The Stampede ECS – The Pros and Cons (Part 2) (Basic Nerf Article)

Yes you can duck tape a camera to the shield and take video with it, handy huh?

Part 1 of the article here.

In part 2 of these articles on the Stampede ECS. In part 2 we’ll talk about the pros and cons that this gun has. Lets go talk about the pros first. We can call this a mini-review for now, with a more in-depth review coming after I use the gun myself. I’ll also talk about it’s actual usage in wars, it’s accessories, and how this gun could sway some battles.

Hit the jump for more of course. This is my longest article yet so feel free to kick back and do some nice Nerf related reading. Oh and please leave me a comment with any grammar errors you spot or your thoughts on this article.

This is a nice automated gun. Without any modifications it fires about 3 darts a second, or 160 darts per minute. This 6 D battery powered gun allows two modes of fire. Hold down the trigger for automatic, and push the trigger once to fire off one dart. The gun also comes equipped with 6 tactical rails as well, allowing more customization and places to place more accessories such as the Recon Laser Sights or holding the the two accessories that come with it, the bi-pod and shield.

The bi-pod and shield are not bad bad. I tried holding the gun (I’m just gonna be calling Nerf Blasters Nerf Guns from now on) with the Bi-Pod, and it felt comfortable and helped me hold up the 3 and a half pound gun. However my friend using the gun ditched the Bi-Pod after one game because he said it kept falling off. I also noticed that if you try pull down and to the left of the gun while holding the Bi-Pod, it will detach. However I feel the upside of stability during games and helping hold up this gun is too great to leave off. The worst case thing is that it doesn’t work and you just don’t use it. My Bi-pod may vary from others out there, so be sure to check yours out.

The Shield is also nice as well. Putting it on the tactical rail in front of the scope where the picture recommends it blocks the small scope and some of your sight of vision, but also blocks your face and a good amount of your upper body, where most shots would be fired. In the urban environment my friends and I play in, there is a good amount of cover, walls, corners, etc. I’m also a better Nerfer then my friend using the Stampede, so I was able to manipulate the environment and keep him from rushing me. He pretty much only did strafing between a doorway, which wasn’t a bad tactic, but if thats all your doing then your really holding back the Stampede and yourself.

If it was a more open environment I think I would have trouble with the Stampede due to it’s large amount of ammo and it’s shield. 18 times 3 is 54 darts that thing comes with. My Alpha Trooper only comes with 18 darts in it’s drum, equal to just one of it’s clips. Also while playing against the Stampede it gave me a little bit of trouble. Some of my normal shots were deflected by the shield, so I had to aim down a little bit and aim for his legs and lower torso. If it were a more open space though, like an outside area, if I had to go into direct contact against a Shielded Stampede I would have to aim down, thus exposing my head and some of my top area and that might get hit. Thankfully I had cover whenever I went against the Stampede.

The rate of fire is great. Even though it’s only about 2/3 as fast as an Alpha Trooper, it’s just great to be able to hold down the trigger to fire off a good stream of darts. You also have two more 18 dart clips and 1 6 dart clip to back if your first 18 dart clip as well.

It’s also super easy to reload this gun. Just pull the clip release tab, pull out the clip, and insert a new one and your ready to go. It’s as simple as that. Watch SG Nerf reload super fast in the below video.

But it’s time to talk about the cons of this gun now. First off is the weight and size of the gun. The gun is about 30 inches long, which is about the size of an M4. Also the 6 D batteries make this gun back heavy. The 3.5 pounds is something quite different from the Nerf guns that have been made so far so it might take some time getting used to this gun’s weight. The actual size is not bad. I can use it around the house and it feels alright for a 30 inch gun. I also figured if the military can use 30 inch Assault Rifles indoors effectively, why can’t I?

Also since it’s battery powered your gonna have to buy some to power it. 8 D batteries cost me about $10. I’ve also heard that theres double A to D battery converters out there. All in all this gun is gonna cost you about $60 to $65 USA dollars. Without batteries though, the gun can not fire. I can not imagine trying to replace batteries during a game or war.

Carrying this gun and it’s clips can also be a problem as well. The Nerf Bandolier belt hooks fit on the ends of this, but still the gun hangs down to about your knees. Also the clips are too big even for my cargo pants. They can fit in the Tactical Vest and Bandolier belt, but without those item I’m not sure how you can carry your big 18 dart clips. The 18 round drums might be the best for this gun, but I’m not sure how you would go about acquiring these without buying more Alpha Troopers.

Also a small thing I don’t like, but might not be a problem to you guys. The gun is motorized and mechanized, so it’s a little loud when it fires. But that shouldn’t really matter since the enemy should know where the shots are coming from. What also kind of bugs me though is that since the whole process of priming the gun is motorized and mechanized, it has to do that every time you fire it. You can’t prime your Stampede and then pull the trigger to fire off a dart right when you need it. Sure it doesn’t take long for this blaster to load a dart and fire it, but those small amounts of time maybe score you a hit or defend yourself in a game.

I’ve haven’t quite played with this blaster in a war, but I went against a friend using this and played with him for about 8 games or more. I can not be fair and call this a proper review without using the Stampede myself as well. The verdict has yet to be determined for me. It looks good so far, but I have to actually use it myself before I can pass proper judgement.