When it comes to learning how to modify anything, dart blasters (do not call them guns, the entire internet will throw a fit) will always be a solid starting point. Fairly loose tolerances and relatively strong plastic make for malleable platforms that stand up well to modding. But there are such a wide variety of blasters that it can be hard to know where to start. Enter the Retaliator.

The Retaliator is one of the closest things you will get to a basic, catch-all blaster. As standard it is a no-frills, carbine style blaster. It comes with a 12-round magazine alongside basic looking stock, barrel, and grip attachments. The mechanism it uses is a top priming slide with a slightly mushy trigger. Nothing about it is too bad, but there is nothing special about anything this blaster has to offer as standard. However, that is the Retaliator’s greatest advantage.

The Retaliator is an incredibly unassuming blaster as standard, which is why the modded community loves these blasters. Internally this blaster uses a direct plunger system. It’s not overly amazing but its not bad. There is enough space for a brass breach, big bore plunger tube, and even much chunkier plunger springs. (big side note on the springs; in order to reach maximum potential for springs you need to reinforce or replace some parts to keep the blaster from blowing itself apart) This means that Retaliators are capable of making some very powerful shots with the right setup. The Retaliator is not known for power though, its real reputation lies in what can be done cosmetically.

The Retaliator is visually not that special. But that means that the core blasters lends itself well to fitting into other body styles. Pretty much any carbine is fair game for choosing your Retaliator’s  looks, although M4 lookalikes are probably the most common that I have seen. Don’t mistake this as a one trick blaster, the Retaliator is not limited to carbine styling. Some time ago Arctic Warfare styled kits were making their rounds around the web. With the right kit one could have a fairly convincing bolt-action sniper rifle lookalike. This is all what can be done with kits.

Outside of kit built mods the Retaliator is just as versatile. The accessories that come with the blaster lend themselves well to other blasters, along with parts of the core blaster. The plunger system is occasionally transplanted into older Recon shells to bring special units up to modern specifications. Retaliator barrels have been used for everything from cosmetics to Afterburner mods (Afterburners are a blog for another time.) Even the Retaliator’s grip is sometimes used in Bullpup conversions. (Bullpup conversions get weird, that needs its own post) If there is a build you want to do, there is a chance that you will need at least part of a Retaliator.

Overall, the Retaliator is a bit like a hamburger. It starts off very basic, but lends itself well to almost any kind of customization. Ideal for newbie modders and experts alike, the Retaliator is easily the most versatile blaster for modification. This is a great place to start.

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