M249 | Nebula Crusader (Field-Tested)

Skin overview

Nebula Crusader is easy to spot by its mix of red furniture, navy body and a colourful printed magazine that looks like a retro game box. Field-Tested copies show scuffs on edges and corners, but the title lettering and the main characters are still clearly recognisable. For a gun that is mostly seen from behind the sights, this grade keeps the theme readable without the cost of a clean copy.

Item type: machinegun. Restricted sits in the middle of the rarity scale: noticeably rarer than Mil-Spec, yet not truly rare.

Gunsmith: several techniques combined on one item; some parts rub off, others only dull.

Appearance in Field-Tested

The receiver is dark navy with a cabinet-style art panel carrying yellow title lettering, a green figure and a round orange emblem. The box magazine is the centrepiece, painted like a game cover with a red-haired pilot portrait, bold yellow and orange text and a glossy, slightly iridescent sheen.

Scuffs become visible on the magazine box corners, the receiver edges and the red stock, with some fine scratches across the printed panels. The title lettering and character art are still clear on the main surfaces. In game the gun keeps its bright arcade look, and the wear shows mainly when inspecting up close.

Field-Tested quality — float range 0.15–0.38

The float of M249 | Nebula Crusader ranges from 0 to 1; the Field-Tested quality covers 0.15–0.38 — 23% of this skin’s scale. Within the range, copies with a lower float look cleaner and are valued higher.

Where the skin comes from: collection and case

M249 | Nebula Crusader belongs to The Shadow Collection, which holds 16 skins.

It drops from Shadow Case (on sale since Sep 15, 2015).

Price by quality

Compared with the Field-Tested quality, the others go like this:

• Factory New — 5.9× dearer
• Minimal Wear — 2× dearer
• Well-Worn — 8% cheaper
• Battle-Scarred — 9% cheaper

The comparison uses our cheapest listing of each quality; where there is none, the market reference.

By price this skin is 2nd of 4 skins Restricted M249 in this quality (the first being the dearest).

StatTrak™ and Souvenir

This skin has a the StatTrak™ version with a kill counter. Right now it is 2.5× dearer than the regular one. There is also a the Souvenir version with tournament stickers.

Stickers and crafts

Retro, pixel-style or comic stickers fit the arcade cabinet theme best. Yellow, red and orange accents echo the title lettering, and placing them on the dark receiver area away from the art panel keeps the main graphic readable.

What to look at before you buy

• Check the magazine box in inspect, since its corners and printed cover show wear before other parts.
• Look at where the float sits within the wear grade, as copies near the cleaner end keep the lettering noticeably sharper.
• Make sure any applied stickers do not cover the receiver art panel if you want the arcade theme to stay visible.
• If a name tag or StatTrak counter matters to you, confirm it on the specific copy before buying.

Who should buy Field-Tested

• Players who use the M249 casually and want the arcade theme to stay readable.
• Buyers looking for the most practical everyday grade.
• A good middle option for regular play.