Nerf Stryfe vs Nerf Desolator
The Nerf Versus Series compares similar blasters to find out which one is the best and why. Today, we have the Nerf Stryfe vs Nerf Desolator in a Blaster Battle for Semi-auto Supremacy. They are both competent blasters based off of the same internal design, but is one superior? Continue reading and find out!
Hey, guys! This is Blee from Nerf Gun Attachments Bleenga(dotcom). Here today, we will be doing a new comparison article in a series I call #Nerf VERSUS! This post stars the veteran Elite “OJ” Nerf Stryfe, versus the new kid on the block, the Doomlands Series Nerf Desolator!! Who will win in the battle of the Nerf Stryfe vs Nerf Desolator? You decide! Let me know down in the comments section who you think really wins this battle!
Nerf Versus: Best Blaster Breakdown
The brand-new Nerf Desolator versus the good old fashioned Stryfe. Let’s go over the similarities of these two blasters. They are both semi-automatic flywheel blasters. They’re both powered by 4x AA batteries and they both use standard Nerf magazines. The layout, internal and external, is pretty similar because they’re based on the same design.
They both have firing triggers and acceleration or “rev” triggers and even magazine release buttons in the same general location. They both feed the magazines in the same way through the same kind of mag-well. They both have two tactical rails, two sling mounts, and both have the jam access door in the same place. They’re very similar in that regard.
Nerf Stryfe vs Nerf Desolator: The Stryfe
- MOTORIZED 6-DART BLASTING: Shoot 6 darts in a row with rapid-fire motorized blasting from the Nerf Modulus Stryfe blaster that fires darts up to 90 feet (27 meters)
- CUSTOMIZE WITH DROP GRIP AND BARREL EXTENSION: This Nerf Modulus version of the classic Stryfe blaster includes an attachable drop grip and barrel extension to customize the blaster for Nerf battles
- INCLUDES 6-DART CLIP AND 6 DARTS: Includes a 6-dart clip and 6 Official Nerf Elite foam darts that are tested and approved for performance and quality. Blaster requires batteries (not included)
- SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING: Ships in simple, recyclable packaging that’s easy to open and frustration free
First up, in this Nerf Stryfe vs Nerf Desolator Face Off, the OJ Stryfe. This is it, ladies and Nerfermen. The archetype for what a semi-auto flywheel blaster is supposed to be. Ultra small, tiny, versatile, adaptable, fully customizable. Every new blaster that comes out with flywheels, unless it’s full auto, it’s automatically being compared to this. This. Is. It. This is what you have to shoot for, this is what you’re competing with and that’s why anytime a new semi-auto flywheel blaster comes out we already know how it works.
We know how to mod it, how to use it most effectively. It has a rev trigger right here that spins up the flywheels. Once they’re spinning up, you pull the trigger each time you want to fire a dart. Semi-auto, baby!
When you get the Stryfe, it comes just like this. Kind of like a machine pistol or maybe a small SMG. It comes with a six round mag and six elite darts. However this thing is tacti-cool as fudge. It’s almost the definition of tacti-cool. On this small package, we find both a barrel attachment point and a stock attachment point. There’s a tactical rail up, top tactical rail down below, and a couple of sling points.
You can turn this thing from a machine pistol to an SMG to a full-fledged rifle, battle rifle, carbine, or whatever you want to call it. You can do it with this thing. This is the most versatile and adaptable blaster that we have. This was the pre-Modulus Modulus.
The performance of this blaster in stock form is right along what you expect from any Elite level blaster, but once you mod it, it becomes a powerhouse. Such a small, seamless package that offers up so much in the way of modularity and modular capabilities and customization.
This blaster really has no downfalls except for that puny six round mag. But of course as soon as you open up the package, you should clearly eject that and throw it into the garbage. Every time. So as proof that it’s modular and adaptable, I threw the Modulus banana clip mag and my Gear Up Raider Stock on there. Now it’s sitting right inline with what you get with the Desolator. Speaking of which…
Nerf Stryfe vs Nerf Desolator: The Desolator
- MOTORIZED BLASTING: Make an impact with the Nerf Doomlands Desolator toy blaster as you shoot 10 darts rapidly with motorized blasting
- FIRE 10 DARTS IN A ROW: The Desolator Nerf blaster comes with a 10-dart clip so you can fire 10 darts in a row before it’s time to reload, and it has 2 tactical rails for accessories (not included)
- INCLUDES 10 NERF DARTS: Includes 10 Official Nerf Doomlands Elite darts that are tested and approved for performance and quality and constructed of foam with flexible, hollow tips
- SEE INSIDE THE BLASTER: Look through the clear area on this Doomlands Nerf blaster to see the inner mechanism and watch it in action when you fire the blaster
- POWER UP AND PULL THE TRIGGER: Power up the motor with the acceleration button and pull the trigger to fire each dart from the Doomlands Nerf Desolator blaster
Onto the Desolator. What this blaster has that really stands out in this Nerf Stryfe vs Nerf Desolator free-for-all is a smooth, really cool look to it, overall. The aesthetics of this blaster are ridiculous! (In a good way.) It has an integrated thumb hole type shoulder stock, with the batteries in the stock. It just has an overall very cool, very clean look to it. This might just be the best white blaster that we’ve ever seen.
