Blaster Academy offers any type of battle between two or more players, typically in teams, where the goal is to defeat the other team in a game of points or resources. Common battle scenes include backyards, urban areas, parks, playgrounds, and even indoor arenas.

It is important to note that there are no officially sanctioned or hard rules that must be followed. As we explain more about the different types of game matches that can be used to form your perfect battle, keep in mind that the guidelines are only put in place for balance and clarity

When it comes to Blaster Academy, anything goes! It doesn’t take much to have a good time. If you’re looking to battle with your buddies, co-workers, family or fellow students for glory, honor, and bragging rights, Blaster Academy is a great outlet for youth and adults to embrace your inner child.

Typically, the rules differ depending on the game variant you decide to play. If there is a general consensus for or against a certain rule, it can be added or omitted. When it comes down to it, the rules of the game are up to you! However, there are several guidelines and general courtesy staples that those in the Nerf war community like to follow.

Safety is the most important feature at Blaster Academy. These battles are for friendly competition, thrilling strategy contests, and a good time. These battles are not for serious injuries or trips to the hospital. Safety rules are most important at Blaster Academy, and should be followed diligently in order for everyone to have a good time.

• No physical contact. The first safety rule is one of the most important. There is no hitting, kicking, pushing, pulling, wrestling, or physical attacking involved at Blaster Academy. The only physical contact that should be made with another player is in the form of tapping, which is used to get someone “out”, to “revive” someone, or to save them from a hostage situation.

• No intentional face shots. We get it, sometimes you accidentally hit the face and that’s okay. As long as you are not intentionally aiming right between the eyes, you can simply apologize for a face shot and move on.

• Always wear eye protection. During your battles, it’s important to keep on protective eyewear at all times. This can protect you from those accidental face shots from the enemy team, as well as keep you from taking penalties.

• The use of melee weapons is not allowed. 

• Modified guns are not allowed. You must use the standard Nerf stock weapons only.

• Don’t use damaged darts. Damaged darts will jam your gun. It’s best to leave a damaged dart on the ground.

• Do not throw darts. Blaster darts are made to be loaded into your gun, and should be treated like actual bullets. They cannot be thrown.

• Try not to damage the darts. You should avoid stepping on, stuffing, or roughly handling darts. They damage easily.

Safety rules are entailed by combat rules, which are tied closely to the instructions of each game or match. While combat rules may differ for your team, there is a general way of doing things that makes it much easier to coordinate a battle:

• Do not leave the base until the main whistle blows. There is a warning whistle about 30 seconds before the main whistle, which can release you into the battle.

• Play honestly. If you get hit, that makes you dead or wounded. Make sure to play fair and fall down if you do get hit.

• Players decide how many hits to take before being declared as “out”. In a typical battle, players are only allowed to become hit once before they are out. Once a player is out, they must return to the base to respawn, or they can lay on the ground and wait until a teammate revives them by tapping on their body with their hand. A player’s ability to respawn or become revived by a teammate depends on the amount of lives they have. The amount of lives is typically established before the game.

• Other rules can be established. Before the battle begins, your team and the enemy team can discuss a custom set of rules to put in place. 

• Hits to the head and torso count as kills. Hits in all other locations, such as the arms, legs, or side, count as injuries but not deaths.

• If you die on your last life, you must leave the game. This includes laying down your weapon and your bullets on the ground, and leaving the playing area as immediately as you can.

• Teams can be uneven. Typically, the number of people on each team is equal; however, teams can be uneven due to skill. Most battlers like to balance teams based on ability and player skill rather than just sheer numbers.

By playing fairly, everyone can have a smooth Blaster Academy experience. It’s never fun being the one to get hit, but the deaths and lives system is what helps the teams determine who wins.

In general, there are a set of rules that should always be followed when establishing parameters and guidelines:

• Only Blaster Academy guns may be used. No water guns or other toys.

• Do not throw or drop guns. Blasters can break easily!

• You can loot dead soldier’s weapons and bullets, but not their custom weapons. After the battle is over, all weapons must be returned to their owners or facility.

• No going outside of battle zones. This applies to any Blaster Academy game type. 

By following the rules of honor, safety, combat, and equipment, you can be on your way to having a smooth and fun experience. Understanding the rules can bring you closer to figuring out which type of battle you’d like to have. Other than the safety rules and general rules, these rules can be changed or modified according to what you and your team agree on.

Most of these game types are balanced towards the war including two teams. You can always add more teams for a diverse and challenging addition to the battle. Rules can be tweaked as you practice and gain experience.

1. Attack and defend. This simple match mode requires one group of players to defend a pre-specified base or point, while the other team tries to capture it. Usually, this game type comes with a time limit, giving an added thrill to players who are required to rush to the finish. If the defending team continues to defend the point until the time runs out, they win. If the attacking team captures the point and is holding it while time expires, they win.

