Choosing the best weapon skins for CSGO ultimately boils down to personal preference. While they won’t make you a better player, they’ll certainly make you want to try.
Don’t get us wrong – winning at CSGO takes a combination of raw wit and cutthroat badassery. However, there’s something oh-so-satisfying about making your opponents weep while flaunting a weapon with a fancy skin. It makes the victory that much sweeter.
As you lay patiently in wait for the Ts to advance to your bombsite, it doesn’t hurt to have something eye-catching to look at in the meantime. We’ve put together a list of the best weapon skins CSGO has to offer and how wear level affects their value.
1. Best Assault Rifle Skin CSGO – AK-47 | Fire Serpent
Overview
- Finish style: Custom paint job
- Release date: September 19, 2013
- Rarity: Covert
- Price range: $354 – $4,700
- Available wear range: Minimal-Wear – Battle-Scarred
The AK47 is one of the world’s most popular assault rifles. In its most lethal form, it renders short and controlled bursts of fire, making it a must-have in your battlefield arsenal.
The Fire Serpent is as highly sought-after today as it was when it was first released almost 10 years ago as part of the “Operation Bravo” update. It is one of 246 rifle skins in the Bravo Collection and a pretty expensive CSGO skin. Prices can range anywhere between $354 and $4,700 in their battle-scarred to factory-new condition.
The skin’s primary color consists of a green tint, although you can customize it in a wide variety of color choices. The pattern template number of this best weapon skin has no effect on the skin’s finished appearance.
2. Best Pistol Skin CSGO – Desert Eagle | Emerald Jörmungandr
Overview
- Finish style: Anodized multicolored
- Release date: November 18, 2019
- Rarity: Restricted
- Price range: $163 – $178
- Available wear range: Factory new – Well-Worn
The Desert Eagle is a powerful and iconic pistol that’s hard to master. However, once you get the hang of it, it is surprisingly accurate, even when shooting at long range.
The Emerald Jörmungandr pistol skin was launched in November 2019 as part of the “Operation Shattered Web” CSGO update. Its characteristic green pattern depicts the World Serpent – Jörmungandr – a massively large and deadly sea serpent in Norse mythology.
The skin forms part of the widely popular Norse Collection and cannot be obtained by opening any CSGO containers. It is one of 337 other weapon skins in the collection with a rarity level of Restricted. While it is one of the more expensive skins in the CSGO community, it is available for purchase in several different markets.
3. Best Knife Skin CSGO – Bayonet | Urban Masked
Overview
- Finish style: Spray paint
- Release date: August 14, 2013
- Rarity: Covert
- Price range: $156 – $3,000
- Available wear range: Minimal-Wear – Battle-Scarred
The design of the bayonet has remained largely unchanged since World War II. It is a popular military weapon whose true power is harnessed through subtle attacks.
The Urban Masked Knife Skin was released in August 2013 in the “Arms Deal” update as part of the Revolver Case. It isn’t part of any collection and can be obtained through the CSGO Weapon Case, Case 2, Case 3, and eight other containers.
The Urban Masked skin has a Covert rarity and is one of 391 other knife skins available on CSGO. With a price range of $156 to $3,000, it is one of the more expensive items available on several different marketplaces.
Its visual appeal stems from its spray paint finish, which is done in several coats of gray over unique stencil patterns. Its pattern template value has a direct impact on its finished look.
4. Best SMG Skin CSGO – UMP-45 | Fade
Overview
- Finish style: Anodized airbrushed
- Release date: September 21, 2021
- Rarity: Classified
- Price range: $49 – $211
- Available wear range: Factory new – Minimal-Wear
The often underrated middle child of the submachine gun family, the only downside to the UMP-45 is its small magazine. Other than that, it is a powerful close-quarters weapon that has earned its badge of honor among other SMGs in its class.
The UMP-45 | Fade skin was released in September 2021 in the “Operation Riptide” update as part of the Rio Dust 2 Souvenir Collection. Its Classified rarity makes it a very rare drop, and with a price range of $49 to $211, it is also quite affordable. Fortunately, though, it is widely available on several different CSGO marketplaces.
The beauty of the UMP-45 | Fade skin lies in its anodized airbrushed finish. It is reminiscent of the candy-coat finish you get in freehand airbrushing. The pattern template index of this particular skin affects its overall look. It is certainly worth checking out.
