M249 | Nebula Crusader (Well-Worn)

Skin overview

This M249 finish is built around arcade cabinet art, and in Well-Worn the paint looks like a machine that has stood in a busy hall for years. Patches of the print on the magazine box and receiver have faded or rubbed through, while the red and blue base colours still hold the overall scheme together. It suits players who like a used, lived-in look on a loud design.

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 Well-Worn

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.

The print on the magazine box and receiver panel is faded and rubbed through in patches, and parts of the lettering lose their outline. The red stock shows grey areas along its edges. In game the overall red-and-blue scheme still reads, but the details of the artwork are noticeably duller.

Well-Worn wear: float 0.38–0.45

The float of M249 | Nebula Crusader ranges from 0 to 1; the Well-Worn quality covers 0.38–0.45 — 7% 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 Well-Worn quality, the others go like this:

• Factory New — 6.4× dearer
• Minimal Wear — 2.1× dearer
• Field-Tested — 10% dearer
• Battle-Scarred — 1% cheaper

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

Among 4 skins of the M249 in the Restricted grade and this quality, this skin ranks 2nd by price, counting from the dearest.

StatTrak™ and Souvenir

This skin has a the StatTrak™ version with a kill counter. Right now it is 2.4× dearer than the regular one. There is also a the Souvenir version with tournament stickers.

Which stickers suit it

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 the Well-Worn quality suits

• Budget buyers who like the design and do not mind faded print.
• Fans of a used, arcade-hall look on their weapons.
• An affordable way to get the theme with visible character.