically range between 90 to 120 feet per second.
- Rate of Fire: These blasters can unload an insane amount of rounds every second. Some of which can fire up to 9 balls per second!
- Godly Names: Each blaster is named after a Greek Titan, god, or goddess.
In this guide, we’ll look at the seven best Nerf Rival blasters on the market today. Each blaster on this list will instill fear into the hearts of your foes while putting an adrenalin-packed grin on your face.
Buckle up, these guns will tempt you out of every dollar you own!
Here Are the Best Nerf Rival Guns in 2024
- Best Overall: Rival Nemesis MXVII-10K
- Fasting Shooting: Rival Perses MXIX-5000
- Most Ammo: Rival Prometheus MXVIII-20K
- Best Pistol: Rival Kronos XVII-3000
- Best Slam Fire: Rival Artemis XVII-3000
- Best Budget: Rival Roundhouse XX-1500
- Best Sniper: Rival Jupiter XIX-1000
1. Nerf Rival Nemesis MXVII-10K
Overall Best Nerf Rival Blaster
Up first and taking the spot for the overall best Rival Nerf Gun is the infamous Nemesis MXVII-10K.
This fully-auto beast is lightweight, powerful, and has that nasty look about it that screams, “RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! “It also topped our list of the best Nerf guns of 2024.
Nemesis Features
The Nemesis is fully-automatic and uses a battery-powered flywheel to sling ammo.
It holds 100 high-impact Rival Rounds in its massive top-mounted hopper, which uses a belt system to feed rounds. However, you can easily cram up to 110 rounds without any issues.
The Nemesis is ambidextrous, so it’s perfect for both left and right-handed foam warriors.
You can find the Nemesis in two colors: Team Red and Team Blue. Both have a slick and tactical look.
This blaster is powered by six D cell batteries but can be upgraded with a rechargeable lipo battery—which increases its performance. Speaking of which.
Nemesis Performance
The Rival Nemesis can rocket rounds at 90 to 100 feet per second. If using a lipo battery, the blaster can easily reach velocities of about 120 fps.
It shoots an impressive four rounds per second with about a 100-foot range.
The blaster itself is simple and intuitive to use. To reload, lift the window on the top of the hopper and pour handfuls of rounds back into the blaster. Within seconds you are back in action.
The Nemesis has one little drawback that’s common with hopper-fed blasters. Sometimes balls will bind up, and you’ll have to give the gun a little shake to keep rounds flowing.
Being a lightweight and mid-sized blaster, it handles extraordinarily well. It’s just as good for sniping as it is for spraying.
Who Should Buy The Rival Nemesis
Overall, you really can’t go wrong with the Rival Nemesis. It’s a perfectly balanced blaster with a ton of ammo and is a fantastic choice for anyone looking to buy their first Rival Series Nerf gun.
Specs:
-
Ammo Capacity: 100 rounds
- Velocity: 90 feet per second
- Fire-Rate: 4 rounds per second
- Range: 100 feet
- Powered: 6 D cell batteries or lipo battery
- Colors: Red and blue
Reasons to Buy:
- Large ammo capacity
- Battery-powered
- High 90+ FPS and a 100-foot range
- Lightweight and handles well
Reasons to Avoid:
- It uses a gravity-fed hopper that won’t fire inverted
- Hopper needs to be shaken every so often
2. Nerf Rival Perses MXIX-5000
Fastest Firing Nerf Rival Blaster
Named after the Greek Titan of destruction and peace, the Nerf Rival Perses MXIX-5000 is the fastest shooting blaster in the Rival series.
This blaster is lightwieght, compact, and packs a serious punch. It’s like a little kitten with sharp claws and an awful attitude.
Perses Features
The Perses is a battery-powered flywheel-type blaster. It has a unique and compact hopper that can hold up to 50 high-impact Rival Rounds. However, the hopper also means you can’t shoot this gun inverted. No Matrix flips or hanging upside down from trees.
One feature I really enjoy about this blaster is the included rechargeable NiMH battery. I truly dislike buying batteries, and I wish all nerf guns would just go this route.
It comes in two colors (Team Red and Team Blue), has a trigger lock, two sling mounts, and a very short Rival tactical rail below the muzzle.
