....When I started playing Nerf and all I wanted to do was win and then...I started winning big, liked the attention from people I beat, shook the hands as a good sport when I lost because the ones who did win won by clever tactics, excellent gameplay and/or a great level of skill.
But then I started thinking...
Me winning big means I am not doing enough for others because as a good tactical player, I want that for others too. When I can't get others up to my level, I start feeling like I am not spending enough time with them, teaching them the ropes. This is not true with the Norwalk leauge, well actually, maybe it is to a degree. Anthony started selling his blasters, his great blasters, my favorite modder, because he does not have room, why didn't he just ask me to store them! I would have! But no, I am a fucking lacky! Another favorite modder, Kyle, closer friend, hasn't seen me in 2 or so weeks since my life is so crazy and there it is, all those hard feelings, self pity, starts adding up!
Even harder when I go to a meet and win every round but the last round, Gunslinger heaven. Yes I won all 3, but the last round I was like "WHAT! DID I WIN AGAIN, FUCK!" (goddamn me to hell, fuck I need to do better). No not me do better, I didn't give a shit that I won, I menat "me" do better teaching these kids to ace other opponents!
What I am saying is that it is not all about winning, it's about making our fair sport better and please sign this, Hasbro needs to go down a few pegs!
I made it though 2013 HvZ untagged and with my 3x5 card intact. I waited for this moment, that came sooner than I thought, walking out of an HvZ game unscaved. I thought it would take years! No it came at my 2nd game, but it didn't feel as great as I had hoped.
Since the admins were "sneaky sneaky sir" we all died. I was like "to hell if we lose or win, I will help the humans win, but i just want the satisfaction of the zeds could not get me." So you can imagine, I was like "ok, nobody tagged me, but we lost." I felt better when I got 39 kills in one game. Definitely progress, but still....
I used to hate this game, and now all the sudden I am wraped up in it like "The Dark Side Of The Rainbow" which is just something I thought Gary Busey talked about when he was so short on pot he smoked the resin out of his pipe to get high and drank Vodka and GHB together to get "properly crossfaded."
After 3 days of being happy, I felt as useless as a croissant being used as a Dildo,
it's serious now ; )
...So if the organizers wanna change stipulations during the match to unconditionally kill the humans, I feel the drug culture should be represented as well. So next time this winter, I am showing up in a 1969 Pontiac GTO, with a case of every drug known to man in the trunk, a gang of Wild Turkey 101, a quart of Rum and 3 dozen amyls. With enough stinkbombs, Cherry Bombs, firecrackers and 161 DB loudhorns and if things get real ugly I'll pull out a fire hose and start a protest, even if only just imagined in my head and not really happening.
At this point, fried on drugs I would be like "who won, maybe nobody" and then I would jet to Vegas, drunk, stoned, Ripped, twisted! Go to lake Mead, rent a cigarette boat frying on LSD-25 and curse the bastard who put the Hover Dam there!
Ok ok, so maybe not, But I know I am making the GTO, triple barreled Rapidstrike powered on enough lithium batteries to start a semi-truck and fire so fast, there will be so many darts flying, they won't even be able to tell who shot them!
Without further adue, I turn my blog over to the champ, lovely lady, little fighter and good friend Ferris McIntyre, who will be fighting with me at Camarillo HvZ this Saturday and 9 am and the 21st at 9 am @ Mission Verde Park (also known as Mission Oaks Park), see you there!
4 Leadership and Just Survival Tips for Summer HVZ
1 Stay mobile
Above all I try to stay mobile during a game. If you don't keep moving zombies are more likely to find you or discover a weak point in your defense. While staying in motion, a player is more likely to find other players, and create a harder target for zombies. Also more often than not, darts and other random supplies can be found on the ground.
The only requirements for this tip is to be physically fit and prepared for a long HVZ game. Although it is also a good idea to travel light during the game so you can keep up your stamina. For someone as slow a runner as I am, I know to train yourself beforehand and to stay focused on your breathing while running are some of the best ways to prepare for that aspect of the game.
