The Super Soaker Max Infusion: Defender is the Super Soaker 2006 equivalent of the base stock soaker model. From its styling to its feel and power, everything about the Defender is straightforward, no-nonsense soaker material.

The Blaster ::

Nozzle / Firing Chamber ::

The Defender features a single nozzle powered by an air-based separate pressure chamber. The stream pushed forth has a nice feel to it, reminiscent of a Super Soaker XP 70 (the supposed base model from which Hasbro had initially declared as having a 1x nozzle). The firing chamber seems to have its opening along the bottom, meaning that level shots provide the longest, non-misting shot times. The stream, due to being air-pressure based, does drop off as the shot progresses. Thankfully, having a separate pressure chamber, the Defender can be pre-pressurized with air prior to loading the chamber with water to improve overall stream performance. However, the limited firing chamber capacity does restrict shot time. One problem, though, is that due to the shape of the pressure chamber, it is a little tricky to flush out all of the water after use. The flatter-shaped bottom side of the firing chamber seems to allow some water to pool and not end up in the proper position for being pushed out the nozzle.

Pump ::

The pump for the Defender is relatively short, but does get the job done. Pumping is relatively smooth, though the square shape of the pump shaft prevents rotation of one's hand when pumping. Oddly, the pump (at least on the model tested) could not be pulled until it lays flush with the body of the soaker. Not only that, but the pump always seemed to have a little air trapped in it. While not affecting performance to any significant degree, it did feel a little strange, particularly when attempting to flush the soaker's internals after use.

Triggers / Grip ::

The trigger and grip area on the Defender appear surprising short and look uncomfortable to hold. However, looks are definitely deceiving in this case. The grip and trigger are surprisingly very comfortable to hold and would expect the same would be true even for those with larger hands. The sculp of the grip allows one's index finger to reach the trigger while one's thumb goes through the hole. The remaining fingers curl very naturally along the bottom of the grip region for a slightly different, but still comfortable and secure hold. The trigger has a solid, firm Max-D-based feel to it. It does, however, feel sturdier than older generation Max-D trigger systems. However, more use will confirm how well these triggers stand up over time.

The Reservoir ::

The reservoir on the Defender holds a respectable amount of water for a blaster of its size. The back of the reservoir has a slight dip in which the intake tube for the pump resides. This allows the majority of water to be pulled from the reservoir. As part of the new Max Infusion line, the special feature of the reservoir lies in the cap. As with all other Max Infusion-class soakers, an additional, external backpack (Super Soaker Max Infusion: Aquapack) can be hooked onto the cap, doubling or tripling the available water (depending on the size of backpack attached). However, the new Max Infusion caps are notably larger than any cap previously found on older generation soakers. As well, the threadding on the cap is backwards, meaning one turns the cap counter-clockwise to tighten. The reversing was likely done to prevent cap loosening when the Super Soaker Max Infusion: Aquapack backpack extension is attached. However, for opening, it is a little counter-intuitive at first. One minor problem is that it is easier to loosen the entire cap as opposed to detaching the tubing from the blaster's reservoir cap when one wants to separate the blaster from the backpack. Too bad there was no small locking device on the cap.

Overall ::

As a whole, Super Soaker Max Infusion: Defender is a simple, light-weight soaker. The main nozzle and firing chamber provide respectable power. A standard, no-frills stock soaker on its own, the Defender's capabilities can be extended with the addition of the optional Super Soaker Max Infusion: Aquapack reservoir extension. Capable of coping with most air-pressure-based soakers, the Defender would be easily overpowered by large air-pressure soakers as well as the majority of CPS and related types of blasters.

Pros

Simple design, clean lines, and good solid feel to the soaker. Stream solid, slightly more potent than a Super Soaker XP70. Reservoir capacity can be extended 2-3-fold depending on the size of pack attached.

Cons

Small stream and firing chamber compared to larger soakers. Pump is on the shorter side. No strap.

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:: Submitted Reviews

By: Dacca | Posted: 20060811

After seeing last years Super Soaker line I anxiously awaited the 2006 line to see what new goodies and improvements have been made.  I was quite disappointed to see that there were no new soakers in the 2006 line with the exception of the Defender.  I was pleased to see the addition of the Max Infusion tech into the line which shows that they are taking baby steps to improve the Super Soaker line.  Still, the line does fall short of Water Warriors line in overall performance which goes to show that Hasbro needs to step it up more then just Max-I tech before they fall to far behind in overall performance. 