There’s a large, large transparent paneling here where you can see the most important function of the internals of this blaster. You can see the dart pusher pushing the dart and the next dart start loading up from the, also transparent, magazine. That is cool and it’s not only for looks. You can see how many darts you have left right up to the top with this thing. You can peek in the window at anytime and that’s extremely cool.
The Nerf Desolator also comes with this stylized banana style magazine, which just looks awesome. I love these things, ever since the Double-Dealer. In the Nerf Stryfe vs Nerf Desolator debate, the Desolator definitely wins a lot of style points. It does lose a lot of the tacti-cool features of the Stryfe, though. It doesn’t have a stock attachment point because it has an integrated stock. And it also doesn’t have a barrel attachment point for, uh, “reasons.”
Two tactical rails up top, a bigger one at the back and a tiny one at the front. It has this curved hand-rest part at the front of the blaster, under the muzzle. There’s no attachment point underneath like the Stryfe, so you can’t attach foregrips or anything like that. But the hand-rest area is amazingly comfortable to hold. When you shoulder this thing and you hold it that way it feels amazing.
So what this has going for it, besides good looks, is the form factor. It’s super thin and almost completely symmetrical, save for the flywheel box. Look how thin that is. Look at that. It’s super sleek, super slim (no Shady). It’s just one really good-looking package. And even though I feel the stock is a little short, it’s very comfortable. This blaster has supreme aesthetics and ergonomics going for it and on the inside it’s just basically another Stryfe re-shell. It has the same level of performance, although…
Nerf Stryfe vs Nerf Desolator: Lock It Up
Nerf has learned over time that they don’t have to place the same amount of resistance. They’ve learned they don’t need the same amount of mechanical or electrical locks. Over time, they’ve done less of that in their blasters. Since the Nerf Stryfe is a lot older than the Nerf Desolator, you do get a slightly smoother performance right out of the box with the Desolator. It’s just like the Modulus. The Modulus ECS 10, I think, was the first notable example of Nerf toning down on the locks. So you get that with this.
If you’re gonna mod them it doesn’t really matter either way, but if you’re gonna be using them stock, when comparing the Nerf Stryfe vs Nerf Desolator, you do get a slightly smoother performance with the Desolator.
Triggering Performance Issues
Speaking of performance though, let’s talk about one performance issue in the Nerf Stryfe vs Nerf Desolator debate.: The triggers. Pulling the Desolator trigger fast is gonna be slightly more annoying than on the Stryfe. The way the pistol grip is on the Desolator does not leave enough space around the trigger to get a comfy grip. It’s too skinny. The Stryfe has a larger, beefier grip and the grip stays thick all the way up to the stock attachment point, uninterrupted. You have a larger trigger pull and a more comfortable grip with the Nerf Stryfe vs Nerf Desolator, which has a skinny trigger area.
Nerf Versus: Nerf Stryfe vs Nerf Desolator Winner?
So which is the winner..? When comparing the Nerf Stryfe vs Nerf Desolator, it has to be The Stryfe! (Duh.) The Nerf Stryfe is the archetype of all semi-auto flywheell blasters. This is the semi-auto flywheel blaster. We know Nerf loves to re-shell things and nothing’s been re-shelled or revamped as much as the Stryfe. *coughJoltcough* From the Nerf Cam, to the Nerf Demolisher to the Nerf Modulus, to the Rebelle Rapid Red and now the Nerf Desolator. You cannot keep a good Stryfe down, this thing keeps coming and coming. It wins!
It edges out the victory just because of a supreme versatility and adaptability for any mission or playstyle. You can customize this thing to your heart’s content and it’s always been fully modular, even before the Modulus itself. This thing is fantastic. It’s great stock and when you mod it, it becomes a powerhouse. And have you ever heard the term “fingerbang?” You will if you pick up a Stryfe.
This thing’s absolutely amazing. You can throw a Worker stock, Raider stock, no stock, short barrel, long barrel, foregrip, anything. You can throw a Red Dot Sight right here on the top tactical rail, this is the perfect location, like I said, for an optical attachment. The grip is super comfortable for people of all sizes. From children to full-fledged adults, you’re gonna find supreme comfortability with this grip. So that’s it guys, the Stryfe wins for me, hands down.
Now in any head to head battle, there’s a winner and a loser. The Nerf Stryfe vs Nerf Desolator battle is no different. But the Desolator is not a loser, per se. True, it lost this battle against the Stryfe, but then again what wouldn’t lose this battle? The Nerf Desolator is actually a very good blaster and I like it a lot. It has the same level of performance and the same potential for performance modifications. You can have this thing shooting very very hard in no time at all.
Also the Desolator might actually become the de facto victor of this in a while because, although no one can confirm or deny, it really does at times seem like the Stryfe is being phased out.
You can’t have a Nerf Stryfe vs Nerf Desolator battle
if there’s no Nerf Stryfe…
It has become a little more difficult to find it reliably. I know a lot of retailers have it in stock right now but there have been times where I’ve been hard-pressed to find the Stryfe. You already can’t find the blue one anymore but even the orange one disappears from Amazon, disappears from the shelves at Target or Toys R Us for months and then it makes a comeback. One time it’s gonna go away and it’s not gonna come back.
The Stryfe is a legend. It’s been here forever and so if it does have to go… that’s gonna be a sad day. but the Stryfe will live on.
Nerf Stryfe vs Nerf Desolator Comparison Table
Last update on 2025-06-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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