How to Have a Nerf War

Choose a location. Nerf wars are usually more fun in large, outdoor areas, such as parks and playgrounds, but if you have access to a large, indoor space or backyard, consider them as well. Make sure the location you select has the following features:

• The area should be clear of other people, especially young children.
• Restrooms should be available nearby. Water fountains and places to buy food are optional, but recommended.
• Cover for people to hide behind. Almost any location besides an open field will have this.

Choose a backup location nearby. Most Nerf wars are played in public spaces, and you may arrive to find the location already in use. Plan around this in advance by looking for a backup location within walking distance.

• Some public spaces can be reserved in advance through your local community center or school, but this is not always possible.
• If both locations are occupied, politely ask the people present when they will be done. Don't pressure them into leaving, and don't begin the Nerf war until they have left.

Choose a date and time. Plan the Nerf war at least three weeks in advance, especially if you are trying to recruit new people. Choose a time slot about four hours long if you are holding a typical nerf war. If you are recruiting more than twenty people or planning for a special occasion, you might plan a longer Nerf war, but eight hours is an exhausting upper limit.

• Remember to include meal breaks if necessary. Allow at least half an hour if people are bringing their own lunches, and at least an hour if people plan to eat at restaurants or hold a potluck picnic.
• Pick a time to start wrapping up, at least fifteen minutes before the official end of the war. This lets everyone help gather darts and clean up together, and avoids irritating parents who don't want to wait around for this to happen.

Recruit nerf warriors. You can have a Nerf war with three or four players, but if you're doing all this planning in advance, you probably have a bigger event in mind. Start contacting your friends as far in advance as you can, and send out a reminder to people who haven't responded within a few days. If you'd like more players, you can try to recruit local players from the Nerf Internet Community, using websites such as NerfHaven or NerfHQ.

• Be aware that Nerf players you find online may be used to a strict set of rules, and will often show up with modified Nerf guns and homemade ammo that can shoot farther and faster than regular Nerf darts.

Announce the rules you'll be using. Once you have enough people, let them all know the rules you'll be using in advance. There are many different rules you can use in a nerf war, but the important part is to announce them in advance so everyone is playing by the same rules. Here are a couple common sets of rules you could use:

• "West Coast rules:" Each player has five "hit points." When someone is hit, he loses one hit point. He then counts down from 20 slowly with his gun held up in the air. He may pick up ammo and walk around, but is not allowed to fire and cannot be hit during this time. He counts down the last five numbers loudly and says "I'm in," and is then back in the game. He leaves the game permanently if he is down to zero hit points.
• "East Coast rules:" Each player has ten hit points, and loses one each time they are hit. There is no 20-second invulnerability period, but if several darts from the same automatic weapon hit you at the same time, this typically only counts as one hit. You leave the game once you are out of hit points.

Tell everyone about safety equipment and allowable weapons. Eye protection is mandatory for every person present at a Nerf war. In addition, some Nerf weapons and ammo are often banned for safety reasons, or to make it fairer for all players. These vary from game to game, but here are some suggested rules to follow:

• All homemade weighted darts must have a tip covering the weight.
• Nerf guns that can shoot 130 feet (40 meters) or farther are banned.
• All ammo that contains sharp materials is banned, even if the point is hidden inside the ammo.
• Melee weapons such as swords or clubs must be made out of Nerf foam. (In some games, even these are banned.)

Decide on one or more Nerf games. A Nerf war can last many hours, but usually one game doesn't take nearly that long to finish. Read about different Nerf games below, and choose at least two or three to play in case the players get bored of one type and want some excitement.

• You don't need to figure out an order to play these in in advance. Sometimes it's best to see whether everyone is enjoying themselves, and suggest a switch to a new type of game once people seem bored.

Hold a straightforward Nerf battle. You don't need much structure to have a fun Nerf war. Pick one of the rules for getting hit described in the section above before the war starts. Divide the group into teams and separate onto opposite ends of the area before you begin the game. You can even have a free-for-all, with each player fighting every other player until one remains.

• If you have a good sense of which players are better than others (or have better equipment), you can divide the group into two equal teams. Otherwise, make the teams at random, and switch the teams after each game.

Play Humans vs Zombies. This is a popular Nerf game that is especially useful if you don't have enough weapons for everyone. Divide the group into two teams, the Humans and the Zombies. The Human team has Nerf weapons as usual, but the Zombies have no weapons at all. When a Zombie touches a Human, the Human becomes a Zombie. Zombies have "hit points" as usual and lose them when hit by Nerf darts.

• Use a bandana to easily identify team members. Humans wear bandannas on their arm, while Zombies tie it around their head.
• Zombies are not allowed to use weapons even if they steal one.

Organize a Capture the Flag game. Each team keeps a flag (or any other recognizable object) near the "base" they start out in, but far enough away that it's difficult to defend from the base. The team that brings both flags back to its own flag station wins the game.

• Instead of using the usual rules you decided on, when you're hit, return to your base and count for 20 seconds before returning to the game.
• Consider a 20 minute time limit to avoid the game dragging on too long. Whichever team gets the enemy flag closest to its base by the end of the time limit wins.
• For an alternative without flags, divide candy among the players. When a player is hit, they must drop any candy they are holding and return to base. Once one team has all the candy, it wins.

Try a quick Defend the Fort game. The Defender team gets to choose a defensive position, often a play structure or an area of high ground with plenty of cover. If the Defender team survives for 10 minutes, it wins the game. If the Attacker team knocks all the Defenders out of the game before then, it wins.

• Optionally, you can have a Defender leave the fort and become an Attacker once he is hit three times. This may be a good idea if the Fort is especially easy to defend.

Play Hunter with just one Nerf gun. This is a simple game of tag played with a single Nerf gun. When someone is hit, they take the Nerf gun. The last person to avoid getting hit by a nerf dart wins.

Put someone on the team in charge of strategy. If you have a large team, picking one player to be the leader can make everything go much more smoothly during the game. The leader decides when to attack, set up an ambush, or retreat, but he should listen to input from the other players.

• You can switch the leader role between games, so everyone gets a chance at playing the leader.

Use code words or gestures with team mates. Come up with a few simple code words or hand gestures with your team in advance, so you can talk about strategy without the other team catching on. Pick code words for "attack," "retreat," and "set up an ambush."

Pick a weapon and choose tactics that go with it. If you have a long range weapon, you could pick a spot with cover and be a sniper for your team. A small, quiet weapon might be a good for a stealthy assassin. A fast-firing Nerf weapon with a large clip of ammunition is great for a straightforward assault, or to cover a team-mate's advance.

• If possible, bring a Nerf pistol as a secondary weapon for emergencies, or for situations in which you primary weapon isn't useful.

Claim the high ground. Whenever possible, move to a hill, play structure, or other high-up area. You'll be able to see farther and shoot at longer range. Try to stay behind cover if possible, or you will also be a more visible target.

Lure the enemy into a trap. Choose a location with plenty of cover, such as trees or walls. Pretend to flee from an enemy, then disappear behind cover, turn around, and shoot when the enemy runs after you. This is even more effective if you have teammates lying in wait.

Keep wind in mind while firing. Unmodified Nerf darts are very light, and easily blown to one side by the wind. Avoid shooting into strong wind, and practice adjusting your aim to make up for breezes.

Hide ammunition refills. Keep stores of extra ammunition hidden in several caches around the area. Remember where these are so you can quickly retrieve extra Nerf darts when you run out.