2. Capture the flag. Capture the flag gives an extra goal for players. Each team is given a colored flag, which is placed on their side of the field. The goal is to defend their own flag while also attempting to capture and steal the enemy’s flag. The first team to capture the other team’s flag a certain number of times (typically once) is the team to win.

3. Hostage. This is an extremely thrilling match option for those who want to take their battles to the next level. Each team is given an unarmed player to play the hostage, who will be hidden at the enemy’s base. The opposing team must successfully rescue their hostage within a certain time limit in order to win. The hostage cannot move until one of the friendly players taps them with their hand.

4. Team Deathmatch. Deathmatch is one of the most popular – if not the most popular – forms of battle. This is a standard combat match, where players must simply tag out the enemy team and take them down before they are taken down themselves. Each team has a certain amount of tags, or “deaths”, until they are out for good. The last team to have any remaining players wins the match.

5. Hide and seek. This is another popular battle variant. In hide and seek, one team is given a head-start to go and hide. This match is best achieved in an urban or wooded area. The opposing team, also known as the “seekers”, must find all of the enemy team members and tag them in order to get them out. The hiding team also has the opportunity to tag out the seeking team as well. The team with the last untagged person remaining wins the match.

6. Control points. Similar to “attack and defend”, the control points Blaster Academy match adds a dynamic challenge to the game. There are a pre-determined amount of points set out among the field, and the teams must fight each other to take control of these points. In order to capture a point, a player must stand next to the point and count to a certain number, typically 10 or 15, in order to capture it. If the player counts to the number without being attacked or tagged, they are then able to switch the control point’s colors with their own team’s colors. The first team to capture the other team’s home base wins the challenge.

7. Assasin. In an assassin game, each team designates one player as the “target”, who is only allowed to carry a single shot blaster. That player’s team acts as the guards, with the other team becoming the assassins. Guards can take hits for the target as the assassins attempt to destroy them. After a certain amount of time, the target can escape, thus ending the game.

8. Hunger Games. Much like the best-selling book, this tame has players split into two teams. All weapons and ammo must go in a pile in the center of the playing field. Everyone starts out standing an equal distance away from each other and from the pile. When the game signals its start, players must rush to collect their weapons in this all-out brawl.

9. Civil War. In a Civil War, only single-shot blasters are allowed. Both teams start out in a position that faces each other when the game starts. They must stand in a straight line as they face each other. When the game begins, they must fight Civil War-style. If a player is hit in the arm, they cannot use that arm. If they lose both of their arms or legs, they must move on their knees, or they “die” for the remainder of the game.

10. Humans vs. Zombies. In a humans vs. zombies match, one team becomes the humans, who are armed with blasters, while the other team becomes the zombies, who are not allowed to wield any weapons at all. Humans who are touched by zombies become zombies. The humans win if all zombies are destroyed, and the zombies win if all humans are turned into zombies.

11. Anarchy. Anarchy is one of the oldest Blaster Academy battle types. The game is played with multiple teams of two people each, who fight to determine the last team standing. Players die with a single hit in this game.

12. Hunter. This is a solo-based Nerf war game. One player becomes the “hunter”, armed with just a blaster. The other players in the game have to avoid being tagged or hit by the hunter. As soon as another player becomes tagged by the hunter, they become the hunter themselves. Whoever can go the longest without being tagged is the winner.

13. Regicide. This popular game is based off of the match type from the Halo video game series. One player on each side becomes the “king”, who is given a large blaster and a unique identification badge to wear. Whoever tags out the other team’s king first wins.

14. Deathmatch. This is another solo-based battle game. This is a full-on battle, with no unique rules or specially designated players. The last person standing wins.

15. Alliance. In an alliance match, a non-player is responsible for hiding all equipment. Players are then sent to find and pick up the equipment. During the game, players are encouraged to form alliances with each other. These alliances cannot be broken or betrayed, or else the player is out. The maximum amount of players in a single alliance is three players. An alliance can only break if the members are the last one standings. The last player alive wins.

16. Standoff. A standoff is a good old-fashioned Western-themed match. Players can only wield single-shot blasters. All players are assigned a spot to stand, and they cannot move from this spot. The blasters start out on empty, and when the game begins, they must do one of three things: “Fire”, which requires taking a single shot at an opponent, “Block”, in which the player crosses their arms over their chest and are protected from hits, or “Reload”, which allows the player to reload after taking a shot. They must reload before taking another shot. Every time a player is eliminated, the players move closer to each other. The last one standing wins.

17. Duel. Players are assigned a spot to stand in. After the game begins, the players must remain on their spots. They can duck, jump, and more, but they cannot move from their assigned spot. Once they are hit or run out of ammo, they count as out and must be eliminated. Whoever has the most amount of tags, once all players are out, is the winner.