Nova | Antique (Minimal Wear)

Skin overview

The recognisable parts of Antique are the gold-trimmed pump with its ribbed wood pattern and the glossy orange-red stock against a dark, rust-flecked receiver. In Minimal Wear the finish keeps nearly all of that contrast, with only small marks that are hard to spot outside the inspect view. It is the grade for buyers who want an almost clean look without paying for the top condition.

Item type: shotgun. Classified is the second-rarest weapon tier, only Covert sits above it.

Custom Paint Job: hand-painted across the whole body; this is the type where wear shows most, the artwork rubs down to metal.

Other qualities of this skin: Factory New and Field-Tested.

Appearance in Minimal Wear

The barrel and receiver are painted dark gunmetal with a mottled brown, rust-like patina that gives the metal an aged look. The pump forend is the centrepiece: a red-brown wood surface covered in fine curved engraved lines, framed by bright gold inlay at both ends.

Small scuffs may appear on the gold trim at the front and rear of the forend and on the edges of the butt inlay. The wood pattern on the pump and the stock remains whole, and the receiver edges stay mostly clean. At normal distance in game it is hard to tell apart from Factory New. Most of the gloss and contrast of the finish are preserved.

Minimal Wear wear: float 0.07–0.15

The whole float range of Nova | Antique is 0–0.3; Minimal Wear takes the 0.07–0.15 segment (27% of the scale). Within the range, copies with a lower float look cleaner and are valued higher.

Origin of the skin

The skin’s collection is The Phoenix Collection with 13 skins in total.

The source is Operation Phoenix Weapon Case (on sale since Feb 19, 2014).

What it costs in each quality

Among 3 skins of the Nova in the Classified grade and this quality, this skin is the most affordable.

StatTrak™ and Souvenir

There is also a the StatTrak™ version: the counter on the weapon tracks kills. Right now it is 1.6× dearer than the regular one. There is also a the Souvenir version with tournament stickers.

Which stickers suit it

Gold, brown and dark red stickers match the wood and inlay theme, and holo or gold variants echo the trim on the forend. Placing them on the dark receiver keeps the engraved forend and the stock uncovered.

What to look at before you buy

• Check where the float sits within the wear range, since the gold trim on the forend shows the difference first.
• Inspect the butt inlay and the receiver edges for missing paint on Field-Tested copies.
• Look at existing stickers and name tags, because they change how the forend and receiver read.
• Do not mistake the brown spots on the barrel for wear, as they are part of the artwork.

Who the Minimal Wear quality suits

• Players who want a near-clean look in game.
• Buyers who prefer to save compared with Factory New without visible loss.
• A balanced choice between appearance and cost.