Launch season is well and truly upon us, with Winmau being the latest brand to release their new ranges, just in time for the Christmas season! I’ll be taking a look at the products released, and giving my initial thoughts and first impressions.
Xenon
At first glance, the Xenon’s reminded me of a Daryl Gurney style dart. For me, there’s just too much going on here. Four or five (depending on how you view it) different grip locations, and three different styles of grip… they’re a lot to take in. I’m interested to see how they function from a practicality standpoint.
Kairos
A dart that pushes the boundaries of Winmau’s manufacturing capabilities, the Kairos darts look an extremely impressive bit of kit! The central grip to me is intriguing, with a mixture of grip styles moulded into one, to create what appears to be a very aggressive style of grip.
Daryl Gurney
I cannot stress enough how long I’ve waited for these to release, and they haven’t disappointed! A fresh take on Daryl’s original barrels, the Gurney 1.0’s feature a higher level of grip, spanning a greater percentage of the barrel, which will appeal to a wider area of the consumer market.
Galactics
Drawing parallels from the Razor Edge and Jamie Lewis ranges produced by Winmau’s sister company, Red Dragon, the Galactics are a familiar styles, but with a different grip pattern, opting for a dual ring grip, with longitudinal grooves cut into them.
Epix
Adventuring into the ‘premium’ market, Winmau’s Epix darts feature a striking colour scheme, with a unique style of grip. The grip appears to be a more modern version of the dimplex grip popularised by Harrows, with a hexagonal cut towards the front and rear of the barrels.
Cypher
Similar in style to the Galactics, the Cypher range will price popular to anyone using a set of MVG darts, due to the similarities in both barrel shape, and grip profile. Another experimental grip style from Winmau, it’ll be interesting to see how aggressive the darts feel in the hand, and whether it’ll be a grip Winmau will look to replicate in future launches.
Callisto
I’m on the fence with these – they’re a dart I feel I’ll need to see in person to cast judgement. With three alternative styles of barrel, the Callisto range will suit most players, though perhaps the general feel of the barrel will put consumers off, with the darts having a shotblasted effect.
Steve Beaton Legacy
The flagship product of the launch are the new Beaton’s, which have been designed in celebration of the career Steve has enjoyed. Featuring a similar profile to his Winmau match darts, the Legacy’s appear to have a slightly toned down grip, though over a greater percentage of the barrel.
Accessories
In addition to the new darts, Winmau have also released a selection of new oches and surrounds, to kit out your setups ready for the new year.
The popular Plasma lighting system has received an update in the form of an ‘Ice’ variation, and the Fusion all-in-one setups are now available in No. 6 as well as No. 2, and in a new range of colours, with purple, red and clear being added to the range.
Shop the range here
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