Another aspect to keep in mind is that you are only as fast as your team. If someone goes ahead, they are more likely to get separated and numbers really save the humans in the end. Teams that stay together in a formation know their weak points, and have all the jobs covered by someone. It is the job of the team leader to make sure their team has the right amount of distance for the right situation. Even though it is not some set amount because the game is always changing, but more on that later.
2 Stay alert and Focused
Throughout the game, there may be points of boredom or at least a pause from the action. Do not let this fool you. I repeat. DO NOT LET THIS FOOL YOU. On multiple occasions I have let my guard down while just walking around only to be caught with my gun dropped and no socks in sight. If this does ever happen to you, my best advise is to run like hell and warn your buddies (who were smartly farther back) so they can cover you. Staying alert while focused on your goal will make you the unofficial "team leader" most of the time, simply because you are calling out ideas to people who need some direction or warning others of things they haven't seen that could be helpful. Calls like this earn you attention, and hopefully it is positive for your side. Whether they are good ideas or not makes your unassigned "team leader" chances or breaks them. I know I ran my team into trouble on more than one occasion and am sorry for that, even if we made it out mostly alive. There is no perfect way to play the game but by staying focused on your goal, and finding the smartest way to stay alive, you will be a much tougher player.
3 Be Versatile
The hardest part of HVZ is the constant change. There are surprises, there are accidents, there are major screw ups, and yes there are random malfunctions that could get you killed. The back up plans fail, and you must adapt to survive; thinking quick on your feet is a must. Leaders have to think even faster because orders must be called out in time to save their squad. There are no preparations, just a gut feeling you have with a small prayer for good luck followed by a war cry. Besides the make or break calls, team leaders have to know their players, and be open to new ones. Most HVZ squads mix up into random groups and some players run around the whole day bouncing from group to group. But I find if you are leading, (and are not getting everyone killed) people will follow.
Another good way to stay on your toes is to listen to their ideas. In a moment of down time try to get as many ideas from your teammates as possible, so you can help each other. The more minds working for the same thing the better.
4 Go for it.
Last but most certainly not least, remember, you are there to enjoy a game. This game is only slightly more elaborate than playground tag. Don't jump too deep into it so you get mad at every mistake. Laugh it off, keep a good attitude and others will do the same around you. So, when you have a tough play at the end of the day, one of those suicide missions, smile and rally the team of the final survivors, then just go for it. Play the last mission you play simply because you love the game, win or lose. If you don't mind what side you are on then you can have more fun and take more risks. This makes for a more exciting game and some great memories. I know every year a friend of mine always makes a huge death scene when he dies. Charging twenty zombies at once and taking out as many as he can so his team might have a better shot of making it. Other people make mad dashes around the horde for a distraction and somehow make it out alive. It's the crazy stunts like this that are the most memorable and the best part of the game.
So to wrap it up, keep running, play smart, do what you think is right, and most importantly; if you die, come back with a vengeance! Good luck to all who play the summer 2013 camarillo game!
Yep, it's official now, since I am unbiased and I am a Modder, I did not get shipped a Nerf Centurion unlike countless friends who have blogs, youtube, lobby groups, dicksuckers who rally around Nerf. Do you remember when I called bullshit on certian forums, bullshit that we worked out? Well that's me unbiased, brutally honest. How about the time my friend felt jiped by Xplorer, I helped him, they refunded and even changed the design after our encounter, helped make great parts greater, even if it is for a Longstrike first.
Well corporate America just doesn't understand I guess. I have proposed theme parks, Shook Micheal Eisner's hand when I subcontracted for Disney's show and ride division. And yes, not everyone should have a new Centurion before it ships, I agree. However is Nerf, division of Hasbro just trying to buy the Nerf press off by giving it to people they feel will agree with them and avoiding who wont? One has to ask!
Now I know a lot of the players who got one, do you guys remember the Hail-Fire? Hyped to the sky, sure it was a unique idea, a decent blaster and I know some who swear by it. But from those who were bought off, I tell ya you could have sworn it was the next best thing since the fucking light bulb from what they said.
