Board Thread:General Nerf discussion/@comment-27306930-20190808022612

I was lucky that my local Target had ICON Stampedes in stock, but didn't bother to put them out on the shelf. So I just ordered one online last night and picked it up in store this afternoon. No muss, no fuss 😊

Good news guys 'n gals ! In stock form the ICON seems to perform better than my old N-Strike Stampedes. The range is definitely better and the rate-of-fire seems slightly improved.

However, there might be a couple things going on here. Either they made improvements to bring the ICON up to quasi-Elite performance levels, OR my old Stampedes are just too worn out to shoot well anymore. I have three unmodified Stampedes to compare it with, and I'm thinking the ICON has slightly improved internals - e.g. a better spring and finely tuned AR. I haven't cracked it open yet, so I'm not sure for sure.

Aesthetically, the shell is identical to the original Stampede, which is not unexpected. There is an ICON logo sprayed near the stock, and the gray parts like the stock and handle are considerably darker than the original N-Strike. I really like that.

The ICON darts are just yellow Elites with black heads. They have the nice rubbery heads, so that's a plus. But I'm guessing they're no better than any of the other Elite darts like Doomlands, Fortnite, or Zombie Strike.

A big complaint is it only comes with two CS-18s. That's not a show-stopper for me. However it does have an original Stampede shield. That's not really my thing, but bonus points for all you shield-wielding Nerfers.

As I said, I have not cracked open the shell or played with different batteries yet, but I'm guessing the ICON is an excellent candidate for modding. I know $69 is a huge problem for many Nerfers. But I encourage you to take a second look. There is no other blaster quite like the Stampede. The prospect of getting one NIB in 2019 is a special opportunity. If you didn't get an original Stampede, this is your chance to experience a truly great one-of-a-kind blaster.

Don't miss out. 