Buzz Bee Water Warriors New line.

[C-A_99]

If the intake tubing is thick enough, it could perform at least as good as the original, may be even better if they make other design changes. Buzz Bee, however, does not seem to be one to make mistakes with their packaging, so I believe it is most likely that it is indeed, air pressure, and that the lawsuit was over CPS. =p After all, they do appear to be trying to push for the re-released Orca into stores.

This will be interesting to watch things play out, even if BBT doesn't have access to CPS.

[cantab]

The reservoir capacity quoted has not changed from the original Vanquisher. Were the Ultimate Vanquisher to be air pressure, I believe the capacity would have to reduce.

[isoaker_com]

If the Vanquisher is now air pressure, whether it ends up affecting reservoir volume depends on how the PC is positioned and, of course, how large it is.

In an unrelated thought, the boxes also say "As Seen On TV". Too bad I never see any water blaster commercials on the limited TV channels I watch.

[martianshark]

If the Vanquisher is air pressure, that's a bummer, but it is more evidence that they had everything planned out, but when they got sued, they had to change everything to air pressure. So the Explorer probably was supposed to be a Vindicator re-release.

[C-A_99]

Cantab is correct actually. Unless BBT expands more volume for the air to reside, it has to take up space. There are generally 2 possible setups for air pressure: either by nesting a plastic vessel inside the second container (the one that faces the nozzles), or by making the entire second container the PC. While the latter solution gives enourmous PC volume, it could be quite powerful due to surface area, but the former solution is also possible. BBT already did the same thing to the Explorer. (No pictures, but the box instructions specifies pre-pressurization and I saw the blaster at Wal Mart yesterday; the cap has an intake and the seperate air chamber is indeed nested inside the reservoir; it looked like a CPS bladder at first but I was able to poke it and notice that it was solid plastic.)

The Explorer is nowhere near the look and size of the Vindicator, so I would not consider it anything close to a re-release. It may however, be a replacement.

While BBT was most likely sued on the issue of CPS, I think that they did not have to pay for monetary damages in the ruling, possibly because of how vastly different their designs were compared to original CPS. They were simply barred from manufacturing bladder-powered blasters. The page posting the lawsuit did not specify any payment required for damages, and the fact that there are many BBT blasters available this year suggests that they are doing quite well financially, despite many of them being re-releases. Of course, this is just more speculation, but I think most of it is well supported.

[isoaker_com]

The rubber bladder in the original Vanquisher does not occupy zero space when not filled. In fact, it uses up a decent part of the front chamber of the Vanquisher. If, like in the Explorer, the rubber PC were replaced with a hard-shell plastic PC of the same size, there could be an internal air pressure chamber without any loss of reservoir space. Granted, this is purely speculation and I'd rather test one out to be sure. Better yet, open one up and take a look inside.

[cantab]

by nesting a plastic vessel inside the second container (the one that faces the nozzles), or by making the entire second container the PC.

I didn't think of the former. That would explain things.

I just hope the Ultimate line works fine. If it ends up performing awfully, well then Hasbro have won.

[C-A_99]

It also didn't make all that much sense to nest an air PC into a reservoir.

iSoaker makes an important point about the base bladder size which does not get considered often. So technically, the Vindicator and Vanquisher still benefit marginally in capacity from topping off their reservoirs. If their capacity stats are accurate, then this dead space will give us a clue on the volume of the new Vanquisher's air PC.

[-G-JiV-]

I would not be that sure about AIR pressure. Did not they claim that the Hydro Cannon is AIr pressure-based too ? Actually we know it is CPS. Better we wait till someone got one and can tell us what the PC is about^^

[C-A_99]

The "they" who claimed that the HC was air pressure was a blogger. I haven't seen anything official from Hasbro/Nerf that also claims that it is air pressure.

You do make an important point though. Better to tread lightly on what's unsure of.

[SEAL]

Neat! I guess the Ultimate Vanquisher must be the largest of the lineup. I thought the Explorer was a Vindicator replacement, but after seeing the water capacity, I'm not so sure. Hopefully, the larger blasters are CPS. What did it say on the original Vindicator and Vanquisher boxes? I could have sworn they said "Air pressure" as well, but I can't really remember.

In any case, I'll be looking forward to the stats. I hope at least one of them can get 40' or more. I'm also glad to see that the Vanquisher got extra nozzle settings. I wonder if it's the same as the Vindicator's.

By the way, the Ultimate Vanquisher in that picture looks a lot like the old one. But a newer looking one with Renegade coloring is pictured on the box. I wonder what's up with this?

[martianshark]

It's almost definitely air pressure. BBT got sued by Hasbro over the CPS patent, so they can't use it anymore. The Explorer isn't CPS for sure, and I doubt the Vanquisher is CPS.

[Kuryaka]

It would be nice if someone bought any of the new Ultimate blasters and tested it. I'm especially interested in the Orca remake (Gorgon, found at KMart currently), though if the power level is disappointing, "Hasbro have won."

[martianshark]

The Gorgon is almost certainly an exact copy of the Orca. Also, some blasters already have been tasted by iSoaker.com http://www.isoaker.com/ He has a lot of pictures of the Ultimate guns, but so far only the Explorer has been reviewed.

[JTSWings]

I have the Ultimate Outlaw. It's pretty good! I have no friends to water fight with, so it's only been tested in short fights against my sister's Nerf SuperSoaker Thunderstorm....and it is superior. It outputs much more water at much more range than the Thunderstorm....so usually whoever has it wins....well, I usually win because she quits after about 5min....