The blaster is also ambidextrous, so left-handed players can also enjoy this little monster.
Perses Performance
Let’s start with dessert. This Perses greatest perk is its fire rate. It can shoot an insane eight rounds per second! That means a full hopper of 50 rounds can be emptied in about 6 seconds.
This can be a bit of a drawback if you have a happy trigger finger or if you want to fire slow and controlled rounds. This is not a precision single-round blaster.
The Perses shoots rounds at about 90 feet per second, but on a fully charged battery, it can easily reach 100fps. It also has an average range of about 100 feet. All in all, range and power are what you would expect from most Rival blasters.
Like the rest of the Rival series hopper-fed blasters, the Perses is fast and easy to reload. Just open the massive hopper window and dump handfuls of balls in.
This does lead us to the only real drawback of the Perses. They made the hopper window a little too big, in my opinion, and if you tip the blaster to the side while reloading, you’ll dump your load all over the floor. But as long as you’re conscious of this flaw, it shouldn’t be too much of an issue.
The blaster is lightweight and compact. It fits snuggly against your shoulder (even if you’re a larger human like myself).
Who Should Buy The Rival Perses
If running and gunning is your style, the Nerf Rival Perses will fit you like a glove. The speed at which this thing fires won’t only put a smile on your face, it will hit you emotionally. You may even shed a tear. Hands down the funniest blaster on this list!
Specs:
- Ammo Capacity: 50 rounds
- Velocity: 90 feet per second
- Fire-Rate: 8 rounds per second
- Range: 100 feet
- Powered: Included rechargeable battery
- Colors: Red and blue
Reasons to Buy:
- Insane fire rate, accurate, and one of the most powerful Nerf rival guns
- Easy to load 50-round hopper
- Comes with a rechargeable battery
Reasons to Avoid:
- Can’t fire inverted
- Large hopper window; easy to spill rounds while reloading
3. Nerf Rival Prometheus MXVIII-20K
Nerf Rival Blaster With the Most Ammo
The Nerf Rival Prometheus MXVIII-20K claims it’s name from the Greek god who brought humanity fire. It’s among the overkill and excessive blasters on the market and so utterly ridiculous that it’s creator probably belongs in an institution—if they’re not in one already.
It also topped our list of the best machine nerf guns!
Prometheus Features
The Prometheus is a fully-automatic, battery-powered flywheel war machine.
Like the Nemesis (the best overall blaster on this list), the Prometheus has a massive hopper that holds an astonishing 200 high-impact Rival Rounds. That’s right, it is the Nerf gun with the most ammo!
But that’s not all. One of my favorite features of this Nerf gun is the included rechargeable NiMH battery. The money you’ll save from buying batteries will pay for this blaster in no time.
It only comes in one color scheme (Phantom Corps White) and is an absolutely gorgeous blaster. I mean, it doesn’t get better than this.
Prometheus Performance
The Prometheus is intense. It fires eight rounds per second, making it one of the fastest firing Rival series blasters—right behind the Perses.
In terms of velocity and ranges, it’s rather average. It can sling rounds between 90 to 100 feet per second and has an average range of about 100 feet.
You couldn’t possibly ask for an easier nerf gun to reload. Simply open the hatch on the top of the blaster and dump handfuls of balls back into the hopper. If you have some reload canisters ready to go, you could completely load it in seconds.
In regards to its size and handling, this thing is heavy and bulky. However, the position of the firing handle and the front handle makes it a pleasurable experience to wield, regardless of the size. It does come with a large should strap, so you’re stuck lugging this thing around by hand.
There really are only two minor drawbacks to the Prometheus. The first is the price. This thing is expensive, averaging about $200 USD. That being said, you definitely get your money’s worth.
Secondly, because it’s hopper-fed, balls can sometimes jam up at the feeding port. You’ll occasionally have to give the gun a little shake to avoid feeding issues.
Who Should Buy The Rival Prometheus
If you want something truly unique that will leave a little brown spot in your opponent’s underwear, the Prometheus won’t let you down. It is the most expensive Rival blaster, but you get a lot of gun for the money.
