Nova | Koi (Minimal Wear)

Skin overview

This Nova pairs a dark front end with a koi-coloured rear half: red and cream scales on the stock and spotted cream and red markings on the receiver. Minimal Wear keeps the colour contrast almost intact, with only light scuffs that are hard to notice without zooming in. It is the grade where the look stays nearly clean while the cost of entry is usually lower than Factory New.

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

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

How the skin looks in Minimal Wear

The barrel, magazine tube and ribbed pump are finished in dark grey and black with a faint mottled texture. The receiver switches to a cream base broken by red and black blotches, resembling the markings of a koi fish.

Small scuffs may appear on the edges of the receiver and the lower curve of the stock, mostly on the cream areas. The red and the scale outlines remain sharp almost everywhere. In game at normal distance the skin looks practically the same as Factory New. The dark barrel and pump hide light wear well.

Minimal Wear quality — float range 0.07–0.15

The float of Nova | Koi ranges from 0 to 0.3; the Minimal Wear quality covers 0.07–0.15 — 27% 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

Nova | Koi belongs to The Breakout Collection, which holds 14 skins.

The source is Operation Breakout Weapon Case (on sale since Jun 23, 2014).

Price by quality

Taking Minimal Wear as the baseline:

• Factory New — 23% dearer
• Field-Tested — about the same

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

By price this skin is 10th of 13 skins Restricted Nova in this quality (the first being the dearest).

StatTrak™ and Souvenir

There is also a the StatTrak™ version: the counter on the weapon tracks kills. Right now it is 10% cheaper than the regular one. There is also a the Souvenir version with tournament stickers.

Stickers and crafts

Red, black and cream stickers match the koi colouring and blend into the receiver. Gold or white stickers work well on the dark barrel area, where they contrast without clashing with the pattern.

What to look at before you buy

• Check where the float sits in the range, since the cream areas show scratches before the red does.
• Look at the receiver edges and the underside of the stock, as these parts wear first.
• Check applied stickers and any name tag, which can change how the receiver looks.
• Compare StatTrak™ and Souvenir offers if you prefer a specific version of this skin.

Who should buy Minimal Wear

• Players who want a nearly clean look without paying for Factory New.
• Sticker crafters for whom tiny scuffs do not matter.
• A balanced option between appearance and cost.