When going over the new 2006 Super Soaker line, All I was the same old soakers from last year with nothing more then a color facelift and the addition of the new Max-I QFC’s.  Then I stumbled upon a picture of the new defender and knew I had to get one.  It just looked so cool, the style, the trigger grip, the whole no nonsense demeanor to it really grabbed my attention.  When I took it out of the box and held it for the first time I was really hooked.  The soaker itself feels really solid and I feel I could easily dropkick it without to much damage.  This was later proven when I had to throw my Defender right before I was thrown in a lake.

With the overall ruggedness of the case, the grip area is what really gets people’s attention.  The grip itself is very unique in which it is held by placing your thumb into the loop and having your pointer finger on the trigger which leaves the remaining fingers to curl around the grip area.  This is surprisingly comfortable and makes it very easy to hold a soaker of its size.  In fact, the soaker is so easy to hold with this design that it can be easily held and fired with just two fingers, the thumb and pointer.  This leave the other three fingers open and allows easier dual wielding.   This soaker is so ideal for dual wielding that I can be used with any other soaker that can be held with one hand.  Overall I love this soaker due to its great looks and feel, but then I fired it. 

The Defender fires like and oversized pistol.  It has poor range and a very sad output.  The nozzle feels like it’s less then 1x while the range barley achieves 30 feet.  This is a great disappointment for a soaker that looks this cool.  The Defender has a single pressure chamber which is of good size for the blaster it self.  The biggest problem I’ve had with the PC other then the lack of power is the fact that after usage it is very had to get the excess water out of the PC.  The pump is short but it still allows for quick pressurization of the PC.   The PC is large enough to have a good output and shot time but it is held back quite a bit by the small nozzle. 

The Defender’s reservoir is good for its size and I’ve never had a need to refill.  Although the Defender has the Max-I tech, I find it quite useless to attach the aqua pack to it.  I believe that the aqua pack is better suited for something like the flashflood and has no place on the pistol like Defender. 

Overall the Defender is a solid soaker that feels good and performs well for an air powered soaker of its size.  Unfortunately, the overall range and output hinder its overall performance and makes the Defender not that good in battle.  In fact my WW Hornet has about the same range and output that the Defender has leaving the Defender feeling like an oversized pistol.  This is, of course, what the Defender is.  It’s a decent back up blaster and is great for dual wielding.  But if you’re thinking of using it as a primary weapon, be prepared to be very wet by the end of the battle. 

By Wetmonkey442 | Posted: 20060810 | Written: 20060618

Front to Back

The Max Infusion Defender is one of the new line of Max Infusion soakers featured in this year's lineup. It utilizes Super Soaker's tried and trued air pressure technology, and it notable for having a separate pressure chamber in a lineup consisting mostly of pressurized reservoir guns. The separate pressure chamber gives the Defender an advantage over most. Compared to the others guns in the 2006 lineup, the Defender has a decent amount of power, coupled with an above average stream coherency, and topped  off by a sturdy but balanced casing. Overall the Max Infusion Defender can hold it's own against any contemporary blasters, but users should think twice before competing against older and/or more powerful CPS tech. The 2006 Defender being reviewed here had the red/blue color scheme in which the casing and handle are red, and the reservoir and pressure chamber are blue. The color scheme is mellow and pleasing, with no conflicting or overly bright color combinations. The nozzle/nozzle casing, pump handle, and trigger are the customary orange. The casing of the Defender is what makes it unique, and in many ways, a better blaster than the rest of the 2006 lines. It follows a minimalist design policy, with straight lines, flat plastic panels, and limited/conservative styling of the case.

The handle of the Defender is another unique feature. Unlike most Super Soakers, which use a standard straight handle angled slightly to the bottom of the blaster, the Defender uses a more modernistic assault-rifle looking thumbhole grip, where the handle curves around behind the back of the thumb and is molded into the back of the gun below the reservoir. Although on first inspection such a handle set-up would look awkward, upon actually holding the blaster, the handle is surprisingly comfortable, and can accommodate even larger hands.

