Best Water Warriors Blaster

[soakinader]

I know there is a lot of discussions and facts about Super Soakers, but I can't find a whole lot of information/experience about using Buzz Bee Water Warriors blasters.
I mean, pretty much anything that says CPS is great, and XP is good, but what about the Water Warriors?

So, I figured let's start this up. What's your favorite/best Water warriors blaster?

I only own the Tiger Shark, but I really like the appearance, power & capacity of the Vanquisher, Vindicator, and Hydra Pak.

I recommend the Tiger Shark to anybody who can find one. It is basically 2/3 of a CPS 1000 in terms of size, reservoir and PC capacity, and strap length, with two extra XP class nozzles. It is a compact and durable blaster, without the usual annoying button behind the trigger cutting into your hand like other WW.
The only downsides are the oversized trigger, small handle area, lack of a top handle, and the pump gets caught on the pump cap sometimes. But you can fix two of those problems easily. I cut about half of the trigger off of mine, and trimmed the pump base down so that it doesn't get caught. But these are simple, utility mods, that just make a good blaster even better.

[SEAL]

Water Warriors pretty much rivals the best of the XP series in my opinion (except perhaps the XP 300.), and the best of them would probably be the Vindicator, Gorgon, Colossus, Sphynx, and maybe the Blazer. I also really like the Goblin; it's my favorite pistol.

The only ones I've had experience with are the Vanquisher, Equalizer, and Goblin. Like I said before, the Goblin is really good, but the other two are a little lackluster. The Vanquisher is kind of awkward to hold, and doesn't shoot all that far considering it's size. The Vindicator and Gorgon would be better choices. The Equalizer is not bad, and I like it, but it's not much more powerful than much smaller blasters like the MD 4000 or even the Goblin. It does hold more water though.

So my favorite so far would be the Goblin, but I really want the Gorgon and Colossus; I just need to find time to get my butt over to the nearest Walmart.

[DX]

Unlike the Super Soaker brand, Water Warriors tends to actually get better as time passes. The Gorgon and Colossus are definitely among, if not the best, air pressure guns released since the SS 300. Their ranges rival several CPS guns and their field lives are matched by few competitors. IMO, the Colossus may be the best gun in its class, which is why I'm replacing my XP 150s with Colossi. The Vindicator is also up there in power, but a bit more awkward to use. It can still take on a 12K.

The Blazer, Orca, Tiger Shark, Vanquisher, etc are pretty good, but I'd have to complain about ranges. Hydro Power is not all that powerful, WW excels at air pressure and PR. Recently there have also been very good pistols, like the Goblin and Python.

BBT has a reputation for quality - their soakers don't break often. Almost every Max-D soaker I have touched has broken, half my CPS have broken, some of my XPs have broken. I've never had a WW gun break.

[atvan]

DX- does "half om my CPSs have broken" really mean "all my 2100s broke when I put a crap-ton of balloons on them."

Back on topic, My lack of moden blasters is evidence of me not getting to the store, but If I did, I think I'd want to pick up 2 collosi and a gorgon.

[soakinader]

Haha, I couplered my equalizer and turned it into a nerf gun. I have no idea how it worked as a water gun, but my guess is not very well.
To get back on topic, my Tiger Shark shoots as far as my XP 150's on the 1X and 2X nozzles.
SEAL, you talking about the original Vanquisher, not the ultimate vanquisher?

[marauder]

I own a Vindicator, Gorgon (air pressure), Colossus, Explorer, Renegade, and Goblin. I used to own a Pirahna but someone broke it at a birthday party. I've also seen Wetmonkey use his Tigershark and Seal use his Vanquisher. My friend Paul used to have a Firefly.

They were all pretty good. It's really difficult for me to decide which gun is best. The Vindicator has incredibly solid performance, I'm just not a big fan of the long tube shape with a rear mounted handle/pistol grip. I do not remember if my Pirahna was as powerful as my Vindicator, but I liked the design better. I also couldn't tell if the Tigershark or Vanquisher were comprable in power to the Vindicator, but I wasn't a fan of the Vanquisher's design.

The Colossus, as DX said, is arguably the 2nd best air pressure gun ever made. I would argue that the XP 250 and the XP Pool Pumper Blaster (if you add a backpack) could be better, but like the 300 they take more skill to use properly. You really can't go wrong with the Colossus. I also REALLY like the Gorgon. DX and I tested my Gorgon side by side with his Colossus. They are equal in terms of power and range. The Gorgon has more capacity/field life, but the Colossus is more maneuverable. The Gorgon's weight balance is decent, and I like the design better than the Vindicator because of the placement of the pistol grip; but the Colossus' weight balance is practically flawless.

If I had to answer this question right now I'd go with the Vindicator. It shoots 40 feet and it has incredible field life. The Pirahna/Tigershark/Vanquisher might be better, but I just can't remember.