Specs:
-
Ammo Capacity: 200 rounds
- Velocity: 90 feet per second
- Range: 100 feet
- Fire-Rate: 8 rounds per second
- Powered: Included rechargeable battery
Reasons to Buy:
- It’s an absolute war machine
- 200 round capacity
- Full-auto, accurate, and high fps
- Comes with a rechargeable battery
- Easy and fast to reload
Reasons to Avoid:
- Most expensive blaster on this list (averaging $200)
- Sometimes need to shake the blaster to help it feed rounds
- Won’t fire inverted
4. Nerf Rival Kronos XVII-3000
Best Nerf Rival Pistol
Named after Cronos, the father of Zeus and the first Greek Titan, the Nerf Rival Kronos XVII-3000. The Kronos is a lean little blaster, but it packs a serious punch.
This is my favorite little hand blaster. It feels fantastic in your hands (even big hands like mine), and it even topped our list of the best Nerf pistols. Spoiler alert, I gave it an 8.7 out of 10!
Kronos Features
The Rival Kronos is a spring-powered handheld blaster that is primed using a slide on the top of the gun (similar to a real handgun).
It has a rather small ammo capacity, only holding five Rival Rounds in its internal magazine. However, in my testing, I was able to cram six rounds in without any feeding issues.
The Kronos is ambidextrous, with the exception of the safety lock, which is only accessible for right-handed users.
This blaster is a fan favorite and has a ton of unique color schemes —seven at the time of writing this. My favorites include Team Red, Team Blue, Phantom Corps (white), and the Deadpool-themed.
It also has a sling mount at the bottom of the handle and three small tactical rails: one under the muzzle and two on top.
Kronos Performance
After thoroughly testing the Kronos, I found it has an average range of about 83 feet and an average firing velocity of 90 fps. This puts in on the low end for Rival blasters.
Rate of fire on this blaster depends on the user, but in my testing, I was able to spew off all five rounds in four seconds, which is about 1.25 rounds per second.
The Kronos is lightweight and feels great. It’s a little bigger than a traditional handgun, but it’s agile for a nerf blaster.
It’s also super easy to load. Simply pull back the slide, open the loading port, and cram rounds in. My only real gripe I have with the Kronos is that you can’t reload it without priming a round. So it’s best not to keep this blaster loaded while not in use to prevent wear on the spring. Beyond that, it is a solid blaster.
Who Should Buy The Rival Kronos
Overall, the Rival Kronos is as close to the perfect Nerf pistol as it gets! I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a powerful and hard-hitting sidearm. It’s also an inexpensive entry to the Rival series! Also, if you’re looking for something smaller, check out our list of the smallest Nerf guns. It even has a Rival blaster.
Specs:
-
Ammo Capacity: 5 Rival Rounds
- Velocity: 90 feet per second
- Fire-Rate: Depends on the user
- Range: Average of 83 feet
- Powered: Spring-powered
- Colors: Seven colors, including red, blue, and white
Reasons to Buy:
- Feels fantastic to hold and fire
- Easy to load internal magazine
- Best nerf pistol available.
- Inexpensive
Reasons to Avoid:
- Low ammo capacity
- Can’t reload without priming
5. Nerf Rival Artemis XVII-3000
Best Nerf Rival Blaster With Slam Fire
Named after the Greek goddess of the hunt, the Nerf Rival Artemis XVII-3000 is among the most unique blasters in the Rival series.
This lean and mean monster is spring-powered, has a good-sized ammo capacity, and can be slam fired for an almost full auto experience
Artemis Features
The Rival Artemis is spring-powered and primed using a sliding foregrip (similar to pumping a shotgun). It has a rotating barrel that grabs rounds from the internal magazines each time the weapon is primed.
For its size, it holds an impressive 30 Rival Rounds in its three internal magazines. These magazines can’t be removed, but they are a breeze to load.
The Artemis can be purchased in two color schemes—Team Red and Team Blue—and is ambidextrous for those left-handed weirdos out there.
It has a safety lock to help avoid misfires, a priming indicator, two sling mounts on the rear, and one tactical rail on top, which houses any Rival attachments.
Artemis Performance
The Artemis has an average performance compared to other Rival blasters. It shoots on average 90 to 100 fps with a range of 100 feet.
Because it’s pump-action, the rate of fire fully depends on the user. However, this blaster does support slam-fire, which allows you to hold down the trigger and fire rounds by priming. With slam fire, you could easily empty the magazines in 10 seconds.
