Released in 2015, the Nerf Rival Apollo XV-700 was thee blaster that stole the hearts of Nerf warriors around the world and inspired the innovation that the Rival series have spawned since.
Named after the Greek God Apollo, who was the messenger of the Gods, this Nerf gun certainly delivers a forceful statement.
Spring-actioned and remarkably accurate, it can sling High-Impact Rival Rounds at an extreme 100 FPS and is an inexpensive way to place heart-wrenching fear into your enemies. There is also a nice variety of designs, colors, and models to choose from!
Below we’ll take a deep dive into the Rival Apollo XV-700 to help define its key features, strengths, and weaknesses.
Is this the blaster for you? Let’s find out!
Key Features of the Rival Apollo XV-700
To begin, let’s look at the primary features of the Rival Apollo XV-700 and the advantages or drawbacks associated with each characteristic.
- Spring-powered instead of battery-powered. Is primed using a handle on the top of the blaster.
- Magazine-fed so it is unlikely to jam and won’t have as many feeding issues as the hopper-fed guns (such as the Rival Nemesis). Clips load fast but hold significantly less ammo.
- Fires Rival Rounds are fun high-impact and accurate round foam balls that can sting when hit but don’t particularly hurt.
- Shoots at 100 FPS. This is a middle-tier speed. Most dart-based Nerf guns average at about 70 FPS and many other Rival series blasters can reach 130FPS. There are even some powerful Nerf blasters that can reach well above 200 FPS.
- Six different designs to choose from: red, blue, Phantom Corps series, Camo series, Star Wars Battlefront themed, and Deadpool themed.
- Includes one tactical rail for attachments and a trigger safety lock to help avoid wasting ammo on your own face.
Review of Rival Apollo XV-700
After putting the Rival Apollo XV-700 through a 7-point review (which can be found below), I’ve concluded that this is a fantastic-valued blaster with some wonderful benefits and few drawbacks.
Pros
- Inexpensive entry to the Rival series blasters
- Fires Rival Rounds which are very accurate and pack a punch
- Slings rounds at 100 FPS
- Feels good in the hand and can be shouldered for close-quarters combat
- Has a tactical rail on top of the barrel for an attachment
- Quick and easy to reload or swap magazines
- Intuitive trigger lock (safety) to help avoid accidental firings and depletion of your ammo
Cons
- Has a small magazine out of the box and can only be upgraded with a 12 round clip
- The priming handle is on the top of the blaster and a little awkward to use—having to bring your hand above the gun every time you wish to load another round
Design & Ergonomics: 7/10
I love the feel and overall ergonomics of the Apollo. It’s small and light—so it can be held out in front of you like a large pistol. But it can also be comfortably shouldered and its short profile allows for excellent control and maneuverability in tight spaces.
In addition, it has an ambidextrous design, which is great for you left-handers!
My one complaint about the design is that the priming handle is on top of the gun, making it rather inconvenient to use. You have to bring your hand up and around the gun every time you want to rack a round. That being said, the priming handle is hook-shaped which ensures your hand doesn’t slip off while loading.
Overall, the design and color scheme of my red blaster looks and feels great!
Ammo and Loading: 8/10
The Apollo uses Rival Rounds which are firm foam balls. These balls have dimples similar to a golf ball which reduce drag and allow them to travel further and faster.
These high-impact rounds are a fun and engaging type of ammo that adds a level of intensity that darts lack.
The blaster only comes with a seven-round clip. For the price, I think that’s pretty good but it does make this more of a tactical blaster by forcing you to make better decisions with your ammo. This is definitely not a run-and-gun blaster.
Firing and Rate of Fire: 7/10
The first thing I noticed after pulling the trigger was the small grin on my face. This thing is fun.
The Apollo is spring-powered and has a mechanical trigger—which is nice to have over the electronic triggers that require the blaster to spool up before delivering a round. With a mechanical trigger, there is no lag between pulling the trigger and releasing Hell’s fury on your enemy!
There is a nice long pull on the trigger, which gives makes it feel like a precision dart blaster. Each round fired also creates a loud “POP” as the spring releases. You definitely know when you shoot a round and it gives the blaster an immersive feeling.
The rate of fire fully depends on how fast you’re capable of priming it. The spring is rather stiff and some might find it hard to prime. The stronger you are, the faster your can prime it. I was able to empty my clip within 5 seconds which is about 1.4 darts per second.