[Andrew]

The WW blasters definately have a solid feel to them. The only thing I liked about the Gorgon (when I saw it) over the Colossus was the larger nozzle options (which a nozzle drill would fix anyway). The Colossus feels very well balanced, and unlike earlier WW blasters (including the Gorgon), the pump handle doesn't rotate and hit the base of the blaster.

Just the fact that the Goblin has the same (if not slighlty more) output than an XP70, in a much smaller package makes me reaaaally want one. If you connect it to a hose then even better!

[marauder]

Not to knock your opinion of the Goblin, it really is a great pistol, but I think people don't give the XP 70 the credit it deserves. People often underestimate its output/power or, more likely, overestimate other guns' output/power with respect to it. The Goblin has about .75x output according to both isoaker's and my measurements. That seems about right judging from naked eye judgement as well. If you attach it to a hose you get the same output/power as if you had pumped it up a ton. The difference, of course, is that you don't have to pump so you get that level of output infinitely. If you can get one of these I definitely recommend it.

[HBWW]

DX- does "half om my CPSs have broken" really mean "all my 2100s broke when I put a crap-ton of balloons on them."

Back on topic, My lack of moden blasters is evidence of me not getting to the store, but If I did, I think I'd want to pick up 2 collosi and a gorgon.

It's got to be the triggers and valves, the parts that break most often.

My favorite WW so far wound be the Vindicator. Ignoring the CPS trigger issues, WWs seem to break at about the same rate for me. Most common problem is trigger/valve assembly.

[SEAL]

SEAL, you talking about the original Vanquisher, not the ultimate vanquisher?

I was talking about the original. The Ultimate version is apparently even worse. That's not to say that either are bad blasters, it's just that there are better options from BBT.

[Andrew]

Not to knock your opinion of the Goblin, it really is a great pistol, but I think people don't give the XP 70 the credit it deserves. People often underestimate its output/power or, more likely, overestimate other guns' output/power with respect to it. The Goblin has about .75x output according to both isoaker's and my measurements. That seems about right judging from naked eye judgement as well. If you attach it to a hose you get the same output/power as if you had pumped it up a ton. The difference, of course, is that you don't have to pump so you get that level of output infinitely. If you can get one of these I definitely recommend it.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love my XP 70. It's the first proper blaster I ever got and to date my most reliable. It carries more water than a Goblin so is more useful in larger skirmishes, but I find the idea of a backup pistol with (pretty much [based solely on isoaker stats]) identical output and range as, what was my primary for many years, absolutely brilliant! In larger battles I'll be using the XP70 as a secondary and the modded 15k as the primary. The Colossus will probably be used for medium skirmishes alongside a Goblin/Stingray or two. If the XP70 is being used as a primary (for very small skirmishes, or scouts) I might take a Goblin/Stingray as well for the reasons above (similar performance in small package).

As you can probably tell I'm planning on picking up a couple of Goblins/Stingrays (I can get a 2-pack of Stingrays for less than two individual Goblins) sometime soon. That decision was mainly based on what I read on both isoaker.com and also hydrowar.com as well as all the good things I keep hearing about them in general.

[soakinader]

See, I thought that the Vanquisher would be a great gun because of the massive firing chamber, 3L capacity, tracked pump, multiple nozzles, and carrying strap. Plus I dig the green and blue.
As far as pistols go, I would choose performance over compactness. I would use my Triple shot or a HP Sphinx. According to isoaker, the Sphinx has an 8X nozzle, which sounds good to me.

[Andrew]

As far as pistols go, I would choose performance over compactness. I would use my Triple shot or a HP Sphinx. According to isoaker, the Sphinx has an 8X nozzle, which sounds good to me.

Personally, I would rarely use just a pistol on it's own for this very reason, but having a compact backup in case you primary fails/runs dry is a wise move.

That said, pistols can be used as primaries very effectively, especially during night wars or sneak attacks/times of general stealthiness.

See, I thought that the Vanquisher would be a great gun because of the massive firing chamber, 3L capacity, tracked pump, multiple nozzles, and carrying strap. Plus I dig the green and blue.

Even though the original uses an elastic PC, it still only has a maximum nozzle output of 3x, whereas the smaller Sphinx (HP) has a maximum nozzle output of 8x. The design is a little awkward to use for some who are more used to conventional blasters and even though it does come with a strap, it isn't too hard to adapt blasters to fit straps to them (my XP70 and Colossus both have very simple but effective homemade sling mounting points [I'll try to collect pics and post the results of my Colossus useability mods tomorrow. I might throw in the XP70 sling mount pics... if I can find my XP70! ]).

As SEAL mentioned, the Vanquisher(s) aren't bad blasters per se, it's just you can get (or could have got, based on which version of the Vanquisher we're talking about) better blasters, for around the same price, in a similar sized package.