Loading this blaster is straightforward and fast. Simply slide the upper loading window back and fill each of the three internal magazines. You can fully load this blaster in about 15 seconds.
Who Should Buy The Rival Artemis
Overall, the Artemis is lightweight, agile, and accurate. It’s perfect for those looking for a mechanical-powered primary weapon capable of both precision shooting and rapid fire (with slam fire).
For those that like the style of Nerf shotguns, this is a very unique Rival version of just that!
Specs:
-
Ammo Capacity: 30 Rival Rounds
- Velocity: 90 to 100 feet per second
- Fire-Rate: Depends on the user
- Range: 100 feet
- Powered: Spring-powered and pump-action
- Colors: Red and blue
Reasons to Buy:
- Has slam fire
- Large ammo capacity
- High 90+ FPS and a 100-foot range
- Lightweight and handles well
- No batteries required
Reasons to Avoid:
6. Nerf Rival Roundhouse XX-1500
Best Budget Nerf Rival Blaster
Making the list for the cheapest Rival Nerf blasters is the Roundhouse XX-1500.
It’s also one of the few Rival blasters not named after a Greek god, but don’t let that fool you. This monstrous revolver kicks harder than a Chuck Norris roundhouse!
Roundhouse Features
The Roundhouse is a spring-powered blaster that is primed using a short slide on the top rear of the gun (similar to a handgun).
This blaster uses a unique ammo system that resembles a rotating turret or revolver.
It has five internal magazines that each hold three Rival Rounds and has a spinning loading system that rotates and grabs ammo from each consecutive chamber.
The Roundhouse is fully ambidextrous and can be slam fired, which allows you to spew out rounds by holding down the trigger and priming the gun. It also has two tactical rails on top.
Now for the disappointment. You can only get this nerf gun in one color: Team Red. Sorry team blue fans.
Roundhouse Performance
The performance of the Roundhouse is pretty average for a Rival blaster. It can rocket rounds at about 85 feet per second and has a range of about 90 feet.
The rate of the fire fully depends on the user, however, it’s very similar to the Kronos, and I was able to prime and fire about 1.5 rounds per second. But your mileage might vary.
Loading this blaster is a little strange. To load, pull back on the magazine door to expose five separate loading windows. You can cram up to three rounds in each door, shut the mag door, and you’re ready for war!
This does lead us to the biggest drawback of this blaster. It is rather complicated and slow to reload. Rotating the blaster while loading five separate magazines is slightly tedious.
Who Should Buy The Rival Roundhouse
Overall, the Nerf Rival Roundhouse is a unique and well-received blaster. It’s ideal for those wanting a reliable sidearm but who desire a little more ammo than other similar pistol-type blasters–such as the five-round Kronos.
Specs:
-
Ammo Capacity: 15 Rival Rounds
- Velocity: 85 feet per second
- Fire-Rate: Depends on the user
- Range: 90 feet
- Powered: Spring-powered
- Colors: Team Red
Reasons to Buy:
- Large ammo capacity for a sidearm
- High fps and range
- Lightweight and handles well
- No batteries required
Reasons to Avoid:
- Only one color
- Complicated reloading
- Bulky for a sidearm
7. Nerf Rival Jupiter XIX-1000
Best Nerf Rival Sniper
Named after the Greek sky-god who sat high in the heavens and watched humanity, the Nerf Rival Jupiter XIX-1000 Edge Series is a sniper-class blaster that packs a serious punch
If you’re the type of Nerfer that likes to sit back and take their time, the bolt-action Jupiter is your huckleberry!
Jupiter Features
The Nerf Jupiter is a spring-powered and bolt-action blaster—making it a true sniper-class nerf gun.
It holds ten rounds in its internal magazine and is primed using the bolt-action.
Apart from the gun itself, the Jupiter has a detachable bipod you can go prone or mount up and stabilize your shots.
It also comes with a target, which is something I strongly believe more blasters should include. The target has a little bell on it, so you’ll always know when you hit it—even from the longest distances.
This blaster only has one color scheme (Edge Series) and is a Walmart Exclusive, so you can only buy it in Walmart stores.
Jupiter Performance
The Jupiter is quite powerful and launches Rival Rounds at an average of 90 feet per second and has a range of about 100 feet.