Now my friend, Basic Nerf, who by the way has nothing to do with this post or my attitude, this is my perspective from what is going on around me, told it how it was lately, proud of you kid!
"So I hosted an indoor Nerf War yesterday, and only managed to bring out the Centurion once to attempt to use. I don't want to spoil anything, but my first, and so far only, in game experience with it left me a bit sour towards it.
Also, the Elite Alpha Trooper, with it's design and new ranges is still solid after all these years. The Masterkey is still my favorite blaster to use.
I'll have more on all this, and game video, as the days go by."
Property of Basic Nerf, one of the best friends one can have : ) Have fun in NY.
I was at that war, and let me tell you, out of the box the thing is junk, it needs work. An experienced modder can give it what we think it needs but otherwise, it jams, it messes up darts and I had no desire to try it in a war.
Do you see how Nerf is selective to who represents their product? Well I am gonna get one and tell you how it is and help all those poor souls who felt compelled to buy one.
So what to bring to HvZ in camarillo, CA this July 13th and July 23rd? Well first off, bad news out, No Rapidstrike, no Zombiestrike, No Centrurion (more on that later). These guns that would have been epically useful are not out yet, just wait for winter HvZ.
The good news: This proves to be the best armed HvZ ever, Triads, Stryfes and Elite Rayven's, Strongarms and some of the best Longshot and Retaliator kits and mods I have ever seen. But still, i see a lot of people held to tradition "Oh i brought this recon the last 4 HvZ's I can't mod it." Terrible attitude, if you are modding shoot for at or below 95 flat, no brass barrels, bring nice tac gear and flat mags.
But on a more complete gun to gun note:
Firestrike: Use a 8Kg or 6Kg Swarmfire spring and bond the piston with Epoxy, you can also use the Orange Mod Works 7Kg Strongarm spring
Triad: Use a 6Kg OMW Vulcan spring, want 8 Kg? well thats a trade secret, 6 will do just fine at 80-85 flat.
Recon: Orange Mod works Massacre kit or or unleashed 1+2 kits, some filing metalwork required.
Strongarm: Keep it stock, really not worth the trouble.
Roughcut: Master key of choice, other than that, keep it stock.
Longsthot: OMW immortal kit, use the 5 Kg Spring only, teflon tape on seals a must. Leave your K26 ed longshot at home, they do you credit,, but they are sure to get you disqualified.
Longstrike: What? I have seen too many lose with this gun, two thumbs down.
Retaliator: Black Tactical V2 spring, OMW trigger catch spring. Also using a OMW Unleashed stage 1 kit and a Xplorer Composite piston really a good choice. Taking out the AR optional, it will add 5-10 feet flat if you do. Teflon tape on seals a must.
Stampede: 4-3.7 volt 14500TR unprotected trustfire batteries, 6 Kg OMW spring, bore out the AR. The Black tactical Stampede kit also good, be sure to seal the tiny hole in the piston or you will be disappointed.
Stryfe: 2-3.7 volt 14500TR unprotected trustfire batteries un rewired, now if it is rewired without the silly capacitor by the battery tray-3, 4 is very questionable but if your insides tell ya, load up for and smell the motors fry to a crisp.
Elite Rayven, same as stryfe, stryfe does better because it is not a buildup design.
Elite Alpha trooper: easy on the bolt, not too much teflon tape or it will auto slam even when you are not holding down the trigger, a 5 Kg OMW retaliator spring and the OMW trigger catch spring is really all you need. 8.5 Kg is nice but not as stable.
Disk guns: Extra mags a must, bring 20's and 10's.
Did i miss any? Also, here's a LONG video on the pro's and Cons of certain guns for the use of HvZ game play.
Here is a vid about my primary if you wanna cut to the chase.
See You In Zombieland,I do have some parts if you need them, give me a Holla at thechriscartayaproject@gmail.com if you need em!