5. Best Shotgun Skin CSGO – MAG-7 | Cinquedea
Overview
- Finish style: Gunsmith
- Release date: November 18, 2019
- Rarity: Classified
- Price range: $289 – $451
- Available wear range: Factory new – Battle-Scarred
MAG-7s is deadliest when used in close combat, especially when firing in confined spaces. They deliver devastating amounts of damage owing to their fast, magazine-type reloads.
The MAG-7 | Cinquedea is a great choice for your weapon skin. Something about the custom-painted exterior and patterned glass panels renders a dangerous feel to it. It’s the sort of weapon you wouldn’t like a T to sneak up with behind you.
The Cinquedea skin was released in November 2019 as part of the Canals Collection in the “Operation Shattered Web” update. It is not available in any CSGO container and can only be purchased through third-party marketplaces. With a rarity rating of Classified, this MAG-7 skin has an extremely low drop chance.
Moreover, with average prices ranging between $289 and $451, it is quite an expensive skin. That said, its gunsmith-style finish, the numerous custom paint colors it comes in, and its warm patina make it worth it. Pattern template values have no effect on its finish.
6. Best Machine Gun Skin CSGO – M249 | Gator Mesh
Overview
- Finish style: Spray-paint
- Release date: November 27, 2013
- Rarity: Industrial grade
- Price range: $0.06 – $241
- Available wear range: Factory new – Battle-Scarred
If you’re looking for a weapon with high ammunition capacity and accuracy but don’t mind having to contend with a slow firing rate, the M249 machine gun would be right at home in your CSGO inventory.
The Gator Mesh skin gives the M249 a rustic appeal, the kind you would expect from a spray-painted freehand finish using mesh fabric as your base stencil. This skin was released close to 10 years ago and is still widely popular in the CSGO gaming community. It is part of the Safehouse Collection and was launched along with the “Out with the old, in with the new” update.
It is available in the EMS One 2014 and the DreamHack 2013 Souvenir Packages and boasts a popularity rating of 85%. The Gator Mesh machine gun skin is one of 42 others and has an Industrial Grade rarity rating, making it quite common in the game.
With a price range of $0.06 – $241, most gamers consider it affordable. It is widely available for purchase on several CSGO marketplaces. Its primary color is made up of a green tint, and its pattern template value directly impacts its finished look.
7. Best Sniper Rifle Skin CSGO – G3SG1 | Chronos
Overview
- Finish style: Custom paint job
- Release date: May 26, 2015
- Rarity: Restricted
- Price range: $164 – $224
- Available wear range: Factory new – Well-Worn
The G3SG1 is known for its high fire rate compared to other sniper rifles in its class. This more than makes up for the lower speed of movement gamers have to contend with.
The G3SG1 | Chronos skin comprises hydrographic patterns in a wide array of psychedelic colors. Its visual appeal also stems from the heat transfer decals accentuating its appearance.
The Chronos skin was launched in May 2015 as part of the Gods and Monsters Collection in the “Hunter and the Hunted” update. It is, therefore, not available by opening any CSGO containers. Its rarity level is Restricted, making it a rather rare drop.
With a price range of $164 – $224, the G3SG1 | Chronos doesn’t come cheap. However, the fact that it is highly customizable in a wide range of colorful looks makes it worthwhile. Its pattern template value has no bearing on the skin’s finish.
Also read: Most Expensive CSGO Skin
A Guide to the Best Weapon Skins CSGO Has to Offer
When choosing the best skins for your weapon, there are some critical things you need to keep in mind. This guide explores everything you need to know.
How Wear Influences the Price of CSGO Weapon Skins
While many enjoy playing CSGO, the collectible aspect of the game is almost as popular as the game itself. Anytime you complete an official server match or move up to the next level, you’re presented with a unique opportunity to switch things up by dropping a skin case or the rookie weapon skin you started off with.
If you, like most of us in the CSGO gaming community, don’t subscribe to the idea of delayed gratification, you can always purchase skins in various conditions from third-party providers and other players.
Each skin is subject to a wear rating level, which influences its appearance and value on the market.
What Does a Skin’s Wear Level Mean?
The wear level of a particular CSGO weapon skin is a statistic that denotes its condition. It is represented in the form of a float value that runs on a scale of 0.0 to 1.0. The higher the float value, the more worn down the skin’s appearance will be.
Every time a skin is taken from a case or gets dropped, the game assigns it a random float value. This value directly affects the way it looks. Weapon skins with higher float values have less saturated and less visible decals and paintings.
It is worth noting that different skins simulate different ways of degradation. For instance, higher floats in Sawed-Off | Copper skin give it more patina. Many CSGO players generally prefer it in its maximum-worn condition as opposed to when it has minimal wear.
