Vandy Vape BSKR BERSERKER MTL Starter Kit: A 2018 Comprehensive Review

By a show of hands, who can remember the last time Vandy Vape put out a product that wasn’t a collaboration? Yeah, it’s been a while. But every now and then, one of these “vape celebrity mashups” turn out to be pretty good, like the Vandy Vape BSKR Berserker MTL starter kit, which might not be the premier mouth-to-lung setup on the market, but it’s a damn good entry point for ex-smokers and vape newcomers.

Designed with input from Alex from Vapers MD, the BSKR kit first appears to be a standard pen-style, direct voltage vape mod. And in most senses, that’s exactly what it is. But, while most vape pens  are aimed at MTL vapers these days, many of them have enough versatility that they can double as restricted/direct lung mods when needed. In the end, they become jacks of all trades, masters of none. At the same time, there are several Direct Lung Vape Pens that perform in the flavor department as well as MTL Vape Pens, the likes of the SMOK Stick Prince (reviewed here) for instance, provides intense flavor, but with a loose draw and incredible clouds.

By contrast, the BSKR is laser-focused on MTL vaping. No confusion, no loose airflow, no sub-ohm anything in the box – this is a low-wattage, high-resistance setup aimed at bringing an authentic smoking-like experience to the table. And it definitely delivers in that regard.

Nic salt-ready, with no power adjustments (other than switching between the available bypass and direct voltage modes), new vapers will instantly take to the mod’s compact style, snug draw and flavor-focused vapor production. The BSKR Berserker doesn’t want to be the most versatile device in your collection – in fact, I’d advise against using the BSKR with anything but the included Berserker tank since the device was built to go together.

(Besides, any time a mod kit is a direct voltage, it’s very difficult to gauge which other atomizers can be used with it. Safety first, kids.)

Visually, there’s not a lot going on, but the appearance is mature and understated (yes, even the purple edition). Like all Vandy Vape products, the machining and design is done well, with no gaudy extras to get in the way. Knowing your audience is key to marketing, and Vandy Vape tends to get this right most times. The BSKR kit is for those who enjoy satisfying nicotine delivery and flavor, not attention-getting cloud production, and the appearance matches that aesthetic nicely.

My gun metal-hued test model had very few visual adornments, other than some elegant logo placement, and some nice texture work around the battery grip. It’s ergonomic, comfortable, and pretty damn discreet while doing its thing.

The “shield like” fire key is firm, clicky and has a nice shallow throw, so there’s little risk of stickiness or random fires.

My only complaint when first firing up the BSKR is the minimalist LED light indicator ring, which does its job well enough, I suppose. But I had to pay very close attention to the dim coloring to be 100% sure the mod was firing in the correct mode. The difference between white and orange was difficult to determine in daylight, and neither are bright enough to be noticeable without getting really close to the ring.

I get that minimalism was the goal here, but I would have paid a few extra bucks to see a small OLED screen that could confirm power level and vape mode without getting in the way. There’s plenty of surface area on the exterior of the BSKR Berserker mod to do this. I’m not sure why companies assume “direct voltage” has to mean “no screen.” Technology has come a long way, and I think newcomers need a little more education than a faintly glowing ring to guide the way.

If you’re an MTL vaper, you realize that tanks with high-resistance prebuilt coils are difficult to come by. So, when a new one comes along, you’ll probably take notice. Well, you’re going to want to give this kit a serious look when you make your next purchase, because the included Berserker MTL tank is a mouth-to-lung enthusiast’s dream atomizer and might be one of the most pleasant surprises I’ve enjoyed from an MTL device in some time.

Featuring Vandy Vape’s first-ever proprietary MTL coil system, the Berserker comes with a pair of snug, low-wattage/high-resistance coils in the box – both of which lasted me nearly two weeks before the intense, bright flavor started to fade. But as of this writing, they’re still offering better-than-average flavor, and potent, intense draws.

I think the key to success is their simplicity. These old-school coil heads are built around evenly spaced Ni80 builds that allow for maximum juice flow and flavor, without being too thirsty or short-lived. Considering these 1.5 and 1.8-ohm workhorses aren’t designed to exceed 10-15 watts, I wouldn’t try pushing them beyond their capabilities. Nor would I separate them from this device setup – again, it’s clear these products were meant to be together.

The Berserker tank itself isn’t a looker, but it’s not offensive or overdone, either. It’s a basic, 19mm top-fill arrangement that does what it intends to… and nothing more. But it works well, and I’m confident newcomers that give this kit a try will happily spring for replacement coils before venturing toward other atomizers.

I’ve read various reviews of the BSKR Berserker kit online, and many indicated that the bottom airflow control ring was too tight to move independently of the assembled device, forcing them to remove the tank to make the adjustments. However, I didn’t have this problem at all, and enjoyed experimenting with the five different airflow settings. As an MTL tank, I didn’t notice a HUGE difference from one to the other, but it’s implemented well.

There’s very little to say here beyond the obvious – the Vandy Vape BSKR BERSERKER kit is a very strong MTL vape device. Not only is the flavor rich and intense, but the throat hit (a term this direct lung vaper hasn’t used in a long time) is fantastic. And while I’m still not sold on the nic salt e-liquid like some of my colleagues seem to be, I DO feel a setup like the BSKR brings out much more of the promised flavor than a pod mod like the JUUL (or its endless line of copycats) ever could.

Plus, the integrated 1,100mAh battery works a lot better than the advertised strength indicates. Likely due to the ultra-low-wattage vaping the mod offers, I managed a full day of vaping (not workday, mind you – a full day) of steady vaping before the mod finally tapped out. VERY impressive for such a compact rig, and something casual vapers are going to love about the BSKR BERSERKER STARTER KIT.

The only issue (and you knew there’d be one) is that I wasn’t able to tell how much battery life remained from the LED indicator. The only “tell” was the gradual weakening of the draws, and then eventually a dead cell. I’m sure protections are built in, but I’m not the type of vaper who likes to drain batteries to the bitter end. I would have appreciated some other type of warning here.

I won’t waste words here – if you’re a mouth-to-lung enthusiast, or an ex-smoker looking to make the jump, skip the row of interchangeable pod mods and look into a Vandy Vape BSKR instead. The draw is more authentic, the flavor is more enjoyable, and the overall satisfaction lasts a hell of a lot longer than those throwaway pods ever could. A winning kit, worthy of your consideration.

Score: A-