There’s this famous image telling us to never shoot at other people (or living beings as a whole) with our fancy Lego projectile launchers. But let’s imagine you did just that. Y’know, you just shot at someone’s eye. Which Lego launcher has the most force and could actually be dangerous in this situation?
From the ones I’ve experienced, the 2006 Zamor launchers and Roborider wheels seem to be the strongest. Both shoot with a lot of force and have quite an impact on their target.
The Hero Factory Breakout Zamor launcher is surprisingly strong, too. Not as much as the other two I’ve mentioned, but still much more forceful than I expected.
While I’ve never yet handled one personally, I heard that the Midak blaster is really strong. What are your experiences with that blaster? Which one do you think deserves a spot on this list? Discuss!
I recall the zamor and midak launchers being more powerful than most others, within the scope of Bionicle anyway. I’ve also heard tales of the prototype squid launcher being so strong the nerfed it before release
Yup, I’ve heard about the prototype squid launchers too. No idea about how well they actually shoot, but I think they look nicer than the finished product (and the ability to store extra squids on the launcher itself is nice). I’ve been thinking, maybe someone skilled at 3D modelling could recreate the prototype in a printable form? Could be interesting
Can’t say anything about Roborider wheels but yeah those 06 Zamor launchers got some serious power.
That being said, I still think Midak Skyblasters have the most power, specifically the first shot when the launcher is filled completely. Another competitor is the Breakout variation of Thornax-style launchers. The upper piece is extremely stiff which gives the Zamor sphere some serious power.
I think some set from the 2000s also had a rubber band mechanism to launch standard flick-fire missiles, I don’t know how well it fired. That being said, flick-fire missiles don’t have a whole lot of friction between the missile holder and the missile itself, so there wouldn’t be a lot of energy loss between the rubber band and the missile.
These ones have standard axles with a ball on the front, and are launched using the spring base piece from the minifig-scale soccer sets. No idea how well it works since I never tried it myself, but I find it really creative how they implemented the spring base.
The 2001 Toa eye piece removal is easily the scariest projectile although not intended to be.
I would consider the the Zamor launcher the most powerful it’s fairly accurate and is probably the most powerful. Any of the standard system brick launchers are pretty small and as a result are pretty weak.
Out of Bionicle I’d have to go with the Zamor launcher.
But out of Lego as a whole… I have no idea how powerful it actually is since I don’t own the set, but Wreckage Road from World Racers features a brick built, rubber band powered launcher on the back of one of the cars which is supposed to fling spiked harpoons at opponents. This launcher was reportedly so powerful that the set actually had to be modified during production to remove the rubber band entirely and make the mechanism weaker
The original mechanism, with stickered stop bar, short technic beams and red rubber band hooked in place
The modified mechanism, nothing more than a simple catapult with no stop bar
It should be noted that the revised mechanism makes the latch completely pointless, as releasing it will do literally nothing as the launcher arm isn’t under any tension
Looking at Lego’s website, I didn’t see instructions for the rubber band version. Happen to know where I could find the building instructions for such a deadly weapon? asking for a friend btw i would never need deadly weaponry
It’s unlikely they exist at all. As far as I know the set was altered very early into its production and I’ve seen no physical copies of the original version in hand. Early box art and stock photos depict the original mechanism, but both of these were updated to reflect the change - and I can’t actually find any pictures of a physical box with the old mechanism.
Bricklink still has a list of “alternate parts” in the inventory, suggesting that the set did actually make it into the hands of a few people before the change was made, but the time period this could’ve happened in is shockingly small. The set released June 1st 2010, and the earliest known review is from June 9th 2010 - and the set in the review is the revised version.
This makes the window the original version could’ve possibly been purchased in a week at most, if it even made it to retail
However, looking at the original inventory Bricklink has, I think I’ve figured it out. There’s a conspicuous empty technic hole on the back of the revised version, and Bricklink suggests an extra pin with ball in addition to all the visible parts… I believe it would go in the hole with the rubber band hooked around it. Early box art assets demonstrate how the rubber band hooks around the arm, and the early stock photo indicates that the arm joint is mounted one hole further forward than the modified version
There was a Mindstorm build that let you mount a large zamor launcher on the front of what was basically a spiderbot. I wrote a program for mine to patrol the hallway outside my room and shoot people that it saw.
I have been genuinely hurt before by the Midak blasters numerous times, once by my brother shooting one at me, and other times by accident. Those things were absolutely powerful. I found the G2 BIONICLE turret launcher quite scary too because you could lose the studs and then step on one later.
Anything that includes Zamor spheres. Those balls are pretty hard and the firing mechanism pushes it out very far with a lot of force. Midak Skyblasters are the worst, followed by original Zamor Launchers and Hero Factory blasters (It’s basically Thornax launcher with a Zamor).
Stud launchers aren’t that painful, unless you are a brilliant mind and fire it point blank into the eye.
Those spring shooters, for example 2007 Exo-Force Iron Condor had, hurt a bit, but the projectile had a rubber head
Disk launchers often misfired or jammed, same as Squid launchers and air propelled launchers (Cordak and Nynrah) were weak
Only considering the power provided by the mechanism, the Zamor Sphere Launcher is definitely the strongest. However, by applying proper force and technique, I’ve been capable of supplying the Midak Sky Blasters with a strong and fast finger flick which caused the ammo to break through layers of paper, and even thin metal. I’ve never dared try this technique on a lime Lego.
They had to sign it away after a test player child was struck and paralyzed.