Fire rate is completely dependent upon the user, but you could easily crank out 1 round per second.
This blaster is a breeze to load and is similar to the Kronos. Simply pull back on the bolt and feed your ammo into the loading window on top of the muzzle. Slam the bolt forward, and you’re ready to rock and roll!
It’s a little heftier and awkward compared to other blasters, but that’s to be expected from a sniper-type blaster.
I really don’t have anything negative to say about the Jupiter. It’s a solid nerf gun and a blast to use.
Who Should Buy The Rival Jupiter
The Rival Jupiter is ideal for those precision players that like to take their time with their shots and want an immersive sniper experience. If you enjoy sniping, consider checking out our list of the best Nerf snipers.
Specs:
-
Ammo Capacity: 10 Rival Rounds
- Velocity: 90 feet per second
- Fire-Rate: Depends on the user
- Range: 90 feet
- Powered: Spring-powered
- Colors: Edge Series: Lime green, black, and orange
Reasons to Buy:
- Bolt action
- Comes with bipod and target
- Gives a true sniper experience
- No batteries required
Reasons to Avoid:
- Bulky and slow to fire
- Doesn’t hold a lot of ammo
Nerf Rival Vs. Dart Blasters
For years foam darts and discs were the bread and butter of the Nerf gun world. With the introduction of the Rival series in 2015, finding the best blaster got a little more complicated.
So what is the difference between Nerf Rival and traditional dart blasters?
Ammo Type
The first and most important difference is the ammo type. Nerf Rival uses their branded High-Impact Rival Rounds—which are essentially little foam balls. These balls are quite impressive and brilliantly designed for three reasons.
Firstly, they have pores on their surface that reduce friction and increase aerodynamics by creating turbulent air around the ball. This makes Rival Rounds more accurate and lets them travel significantly further distances. You might notice that this same “porous” technology is used for golf balls.
Secondly, they are heavy and dense enough to travel long distances and pack a punch. But not so heavy that they are dangerous.
Thirdly, you can take advantage of their shape to accomplish cool aerodynamic feats—such as spinning the ball and curving shots, like the Rival Curve Shot Sideswipe (the last gun on this list).
If you would like to learn more about this awesome ammo type and where to buy the best quality replacement ammo, be sure to check out my full review of Rival ammo here.
Ammo Capacity
Because Rival use ball-shaped ammo, they can cram significantly more ammo into their blasters. Unlike darts, balls don’t have to be loaded in a particular direction. This also makes loading Rival blasters quicker and easier.
Performance
While there are some powerful dart blasters on the market, Rival generally outperforms in velocity (fps), accuracy, and range.
The average dart Nerf gun shoots at about 70 fps. Rival averages at about 100fps.
This is due to the ammo type and the overall high-performance nature of the blaster. Rival is designed to be a more powerful alternative to dart blasters and is meant for the older population (ages 14+).
Godly Names
Nerf has a unique and awesome naming scheme for all of their Rival series blasters.
Each weapon is named after a Greek Titan, God, or Goddess. How much cooler can Rival get?
FAQ
Do Nerf Rival Guns Hurt?
Nerf Rival can hurt a little bit, especially when hit at close range or a direct impact to sensitive areas or skin. However, Rival won’t leave a bruise, and the sting goes away within seconds. It’s about twice as painful as a traditional dart.
Why is Nerf Rival 14+?
Rival blasters are high-performance weapons that generally shoot rounds at 100 fps. As such, they’re not a child’s toy and are designed for older Nerfers.
How Many Nerf Rival Guns Are There?
As of 2024, there are 38 released Rival blasters on the market, with more being added every year. There are also four sub-series with unique color schemes: Camo Series, Curve Shot, Edge Series, and Phantom Series.
Final Thoughts
There you have it, the best Rival Nerf guns to buy in 2024! Each of the Nerf guns on this list is a weapon of zero mercy and will have your opponents screaming for their mommy.
Nerf Rival is by far my favorite series of Nerf guns. If they are allowed in your specific Nerf gun game, they will likely be the best choice. They are absurdly accurate, powerful, and consistent.
But most of all, they’ll put a nice grin on your face.
Thanks for reading, and happy nerfing!