Overall, I love the firing experience this gun provides. It’s punchy and relatively loud, and while racking another round is slightly inconvenient, it feels freaking great!
Accuracy and Consistency: 8/10
I’ve never used a Rival blaster prior to using the Apollo. It didn’t take long to realize just how insanely accurate Rival blasters are. Within 10 minutes I was able to hit a playing card with nearly every shot from 50 feet away.
I tested the accuracy and consistency by shooting 35 rounds from 50 feet. There was about a 1/2 foot total spread between rounds. That’s pretty consistent!
Overall, the Rival Apollo has laser-focused accuracy and with a little bit of practice, you’ll feel incredibly confident in your ability to snipe objects from absurd distances.
FPS and Range: 8/10
The Apollo flings foam at some serious velocities. While dart-based Nerf guns shoot at about 70 FPS. However, this ball blaster shoots an average of 100 FPS.
Now you might be wondering, does it hurt to get hit by this blaster?
While the rounds don’t particularly hurt, they are not fun to get hit by. They pack a punch and when target shooting will easily knock over heavier items.
The Apollo also has some great range. I took 70 shots and consistently shot over 80 feet, with the furthest ball reaching 92 feet.
There are quite a few blasters that shoot further and faster. Some Nerf competitor brands have some that reach speeds over 200 feet per second. But for the price, the FPS and range of the Nerf Rival Apollo are impressive.
Currently, the only stock Nerf blasters that shoot harder are the Nerf Hyper guns.
Reliability and Durability 10/10
After hundreds of rounds, I never experienced a single malfunction or jam. Spring-powered magazines do an excellent job pushing new rounds into the gun. They don’t have as many feeding issues as the hopper-fed blasters (such as the Rival Nemesis).
As for the durability of this blaster, the thing is tough—like Superman’s pectoral muscles. Short of throwing it at a brick wall, it feels like it will hold up to dropping or even accidentally smashing it against something while turning. That goes for the magazine clip as well.
Robust!
Overall it is a reliable foam-slinging weapon that you can be confident will always fire.
Fun and Value: 8/10
It’s a unique blaster that I enjoy using as a precision weapon. I love the combination of mechanical trigger and the low ammo count that makes it feel like you are sniping with an SMG.
It’s strange but in a good way.
Overall, I really enjoy using the Rival Apollo and my cats do too!
Final Verdict
Based on the above factors I give the Nerf Rival Apollo an 8 out of 10.
It is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a powerful and accurate ball blaster. Its durable construction and high FPS make it perfect for intense Nerf wars, while its accuracy will instill fear on the battlefield.
But nothing is without its flaws. This blaster does have an awkwardly placed priming handle and a low amount of ammo. Seven rounds really aren’t much.
However, I wouldn’t recommend this product if you are looking for a pistol-like blaster that shoots Rival Rounds. Rather you might consider checking out the Kronos Nerf Pistol (which is smaller, cheaper, and holds 5 rounds).
Other than that, I think the Apollo is a class of its own and offers a lot of bang for the buck—averaging about $35 USD online.
Versions and Where to Buy
There are six variations of the Nerf Rival Apollo XV-700.
Click the link on each model below to check out their unique color scheme and current price. Some of these are exclusives and can only be purchased from one retailer.
- NERF RIVAL APOLLO XV-700 – Red Version
- NERF RIVAL APOLLO XV-700 – Blue Version
- NERF RIVAL APOLLO XV-700 – Phantom Corps Series (White and Black)
- NERF RIVAL APOLLO XV-700 – Camo Series
- NERF RIVAL APOLLO XV-700 – Star Wars Battlefront II Themed
- NERF RIVAL APOLLO XV-700 – Deadpool Themed
Sadly all versions of this blaster have been discontinued, but there is still a large inventory online, so you can still find it quite cheap! I’ll update this page when this blaster starts getting hard to find.
Final Words
The Nerf Rival Apollo is an excellent blaster that provides a great firing experience. It’s accurate, consistent, and has impressive range.
Not to mention, it’s durable and reliable. While it might not be the fastest or furthest shooting blaster available, it offers good value for the price.
If you’re looking for an enjoyable foam-slinging experience, the Rival Apollo is definitely worth checking out.