9 Best Nerf Rival Guns (2025 Guide)

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Reviews of nine of the best Nerf Rival blasters currently available, ranked on performance, durability, magazine capacity, design, price, and ergonomics.

Rival blasters are known for their power, sleek yet intimidating designs, and smooth firing mechanisms. They also come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, which makes the series appealing to many different players.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through what I consider to be the nine best Nerf Rival guns available today and explain what makes the Rival series stand out.

Top Pick

Second Choice

Nemesis MXVII-10K

Artemis XVII-3000

Full automatic

Direct plunger

Acceleration trigger

Pump action

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Top Pick

Nemesis MXVII-10K

Full automatic

Acceleration trigger

VIEW ON AMAZON

Second Choice

Artemis XVII-3000

Direct plunger

Pump action

VIEW ON AMAZON

1. Nemesis MXVII-10K

For many Nerf fans, the Nemesis is the most iconic Rival blaster. It was a true game-changer, combining power, capacity, and fully automatic fire in one package.

The Nemesis uses a flywheel and conveyor system with a detachable hopper that holds 100 rounds. Loading is quick and easy, and once filled, the blaster can unleash round after round at impressive speed.

While fully automatic blasters are not for everyone, the Nemesis remains one of the most entertaining Rival blasters ever made. Despite its age, it continues to be a fan favorite and a benchmark for the entire Rival series.

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2. Artemis XVII-3000

Released in 2017, the Artemis is a more compact Rival blaster compared to the Nemesis. It is spring-powered with a pump-action priming system and a firing capacity of 30 rounds. At the front sits a turret system that rotates when priming.

The Artemis has three integrated magazines on top of the blaster, each holding ten rounds. Every prime rotates the barrel and draws a round from one of the magazines, making the firing system both reliable and fun to use.

One of its best features is versatility. You can choose to single-fire or slam-fire, using the large sliding handle at the front as the primer. The design feels ergonomic, performs well, and has a bold look that many players love.

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3. Pathfinder XXII-1200

Released in 2022, the Pathfinder XXII-1200 is a spring-powered, pump-action blaster that comes with an integrated shoulder stock, a detachable 12-round magazine, and an adjustable iron sight.

The Pathfinder belongs to a Rival subseries that introduced a yellow and light blue color scheme along with a new type of ammo called Accu-Rounds. These rounds are very similar to traditional Rival Rounds but have larger dimples designed to improve consistency and accuracy.

One of the standout features is its dual iron sights: an adjustable rear sight that can be moved left, right, up, or down, paired with a fixed front sight above the muzzle. Together, they give the Pathfinder a more tactical feel.

While its performance is not dramatically better than other Rival blasters, the Pathfinder delivers solid results. With its sharp design, reliable build, good ergonomics, and reasonable price point, it is a strong option in the Rival lineup.

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4. Hades XVIII-6000

The Hades, part of the Phantom Corps sub-series, was released in 2018 as a pump-action blaster with both single-fire and slam-fire capabilities.

This blaster features an integrated magazine that holds 60 High-Impact Rounds, giving it impressive capacity. The priming and firing system is straightforward, and reloading is quick and easy, making it a practical choice for extended play.

In design and mechanics, the Hades is quite similar to the Artemis. However, it offers a much larger magazine and a bigger overall frame, making it a more powerful option while still retaining the familiar Rival feel.

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5. Perses MXIX-5000

First released in 2019, the Perses is a compact flywheel and conveyor blaster with a 50-round hopper system similar to the Nemesis. This setup allows for generous capacity in a smaller, more manageable design.

What makes the Perses stand out is its balance of size and performance. It is lightweight, comfortable to hold, and fully automatic, with a smooth and rapid firing mechanism that delivers consistently strong results.

The hopper and conveyor system is efficient and fun to use, feeding rounds quickly with very few issues. Jams are uncommon, and when they do occur, they can be cleared easily by removing the hopper.

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6. Prometheus MXVIII-20K

The Prometheus MXVIII-20K, part of the Phantom Corps line, is one of the most impressive and over-the-top Rival blasters ever made. Released in 2018, it is a fully automatic flywheel blaster with a staggering 200-round capacity.

In many ways, the Prometheus is similar to the Nemesis, but it takes things to the next level with its sheer size and rate of fire. The removable hopper makes reloading 200 rounds quick and simple, so you can get back into the action fast.

Once fully loaded, the Prometheus can unleash up to eight rounds per second, making it one of the most powerful and entertaining Rival blasters you can own. It may be excessive, but it is also an absolute blast to use.

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7. Takedown XX-800

The Rival Takedown, released in early 2020, is a pump-action blaster with an internal magazine that holds 8 rounds. Loading is done from the top of the blaster through a small opening revealed during the priming action.

The front pump handle makes priming smooth and firing consistent. Although it is single-fire only, the action feels so natural that it almost invites slam firing.