I'll just go out with it, His name is James and he is the owner of a 1971 Lamborghini Mirua SV which only 191 were ever made and he thinks the founder of Lamborghini would turn over in his grave. Well not according to Lamborgini when I talked to them last year after trading phone calls thatas long as the SV designation is not a copy of their logo and as long as it does not mean "Sport Veloce'" I am fine.
Months go by, all is cool and all the sudden, some hot head from the Isle of man gives me a long distance phone call and says (to say it short) "You call your guns a name Ferruccio would turn over in his grave if you knew you were calling your "toys" that. I said "who are you to judge" He said "Owner of his masterpiece, a 71' Miura."
I was shocked, I was in tears, obviously he thinks I know nothing about cars, I know this sounds dumb, but this one got to me. I have gone to many Ferrari Club meets, driven a few nice cars and even sat in a 250 GT before (not the "California", just the GT). Yes out of it for awhile, but I love cars, love the Miura, The Countach, somewhat the Diablo and Most Definitely the Murcealago. I collected these cars as kids, hung posters in my room and me and Dad, Ferrari Vs. Lamborghini, who woukd win Mr Miami vice fan!
This happened last Sunday and i have been POed since. You said you saw it on my blog, I don't know who you are but call me back, what would you name it then, the range line above "Super" and below "R-Spec" that gets the most use. You dislike my naming convention? well here ya go, i'll hear you out!
In about 6 weeks or so, the next HvZ in camarillo California is going to take place and I wanted you all to have some good advice....
Cartaya's 10 Top Rules Of Zombieland.
1. Cardio!
If all else Fails, Run!!! Or have a unique goal based plan I know I might be borowing my friends Candy apple red, 7 Liter 1969 Pontiac GTO and parking it in the upper lot, either that or another friends 1972 454 white Pontiac Trans Am (Bandits car in "Smokey And The Bandit" but white). This will be just in case I am the last man standing and so i can peel out and tire-spin in front of the charging zombies with enough Tiresmoke for them to have a "Goodyear" ; )
Last year I had a Bottle of Jack Daniels in the trunk and if i was caught early, i was gonna be Zombie and get plastered. Didn't happen as I survived all the way to the last half hour of HvZ. Both are probably Illegal and Bad ideas.
2. Stick together.
As soon as this rule is broken, you probably have lost. If you are charged by more than one zombie, unless you have backup, there is no surety that you will hit em and also no surety that you will not soon get tagged by the hoard you don't see around you, Behind Bushes, in the hills and so on.
3. have a dependable weapon(s)
Emphasis on the "(s)" part meaning plural. Have a gun that does not jam or provisions if it does (e.g. master key)
This is the integration extention I built last night. But remember, an integration needs also be dependable and solid, which I describe in this video, also talking about the upcoming HvZ.
As one can probably gather, my primary is not a gun I just threw together. It is a product of the Super Retaliator program mentioned in my very first post even when some of these guns were not even made yet. This program spans 10 months of design, research, battle testing and lots of great kills!! All these guns, save the Ultra Retaliator are made today, the R-Spec was originally going to be called the "Ultra Veloce Retaliator."
Also consider a Holster rig to put it all on, like the Batbelt!
With this one can carry lots of ammo, at least 2 other backup guns and stay cool and flexible not having to wear a sweaty vest or extensively constrictive gear.
4. Don't be a hero.
It goes without saying that the first time you go out on a limb, if you pull it off, you feel good. After that, you get cocky and pretty soon, caught. But also, usually, you are departing from the group, violation of rule #2 and you have a higher chance of getting caught. What you will usually find out is that Hero's stand alone, a planned assault is usually not the issue here. One way to do this is to cover the hero with long range fire, but there are not many of me around and fireteams usually see a ignorant dipshit with a Hail-fire charging the zombies as not worth precious ammo to defend.
5. Dress the part, make sure your boots, gear, magholders work well.
Of all ways to get tagged, in my last HvZ it was my shoes. Trying to throw a sock at a shield armed zombie. But one must understand, I have a deep seated hatred for Shields. They block some of my best well placed shots in the Norwalk Regional Nerf Leauge. So PO'ed that the infamous Riot Shield was in play, I decided to throw a sock at it.
