With Christmas just around the corner, the hunt for that perfect gift for your kids is starting to pick up. Nerf guns are a long-time favorite for kids of all ages, and these days there are dozens of options to choose from. Not all guns are created equal, however, and right now the Nerf Vortex Pyragon is a strong contender on the battlefield.

The Vortex line uses “never before-seen XLR disc technology”, which basically means they fire discs rather than darts. These discs have a much longer range than traditional darts–they’re essentially tiny Frisbees–but they tend to slow down not even halfway through their flight, making them easier to avoid. Still, the extended range can make the difference between pretend life and pretend death. What really makes the Pyragon shine is its slam fire technology.

While other Nerf guns have to be pumped before the trigger can be pulled, the Pyragon allows the user to hold the trigger down and simply pump to fire. With practice, this pump-to-shoot ability means the Pyragon can fire faster than any other gun in the Vortex line, including the automatic, battery-powered Nitron.

The Pyragon comes with a whopping 40 XLR discs, all of which will fit into its drum magazine. That gives it the highest ammo capacity of any of the Vortex blasters, doubling the Nitron’s old record of 20 discs. There’s no way to purchase additional magazines for the Pyragon at the time of writing this article, other than buying a second gun. At top slam fire speed, the drum magazine can be depleted in around 8 seconds; firing normally will make it last much longer.

The ability to slam fire is also seen in a few N-Strike Nerf guns, which fire darts rather than discs. The N-Strike Rampage and Alpha Trooper CS-18 are two such guns, both of which can also fire at blinding speeds. The benefit of the Pyragon compared to dart-based slam fire guns comes from the long range of the discs. It’s possible to charge into battle like Rambo, firing too quickly for your enemies to get away before they even get in range.

Because the Pyragon shines best when using the ammo-draining slam fire feature, I’d recommend that it be used as the secret weapon of your Nerf arsenal. Nothing’s more satisfying than running out of discs in one gun, only to pull out your Pyragon and turn the tables on your opponent. Its unique look sets it apart from the rest of the Vortex line, abandoning the orange, gray and green color scheme for a more futuristic orange and white.

The biggest issue you’ll have to keep in mind with the Pyragon–and any other Vortex disc blaster–is that it only fires straight when held level. If it’s tilted to the side, it’s just like throwing a Frisbee at an angle: the discs will curve off, cutting their range down significantly.

All things considered, the Pyragon stands above the other Vortex blasters by a wide margin, making it a prime choice for any Nerf commando. Its lightning-fast firing rate, a huge disc capacity, and long range make up for its somewhat slow discs and poor accuracy when tilted. The Pyragon costs $39.99, making it tied with the Nitron for the honor of the most expensive Vortex blaster. Still, if you’re in the market for a Nerf gun and you have $40 to spend, you can’t do better right now than the Nerf Vortex Pyragon.