At first glance, the grip may look a little awkward in shape, but it is surprisingly comfortable and works especially well for larger hands. Sturdy, simple, and effective, the Takedown earns its place as one of the more practical Rival blasters.

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8. Kronos XVIII-500

The Kronos, released in 2018, is a compact, pistol-style spring-action blaster with an internal magazine that holds 5 rounds.

Reloading, priming, and firing with the Kronos feels smooth and satisfying, which, combined with its sharp design and reliable performance, makes it a standout in the Rival lineup.

Pistol-style Nerf guns may not appeal to everyone, but the Kronos is widely regarded as one of the best in its class. For players looking for a dependable sidearm, it is an excellent choice.

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9. Fate XXII-100

The Fate, released in 2022, is a spring-powered, single-shot pistol-style blaster featuring a T-pull priming handle and an adjustable rear sight.

Like the Pathfinder, it belongs to the Rival subseries with a yellow and light blue color scheme and uses Accu-Rounds as its ammo. These rounds are designed for consistency and accuracy, giving the Fate strong performance for its size.

This compact blaster is reliable, easy to use, and fits comfortably in the hand. With an FPS above 90, it performs better than many would expect from a single-shot pistol. The T-pull handle may look unusual, but it functions smoothly, making loading, priming, and firing quick and intuitive.

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The Nerf Rival series was first announced in 2015, with the Apollo XV-700 and the Zeus MXV-1200 being the first blasters in that series.

The purpose of the Rival series (officially written with full caps as RIVAL) was to bring high-performing blasters to the market for competitive team vs team play. Rival blasters are typically available in red and blue color schemes, supporting the team play aspect.

Rival Rounds

A new ammo type was designed specifically for the Rival series.

These High-Impact Rounds are not darts. Instead, they are small yellow balls with dimples, similar to what golf balls look like.

The Rival Accu sub-series included a refined ammo type. The Rival Accu-Round is similar to the classic Rival Round, but the dimples are larger, resulting in improved performance.

Naming Convention

You may have noticed the rather interesting names given to Rival Blasters. For example, Artemis XVII-3000, and Prometheus MXVIII-20K.

If the blasters aren’t impressive enough already, then their names certainly are! What’s even better is that these funky names weren’t just randomly chosen.

The names refer to Greek and Roman mythological figures. Prometheus, for example, is a Titan God of fire.

The letters are Roman numbers that refer to the year the blaster was first released. For example, the Artemis was released in 2017, indicated with the Roman number XVII, which means 17.

Some Rival blasters also have an M, which means they’re motorized blasters. For example, the Prometheus is a motorized blaster that was released in 2018. As such, the name includes (M) and XVIII.

But it gets even more complicated. The 3000 bit in the Artemis name means it has a magazine capacity of 30 rounds * 100. The Prometheus, on the other hand, has a capacity of 200, which is 100 * 200 = 20K.

To recap, this is how the Prometheus MXVIII-20K got its name:

Prometheus = Greek mythological figure
M = Motorized blaster
XVIII = The year (20)18
20K = 100 * 200 Rounds

How cool is that?

Safety

The target market for the Rival series was older kids and adults. Rival blasters were never designed for young kids because they are so powerful. Plus, the ammo, High-Impact rounds, is very different from the classic Nerf darts.

The official recommended age for Rival blasters is 14 years and older, which I think is fair enough. That older target audience makes sense, given the power of these blasters and the type of ammo used.

When the Rival series first came out, the blasters weren’t allowed in Australia because they didn’t meet the local toy safety standards. That seems a bit excessive, but it does say a lot about this line of blasters.

But overall, I can honestly say that I find Nerf Rival guns pretty safe. Getting hit by a High-Impact round can certainly be felt, but it doesn’t hurt. And to be on the safe side, you can also wear goggles to protect the eyes.

Sub Series

As with other Nerf series, the Rival series of blasters also has a few sub-series. The most notable Rival sub-series are the following:

• Phantom Corps:
  A sub-series with blasters that are promoted as non-team based. Phantom Corps blasters have a black-and-white color scheme to visually separate them from the red and blue Rival models.
• Edge:
  A sub-series with a focus on precision and target shooting. Blasters in the Edge sub-series have a lime-green color scheme. The Jupiter XIX-1000 is one example.
• Curve Shot:
  A sub-series with blasters that can shoot in several directions (left, right, and down) via adjustable hop-ups that create a curve effect.
• Accu:
  A sub-series with a new ammunition type called Accu-Rounds designed to improve shooting accuracy and velocity. Blasters in this range have a yellow and light blue color scheme and adjustable sights.

Three blasters in the above list of best Nerf Rival guns are from various sub-series.

The Hades and Prometheus are part of the successful Phantom Corps sub-series, and the Pathfinder is part of the Accu sub-series.

Last updated: September 29, 2025