Know Your Blaster

"This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. Without me my rifle is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless. I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than the enemy who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I will. My rifle and I know that what counts in war is not the rounds we fire, the noise of our burst, or the smoke we make. We know that it is the hits that count. We will hit.

My rifle is human, even as I am human, because it is my life. Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weaknesses, its strengths, its parts, its accessories, its sights and its barrel. I will keep my rifle clean and ready, even as I am clean and ready. We will become part of each other.

Before God I swear this creed. My rifle and I are the defenders of my country. We are the masters of our enemy. We are the saviors of my life..." -The Rifleman's Creed

Socks aside, your blaster is the one thing keeping you from being the newest addition to the horde. You should never go out into the field without knowing your weapon, which means testing it extensively before leaving safety. You should also be sure that you have found the right blaster for you. Blasters, like people, come in different shapes and sizes. Recognize how you function, and choose accordingly. I'll outline blasters below from my own experience, but anyone who truly wants to do their homework should look here. You'll find reviews of pretty much any blaster you can think to search, though nothing beats personal experience when it comes to finding your fit.

Note: The N-Strike Elite line will be released in the near future. All blasters in this line have claimed a range of 50-75ft. Some of these blasters are direct upgrades from current models (namely the Recon, Raider, Barricade, and essentially the Stampede). If you're looking into these blasters, you may want to wait for their upgrades. I've marked the current models with an asterisk.

*Recon: This is my favorite blaster, and nobody could ever change my mind about that. However, experiences will surely vary and different roles call for different weapons, so bear in mind that this is an analysis based on my personal experience. The Recon has never jammed once that I've seen. It fires accurately, and with good range. If you're looking to make all of your shots count, this may be a blaster for you. The Recon's weakness lies in its small clip size, but you can always put a larger clip or a drum in. However, I recommend the Recon for scouting and stealthy roles like I'm used to instead of open combat.

*Raider: A respectable survivor that I know swears by this blaster. He's let me use his, and it certainly has its strengths. A Raider with a 36 drum is a thing to be reckoned with. What the Raider may slightly lack in range and accuracy, it makes up for with its sheer ability to pump out darts and keep you in the field. The slam fire ability doesn't fit my style - it's too inaccurate and messy - but its value can't be denied. In the face of a quickly approaching group, a couple Raiders can put out a wall of darts. This is usually enough to at least deter some Zeds from continuing their pressure. Thus, the Raider is good for open field combat and for taking on heavy enemy resistance. Its cocking action is done with the foregrip, making it a faster shooter than other blasters as well.

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