I then did a "Charlie Brown" That I Fell on my ass, directly on my ass, I did not pass go, I did not collect $200! It was then I was tagged, the very end of the 5th out of 6 rounds. The people who were left were a bunch of jabronies, who tried to cheat a tunnel ambush by the zombies by illegally going out of bounds across Mission Oaks Bolivard. I was honestly glad I wasn't in this round as human, fucking cheats!
But what can get you worse than a bad gun are slick shoes, snaggy clothes and bad armament accessories that are glitchy, cumbersome or just plain out dumb.
6, Always pick up ammo and reload.
No body else is gonna do it for you also, there is no dart sweep after so whatever darts you lose, you lose for good.
Other good points are...
7. Feud with Zombies! Pick your Feuds you start with zombies well like a few arched shots.
8. Make the zombies fear you, not you the zombie, ^^^reference rule #7.
9.Temp not a desperate man, nor Zombie in Zombieland.
10.Listen to your pointman and protect him at all cost, if you lose rule you lose control!
Take Care Zombiehunters, I'll See You In Disneyland.
So there I was, nephews Graduation from Saugus High, and in my coat pocket I brought a 12 Kg brass Barreled Triad!
Good gun, able to punch over 100 flat, but then this disaster happens....
My sisters family gets me stuck in the cheap seats!!!The podeum right in the middle of the 10 yard line and I SOOOO wanna blast the Principal with a foam dart since...
A. I Graduated From Hart High, rival of Saugus High.
And B. The Principal sounded like he was full of 'Ludes.
Oh it was awful, just ouside of effective range from an elevated position by only 30 feet!!! And I just wanted to cap this guy without raising suspicion.
But is this too taboo to do anymore?
With all the school shootings, the drama in the media, gun control lobbying, is it just too taboo? Sure there were Sherrif everywhere, but I could have snuck by. There were other targets, but...I...Just...wanted...HIM!!!! But what kinda fear would occur if someone just goes out with a gun with 3 brass barrels, and opens up on em, I mean would everyone around me freak?
And yes, I understand don't blast bystandards, but school rivalry does not count in my opinion, and I was far enough it would not leave welts.
Change of venue...
So it was time to pick a better shot opportunity, So out to the parking lot, I ask a friend of my nephew what the principals car looks like, find it, wait for the principal hiding behind an SUV, around 10:00 at night, he walks by, BLAM!!!! Got him right in the neck!! @60 feet away!!! I run for it, thinking he's gonna go after me!! And all i hear is "you kids, i'll get you next time!" What a sport, the guy just got nailed by a modded Nerf gun, and he was cool about it.
I mean honestly, I mean lets put it this way, I get some black Tactical springs, terrible, maybe a couple of Kg's better, I take out the AR, a little better. I talk about it here. I also play some lead Guitar in the vid.
So back to the story, I then break out a Pair of Holy Triads, BLaM!!! 90 feet one shot, 87 the other, both flat! Why do I bother with this piece of shit? Sure a Strongarm is 6 fire slam, but triad is 2 gun sneak, yeah that's more my style.
I just can't do anything with this gun, even i pull 120 arched, so what! My retal does that almost flat in the right conditions, my Firestrike "Does" pull it off flat, in any condition, a Stryfe has better ROF and with the right mods, range.
I just think the gun is too delicate. The slide works off of 2, thin fingers of ABS, the catch spring is not universal. But don't fear rockers, this is comming!!!
..and..they put out a 7 Kg spring but, wait for this, honestly. Will it be better? Maybe but also the guns people mod better does, in fact, hinge on modder interest. Obviously I don't care about this gun so obviously I am, well, not motivated.
Each Square is 20 feet, these were all flat shots, I have darts that shoot farther, but they weren't on me at the time, but honestly, this gives you an honest idea of what this gun can do.
....So what can't it do, well It can't quickly reload, it can't be used by kids, hell a kid can't draw this thing, it can't rapid fire. But if your just in the mood to make em hurt....
