Nerf Elite 2.0 Stormcharge Review

Elite 2.0 didn’t have the greatest start. The latest wave, however, has seen vast improvements with blasters like the Motoblitz. That trend continues with the Stormcharge. And at just $30, it’s a true successor to the Stryfe when it comes to being a Nerf flywheel blaster.

Back to Basics

The Stormcharge (a Wild Edition blaster exclusive to Walmart) looks good. The blue body with tiger stripes molded into it, the teal accents, and the orange bits all make for a fun, aesthetically pleasing blaster. More importantly, it feels good! The main grip is shaped well, the foregrip is serviceable, and the accessories provide a decent stock length. Adults might want a longer stock, but that’s why you have an attachment point! For the kids, having that “4 blasters in 1” play value that’s been around since the Recon is good enough.

The blaster is powered by 4 AA batteries, in a tray on the left side. The right side features a somewhat recessed tactical rail that should retain flashlight attachments and the like very well. The top rail/carry handle also features a tiny aperture sight. It’s not really useful, but it’s a neat aesthetic touch.

One of the most important features is the mag release. At last, Hasbro ditched the in-trigger well button for a paddle! The Pheonix and Turbine caused discomfort at best when releasing the magazine. Here, a small flick of the middle finger (or the thumb of your off-hand) is the only thing needed.

There are other small features, like a jam door and sling points. But overall, it’s the type of blaster kids and hobbyists alike will like handling. The Stormcharge comes with a ten dart magazine and 20 darts.

Performance

The Stormcharge shoots on par with other Elite and Elite 2.0 blasters, averaging 72fps in my testing. There is, of course, the spin-up time required when using alkaline batteries. So while you can easily do three shots per second, the latter shots will have less power behind them.

Internals and Modification

A new flywheel blaster means another platform to mod and (naturally) another blaster to make a cage for! To that end, I’ve already uploaded a 3d-printed flywheel cage to Thingiverse! The cage was similar to that of the Elite 2.0 Turbine, but needed a few adjustments.

Otherwise, the inside works like most other flywheel blasters. A microswitch sits behind the rev trigger, and another with the magazine safety.

Getting the blaster apart is mostly easy. The only issue is the nature of the teal grip panels – they clip in place! Once you use a thin screwdriver, spudger, or other pry tool to work them loose, you can access the last three screws.

Final Opinion

The Stormcharge is the basic Nerf flywheel blaster we’ve been waiting for. No real frills to it, just a blaster that works while having great play value for the kids in our lives. Being able to make it even better is just icing on the cake.