It's the year 2169...
Earth has been struck by a devastating asteroid that has nearly wiped out all life and civilization. The survivors must fend off raiders, mutants, and other new monstrous creatures... Read more to see the blasters they use, my collection, and the legend of the Doomlander.
The Doomlands 2169 is a series of Nerf blasters that was first released in the summer of 2015. Originally referred to as "Badlands", the series is themed after a post-apoctalyptic future set in the year 2169, hence the name. I'm not sure why Hasbro decided on the year 2169, perhaps it's because that year would mark NERF's 200th anniversary...?
The blasters themselves feature a more modern and futuristic design than the N-Strike and Elite series. Incorporating both high-tech sci-fi elements and low-tech wild west aesthetics, with clear parts that show the firing mechanisms of the blasters. The color scheme is primarily a pale, "Creamsicle" orange and black, with gray highlights and brighter orange parts such as the trigger and barrel.
The first two blasters in the series are the LAWBRINGER and the VAGABOND. The LAWBRINGER is a large hammer-action blaster with a twelve-dart rotating cylinder. It was originally a TARGET exclusive in the United States, and sold for 35 bucks. It features an integrated shoulder stock, with a place to store an additional twelve darts. There are two tactical rails that run along the top of the blaster.
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| LAWBRINGER |
There are also, three sling attachment points, one above the muzzle, one under the barrel, and one on the shoulder stock. Performance is less than Elite standards, with shots averaging about 62 fps. Any aftermarket upgrade HAMMERSHOT spring will work in the LAWBRINGER to increase performance.
The VAGABOND is a pump-action blaster with a six-dart elongated cylinder. Darts load into the open sides of the cylinder, rather than through the muzzle. It sold for 25 bucks and was also originally a TARGET exclusive in the US. The VAGABOND features one tactical rail on top of the blaster, as well as two sling attachment points: one below the front of the blaster and one on the bottom of the grip.
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| VAGABOND |
It also features Slam-fire capability. Performance is about up to Elite standards, at an average of about 73 fps per shot. I picked up both blasters and a pack of 30 DOOMLANDS signature darts on sale for 40 bucks, and thus began my DOOMLANDS collection.
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| Refill pack "signature" dart and regular included dart |
Two foam melee weapons were also released in 2015. The SWIFT JUSTICE and the VIGILANCE were both made by Perpetual Play Group. The SWIFT JUSTICE is a cutlass-looking, 18 inch long sword, while the VIGILANCE is a hand-sized axe.
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| VIGILANCE and SWIFT JUSTICE |
They originally sold for about 10 bucks each, but due to a limited production they were rare, and these days are hard to find. I do not have either one, but wish I did.
.The DOOMLANDS 2169 series had an interesting advertising campaign which featured a character called The Doomlander. According to the legend, The Doomlander is "a hero who leads by example, stalking the wasteland, and living by the blaster. Some say he is a myth, others a ghost, but to all he is a legend."
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| "The Doomlander " |
The Doomlander was featured in several TV commercials, box art, as well as a three animated shorts you can find on YouTube. In a nut shell, what Hasbro was going for was a NERF meets "Mad Max" kind of theme.
The following year, 2016, gave us two more blasters, the PERSUADER and the DOUBLE DEALER. First is PERSUADER. Released in the spring of 2016, the PERSUADER is a hammer-action pistol that holds up to four darts in its vertically aligned barrels.  |
| PERSUADER |
The blaster uses an intelligent air restrictor system, allowing it to fire from any barrel if the blaster is not fully loaded. If fully loaded, the blaster fires in a vertical order from top to bottom. The PERSUADER features a tactical rail on top of the blaster and a sling attachment point below the trigger guard. It had an original MSRP of $12.99 USD.
Next is the infamous DOUBLE DEALER. Released in the fall of 2016, it is a clip system blaster that holds two clips at a time and fires two darts at a time, one from each clip. As it lacks a multi-step firing trigger, it has no single fire mode, however it can, be Slam-fired. |
| DOUBLE DEALER |
Unfortunately the DOUBLE DEALER has a bad reputation for jamming when firing quickly or Slam-firing the blaster. Fortunately, I have not really experienced this problem with mine.
In 2016 NERF also released the DOOMLANDS IMPACT ZONE sub-series. The sub-series features only 2 blasters, the DESOLATOR and the LONGARM. The DESOLATOR is basically a re-shelled STRYFE, the LONGARM a five shot revolver. |
| Impact Zone LONGARM (top) and DESOLATOR |
Both blasters have a different look and color scheme than the rest of the DOOMLANDS blasters. They do feature the clear section. I would have preferred it if they would have made them match the rest of the DOOMLANDS series. I do not have either one. 2017 gave us two more DOOMLANDS blasters. The NEGOTIATOR is another hammer-action, revolver-style blaster with an eight-dart cylinder. It originally sold for 20 bucks and features a tactical rail on top of the blaster and a sling/strap attachment point, under the grip.
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| NEGOTIATOR |
Although the NEGOTIATOR is easy to use one-handed, or duelweild, it is too bulky to holster, and a little underpowered in stock form. That being said, I have two in my collection, and of course upgrade springs can be found and purchased on the interweb.
The JUDGE is cartoonishly large, and was released in August of 2017, with a $60 price tag. It features a huge rotating drum that holds thirty darts, separated into ten groups of three.
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| THE JUDGE |
This pump-action blaster fires 3 darts at a time with each shot. If you want to read my full review, click
The JUDGE 👈 here.
In the fall of 2018 NERF released the last blaster in the DOOMLANDS 2169 series. The HOLDOUT is a direct-prime-action, single-fire blaster. It has a single tactical rail on top, and an included detachable scope with storage for two additional darts on top.
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| HOLDOUT |
The HOLDOUT is the smallest blaster in the series, and while you probably wouldn't put a scope on such a small, single shot pistol, it was nice of NERF to give us one accessory before discontinuing the series.
It has been speculated that some blasters originally designed for the DOOMLANDS series were actually reassigned to the Zombie Strike series, after the decision to cancel the DOOMLANDS series was made.
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| DOOMLANDS 2169 concept art featuring Zombie Strike RIPCHAIN-looking blasters |
Blasters such as the RIPCHAIN, were thought to be originally designed for the DOOMLANDS series as is seen in some concept art.
The DOOMLANDS 2169 series just didn't have the same appeal as other blasters such as the Zombie Strike series. I originally passed on the DOOMLANDS blasters, but eventually collected them when I found them on clearance, at very reduced prices.
Most recently I picked up the HOLDOUT on Amazon, new, for 8 bucks.
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| My DOOMLANDS 2169 collection. |
After a relatively short 3 year run, and only 7 blasters, the DOOMLANDS series was discontinued. In that same time period, the already established and popular Zombie-Strike series released 11 new blasters. The N-Strike Elite series released nearly 20 new blasters. The RIVAL series also launched at that time. Perhaps bad timing was partially to blame for the lack of success for the DOOMLANDS 2169 series? I think a stronger advertising campaign, perhaps focused on the storyline, might have helped as well?
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| The Doomlander in action! |
Although no longer available in stores, you can still purchase all of the DOOMLANDS blasters, new or used, online.
If you're bored of the current blaster market, or looking for something interesting to modify, I suggest you check out the DOOMLANDS 2169 blasters and...
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