[scottthewaterwarrior]

The Vindicator doesn't have the field life every one thinks it does (if I understand the definition), I have two of them, the trigger on one of them died, and I think the other one is failing if not already failed. I really loved the gun, till I got my CPS 2500, it was my favorite and I still love the feel of the blaster (though most don't). I tried to repair it but so far have had no success. As well as that, it is just about imposable to find, believe me, I have tried. If I could get another Vindicator I could. The Colossus is simply amazing, I have never used a better air pressure gun. Don't underestimate the Equalizer, I have two of them and am very impressed. Not the best output, but makes the same range as my Vindicator and has a very long shot time. Of the ones currently available, I would go for the Colossus, nice weight balance, good power, and much lighter then you'd think for a gun of it's size.

[soakinader]

With a larger nozzle, is it possible for the Vanquisher's stock PC to support 5X or better? I mean, the thing holds more water than a Monster XL...
Also, when I modified my Equalizer, I lengthened the pump stroke, plugged the OPRV, and added padding to eliminate the clacky nature of the pump hitting the shell. The cool thing about the Equalizer is that the seal around the pump will fail when the pressure gets too high (you will hear an audible hissing sound) and the shell will keep the pump from flying off the reservoir. The sheer capacity of the Equalizer... is pretty awesome. The Equalizer's pump would be perfect for using in a different gun.
I know the Colossus is tons better than anything else on shelves today, but still.... I would rather save my money for older CPS technology. I like being able to fire guns upside down. XP Can the Colussus do that?

[DX]

Now that we have some air pressure-only rounds at community wars, Buzz Bee guns are that much better. It's no longer just about what can compete with CPS. I also like how Water Warriors are generally not all that valuable, so it makes me feel less guilty about using and modding them. They are also easier to arm a team with since they don't break the bank. I got 3 Colossi for the peak price of 1 CPS 2100. Sure, I could sell a 2100 for more than I could sell all the Colossi combined, but I can put together a great team in an air pressure round with them.

I've found that 1000s and 1200s don't have that great resale value, so I stock up on 1200s to use since they are awesome and avoid 1000s. Once you have a few 1200s, you really don't need any more. 2100s have the most value in that class for whatever reason, but the MK2s are a pain in the ass.

The Vindicator doesn't have the field life every one thinks it does (if I understand the definition),

Generally, "field life" usually refers to how long your soaker will last before needing to be refilled. It is measured in shots per tank or pulse/tap shots per tank, modified by how much action there is/how much shooting you are doing. In heavy traffic, a CPS 2000's ~32 tap shots only last about 10-15 minutes, but in a long, serious OHK game, those same 32 shots might last 2 hours.

A Colossus gets about 391 tap shots per tank on the N3 nozzle. That utterly dominates within its class. A CPS 1200, one of the better CPS conservers, only gets a third of that, with more output, but similar or less range depending on mark. The Gorgon can probably get even more than the Colossus on paper, but you are also tempted to use water faster on larger nozzles, so I don't know if that levels out.

I rarely carry a backup pistol. In most cases I would rather run away or get covered and refill my primary than face primaries with a pistol. While anything can be dangerous in water wars, if you have to pull out say a Defender and the enemy still has their CPS 2000, you need to get out of the open. You could be anywhere when your primary runs out. If you switch to a pistol, you've got to get to a place where you can effectively use it. In scenario games, the best option is to cache another primary. Aka, a stack of CPS 2000s, lol. When you run out of water, just swap it out for a fresh primary, like the Jersey shotguns at Gettysburg during Pickett's Charge. They had as many as 4 per man lying ready on the stone wall. Sometimes I keep a pistol in a backpack if I use a backpack in a round. Usually it's my Defender because it has huge drilled range, yet is very small and light. It's like having SSC Ben's proverbial monster truck out of a toy truck. You shouldn't do it when you want your pistol to be a pistol...but for special uses...how can you complain about 42ft? Sure, the shot time is so short now that I only get 3 tap shots per pressurization...but it's 42ft.

I just realized that this is what I'd love to see Buzz Bee Toys come out with next year. A compact, separate chamber air pressure pistol like an SS Defender. Really, really small, but has a huge reservoir, has a huge cap for that reservoir, and a decent sized PC. I don't care if the pump is tiny...something like this is the ultimate backup. Competitive range and some output to actually hold you over when your primary runs dry, in a small package that you can drop into even a small backpack.

[thelaminator]

The Vindicator doesn't have the field life every one thinks it does (if I understand the definition), I have two of them, the trigger on one of them died, and I think the other one is failing if not already failed.

yes, same for me. these were my favorites.

[marauder]

In scenario games, the best option is to cache another primary. Aka, a stack of CPS 2000s, lol.

This option is only viable for YOU:

[HBWW]

Regarding the Gorgon and Colossus, I'm pretty sure the Gorgon shoots better from its higher output and from the fact that they chose to put larger nozzles on it. The Colossus seems to handle better though, but the performance stats I've seen don't make it look all that great.

As for field life, this factor is further complicated by the fact that not all soakers shoot equally. Doesn't matter that a blaster has more tap shots per tank+PC if more of those shots are misses due to lack of range/output.