At long last, after more than a month of waiting from the original release date, my Heracles is finally here! Sometimes, the supply chain just fails.

If you’ve seen one Kronos, you’ve seen them all. The Heracles has the same great features, but gives up the smaller package in favor of ball storage. If you’re the kind of person that runs around with just a pistol, this one might be your flavor of Rival.

Buy the Heracles here (affiliate link that supports the website)

Same, Yet Different

The Heracles, exclusive to Walmart, is in the Camo series and comes with five black and white balls. Basic operation is the same as the Kronos; you pull back the slide to prime, push it forward, then pull the trigger to fire. While the slide is back, you can load up to five balls in the blaster’s internal magazine. A Rival tac rail sits on the priming slide (and is of questionable usefulness, aside from potential aftermarket priming attachments). A safety switch sits above the trigger.Balls fire out the muzzle. It’s all very familiar!

There are, however, a few differences. Notably, plastic paneling under the blaster proper can hold up to ten rounds (five per side). The indents are deep enough to securely hold HIRs, but are also easy to remove said balls from for reloading.

In addition, the main handle is a bit more comfortable than that of the Kronos. The blaster does feature a hand guard of sorts, simply linking the handle with the storage paneling.

Due to the shape of the priming handle, I personally find it more comfortable to use than that of the Kronos. Your opinion may vary.

Within the Blaster

Inside are all the things you’d expect. Wide plunger tube? Check. Beefy spring? Check. Five ball, moving internal magazine? Check. Plus the associated plastic bits for unjamming the blaster, etc.

As of yet, I haven’t done anything to my Heracles. Since I’m not a person who typically uses secondary blasters (at most, I have socks as extras in Humans v Zombies games), I’m okay with the blaster as is. No need for me to holster it, and I can run around with just the blaster.

Performance

My Heracles clocked in at an average of 98fps, which is a bit faster than my stock Kronos, as well as the advertised 90fps. I can fire one ball per second, which is decent for a spring powered Rival pistol.

Final Thoughts

The Heracles is a great Rival pistol, which is unsurprising. Whether you want it is a matter of personal taste. If you like running around with a pistol as your primary blaster, you’ll love the performance and the handy ammo storage. If you’re the type to holster your Kronos (or use it to make something that instead fires darts), you might not want the Heracles.

In any case, it’s a great starting blaster for anyone just getting into the world of Rival.