Weapon Skins Wear Levels
More often than not, higher wear levels translate to lower prices in CSGO community marketplaces. This isn’t a hard and fast rule, though. It fetches higher prices if the community deems a skin more attractive in its worn-down state rather than in its unsullied form.
Below is a breakdown of the various wear levels for CSGO weapon skins and what they mean in terms of float value, appearance, and price.
Factory new
This represents the skin design in its newest and purest form. Float values for factory new condition skins are typically in the range of 0.00 to 0.07. Depending on their rarity, skins that fall into this category can fetch exorbitant prices in the realm of a couple of hundred dollars. This is especially true for the covert variety. A StatTrak factory new M4A1-s | Printstream costs well over $850.
It is not unusual to come across float value maniacs who deal with skins that have micro floats, such as 0.00003, with equally abstract prices.
Minimal-Wear
This level represents a slightly more degraded level than factory new designs. Skins with minimal wear usually have a float value between 0.07 and 0.15. In some weapon skins, this level of wear is barely visible to the naked eye.
The market has a huge number of minimal-wear skins. They are marginally cheaper than their factory-new counterparts and are easier to get if you’re looking to save a couple of bucks.
Field-Tested
This is the level at which skin damage usually begins to show. We’re talking – about decal wear, painting desaturation, scratches, etc. Field-tested weapon skins have float values that fall in the 0.15 to 0.37 range.
Like minimal-wear designs, field-tested skins attract some of the most lucrative deals in CSGO community marketplaces. They offer the perfect balance of market volume, skin quality, and price.
Well-Worn
Well-worn weapon skins are considered the underdogs of the CSGO skin market. These have a float value that ranges between 0.37 and 0.44 and could be a hit or miss depending on how the game simulates their levels of degradation.
Some weapon skins look horrendous in their well-worn state, while others acquire a nice warm patina which enhances their aesthetic appeal the more beat-up they get. Others don’t look all that different from skins with lower floats.
For this reason, the prices for CSGO weapon skins with this wear level tend to be all over the spectrum. Some are dirt cheap, and others are almost as pricey as their factory-new counterparts.
Battle-Scarred
As the name suggests, battle-scarred weapon skins tend to be the most rugged of them all. Their float values range from 0.44 to 1.0. While a huge chunk of dropped skins happens to fall into this category, it doesn’t mean they’re worthless. However, they tend to be the cheapest of the bunch.
Some battle-scarred weapon skins, particularly the Covert and Classified variety, will cost you a pretty penny. For instance, an AWP | Gungnir skin will set you back a couple of thousand dollars even in its battle-scarred state.
Beyond the Grid
While the float value for different skin wear levels is fixed, it doesn’t mean they apply to all weapons. You might come across some weapons that don’t have factory-new or battle-scarred versions. For some, the only wear level they’ll ever have is field-tested, regardless of how new they are or how frequently they’ve been used in battle.
The UMP-45 | Grand Prix is a perfect example of this. This skin is only available in its field-tested version – no more, no less.
How to Check Your Skin’s Float Value
If you want to determine your weapon skin’s wear level, you must check your Steam market inventory. The wear level is usually listed in the item’s description, although it only displays the tier name (factory new, minimal-wear, field-tested, etc.). You will need to refer to third-party pages if you want to know the exact float stat.
Services like CSGO Stash usually list the general market prices for skins with different wear levels. You’ll be able to see their average prices based on wear level and whether or not it is a StatTrak™ skin. StatTrak is a technology embedded into the skin that tracks the number of kills a player makes in the game.
Alternatively, you could use a third-party site that provides a safe deposit for your skins. These sites have a feature that lets you calculate the skin’s float with an accuracy of multiple decimal places.
Keep in mind that float values are unchangeable. You can’t make it go up or down regardless of how rarely or frequently you use it. The game assigns a random float value to the weapon skin when it drops, and no player has any influence over what that number will be.
You can scratch weapon stickers to make them look worn. The same cannot be said for CSGO weapon skin wear levels – they stay the same forever.
If you prefer to retain the same skin, but with a lower float value, you would need to trade it in for a similar skin at the desired wear level and top up the difference with cash or other skins you may have in your inventory.
Types of CSGO Weapon Skins
CSGO has different categories of weapons skins, each with its own unique set of benefits. Below is an overview of the ones you’re likely to come across:
- StatTrack skins: As mentioned before, StatTrak skins have a built-in feature that tracks the number of kills a player makes in the course of the game. If you are a gamer who likes to compete with other players and compare scores, these skins would be a great addition to your inventory.