The pump of the Defender is unusually small, and strays from the usual, round-ended cylinder used in earlier Super Soaker models. Although such a design change could be seen as an attempt to create a more ergonomic handle, the end result was a smaller more awkward grip. Another strange difference in the Max Infusion Defender is the pump. It is a squarish, not a cylinder as in earlier Super Soaker models. The size of the pump is also noticeably smaller. The pump on the Defender is a matching orange to the nozzle and  trigger. While pumping the Defender, the pump feels a little unstable and fragile and although the total pump length is limited at best, aggressive pumping is not recommended due to the observable structural integrity. Another unfortunate draw back of the Max Infusion Defender is the limited size of the reservoir. At just over 30 oz., the reservoir on the Defender is a far cry from the 100 oz. of a CPS 1500. However, such statistics should not be taken at face value. Surprisingly enough, the small size of the pressure chamber (5 oz.) allows for many shots before the user needs to refill. The firing system of the Max Infusion Defender is based off of the Max-D technology pioneered in the Max-D line of Super Soakers. Basically, the Defender releases the water in its pressure chamber through a trigger rod actuated spring returned ball valve. Although tests have shown that the use of ball valves increases the effective range of a water blaster, numerous reports of breakages in the Max-D trigger system must be taken into account. Through the testing of the Defender being reviewed no problems were found with the ball valve, and it should be noted that the author of this review has never encountered any problems with a Max-D trigger. All of the blaster featured in the 2006 lineup from Super Soaker use the Max-D trigger system.

Battle Effectiveness/Capability

The Max Infusion Defender is a mid sized air pressure water blaster. For its size, it has a potent stream power, average range, and excellent shot time. These factors combine to make the Defender a recommended pick as the main weapon in any soak-fest, or the secondary weapon in any standard rules 1HK game. The main lacking of the Defender lies in the stream size. Although the Defender has decent range, and above average power for it's size, the size of the stream is limited. The author of this review estimates the stream size of an unmodified Defender to be smaller than 1x, or the size of the stream of an XP 70. This means that the effective range at which one can soak an opponent is less than the full stream range, due to stream incoherencies from wind and air-resistance. A large diameter nozzle resulting in a thicker stream would carry the water farther, and thus increase the effective range. While such a minor problem would have little to no noticeable effect in a no-rules soak-fest, it could mean the difference between elimination and staying in the game in a strict-rules 1HK battle.

The Defender can also be recommended for use with and against smaller children. The stream is small enough to not pose a serious danger to the eyes or faces of children, is light enough to be handled, and the sturdy design can survive small drops and the constant vibration that comes with the handling of small children. The Defender also does not take many pumps to become fully pressurized, and can be enjoyed by children with a low tolerance of work. The main advantage of the Defender is its battle adaptability. Depending upon who is using it, it can be a fun toy to use on hot summer days, or as a scalpel, carving up opponents during 1HK night fights.

Overall the effectiveness of the Defender on the battlefield is based largely on who is behind the trigger. However, there are certain limits to the capabilities of an unmodified Defender. It is an air pressure gun, and although in the hands of an experienced user it can be taken up against lower class CPS weaponry, it is not recommended against anything more powerful than a Max Infusion Flash Flood. The small nozzle size can be compensated for if the user understands the strengths of the gun. In this case, the Defender's long shot time can be used to the user's advantage. Moving around and evading enemy fire until that person needs to re-pump and then moving in and taking them out with the Defender's longer shot time is an effective strategy. Another effective strategy is playing on teams is to coordinate your movements with that of one of your team mates. In an ideal situation, you could pin down an enemy soldier(s) with the Defender, and a heavier armed team mate can move in to finish them off when they need to re pressurize.

Overall Stats

Observed Range (Level, 45 Degree Angle): 26 feet, 27 feet
Reservoir Volume: 30 oz.
Pressure Chamber Volume: 5 oz.
Pumps to Fill: 12-14
(10/10) When Compared Against Similar Soakers
Range: 6/10
Power: 6/10
Shot Time: 8/10
Mobility/Balance: 10/10

Design: 10/10

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