- Case-hardened skins: Case-hardened skin is a special variant of your run-of-the-mill CSGO skin model. The only difference is that it is treated with chemicals to generate a random pattern on the surface, making each design unique. These skins are highly coveted by collectors.
- Chroma skins: These come in various colors and allow gamers to customize how their weapons look based on their tastes. Some of the available chroma skins you’ll likely come across include Sapphire, Cobalt, Emerald, and Ruby.
- Classic skins: This collection comprises older-type weapon finishes from past CSGO titles. They allow gamers to relive some of their best memories from games they’ve played before.
- Souvenir skins: These skins usually drop during major tournament matches. They are also highly coveted by collectors because of how valuable and rare they are.
- Sticker skins: Popularly known as graffiti skins, these come in different designs, such as custom artwork, logos, and flags. You can apply them to your weapons to give them a one-of-a-kind look.
- Special edition skins: As the name suggests, these are exclusive skin designs available in limited quantities. You can only get them when you play the game in specific modes.
Keep in mind that, unlike StatTrak skins, normal skins don’t come with a kill counter. This makes them cost significantly less than their StatTrak counterparts.
How Wear Affects a Skin’s Finish Style
When choosing a weapon skin as a CSGO player, it’s important to understand how different weapon finish styles are affected by wear.
For instance, if you pick a skin that has been made using a “gunsmith” finish, the only visible sign of wear will be a slight darkening in high contact areas. This makes it more durable in wear conditions compared to other skins with other finish styles.
On the other hand, skins created using the “custom paint job” style are susceptible to deterioration at a faster rate as wear conditions get worse.
With that in mind, the prices of weapon skins created with resilient finish styles tend to be pricier than those made with other less-durable finishes.
Other Factors That Affect the Price of Weapon Skins
Aside from the float value, skin type, and weapon finish style, there are several other factors that affect the value of weapon skins. Here’s an overview of the main ones.
Pattern Template
In addition, to float values, weapon skins are also assigned a pattern template number. These values are allocated randomly and range between 0 and 999. The pattern template number determines the specific section of the design’s texture pattern that will be mounted on the weapon.
While some CSGO skins don’t show any apparent visual change despite varying pattern template numbers, some do display significant differences depending on the number selected. This is common in skins with larger texture patterns. Case-hardened skins are the most significant when it comes to differences in pattern templates.
Fade Pattern
Certain pattern template numbers are more sought-after than others because of their fade gradient. For instance, the AWP | Fade has been airbrushed using transparent paints that fade out over a chrome base color.
This fade pattern would fetch a significantly higher price compared to a skin whose fade pattern doesn’t cover the entire length of the weapon.
Presence of Stickers
The other thing you need to think about when choosing the best weapon skins for CSGO is the stickers applied to them. However, not every sticker applied to a weapon will automatically drive up its price. What matters most is the age of the sticker in question and how rare it is.
For instance, a weapon skin with logos and team autograph stickers from tournaments that happened a while ago when not as many people were playing CSGO would cost significantly more than a sticker no one really cares about.
It’s not just the skins with tournament stickers that would be in high demand, though. Stickers such as the Winged Defuser and the Harp of War Holo, which were both discontinued due to copyright issues, are also in high demand among collectors. Weapon skins with these rare stickers tend to be more expensive as well.
Trade-Up Possibility
A skin’s ability to be used in a trade-up contract also has a bearing on its price. If you have a skin that is considered rare because of its “Classified” or “Restricted” nature, and the case or collection it comes from only has one other rare option above it, you can use that skin in a trade-up agreement to increase your odds of getting the weapon you actually want.
There’s a lower chance of the deal going awry because the weapon in question only has one tier above it.
Discontinued Weapon Skins
If a specific skin gets removed from the game, its availability immediately becomes finite. As a result, gaming enthusiasts rush to buy it, subsequently driving up its demand and, by extension, its price.
Bottom Line
There you have it – the best weapons skins CSGO has to offer. The fact that CSGO uses various hierarchical tiers to denote the level of wear a particular skin has doesn’t mean there’s always a direct correlation between its visual appeal and market value.
For one thing, aesthetic impressions are purely subjective. An item’s rarity also determines its value based on the laws of supply and demand.
Compare your skin drops with the ones available in the Steam marketplace and third-party providers to get a sense of their value. In the meantime, don’t be afraid to play around with high-float skins as a CSGO player.
Does CSGO keep disconnecting your internet? Read about how to fix it.
