Nova | Quick Sand (Minimal Wear)

Skin overview

The skin pairs warm sand colours with streaks of teal blue, which gives the Nova a desert camouflage feel with a cool accent. In Minimal Wear the difference from a fresh copy is limited to faint marks that are hard to spot outside close inspection. It keeps nearly the full look of the cleanest grade while usually being the more relaxed choice.

Item type: shotgun. Mil-Spec Grade is the lowest rarity found in cases and the most common one among them.

Hydrographic: the pattern is applied as a film over the metal; wear rubs it down to the base, starting with raised parts.

The remaining qualities of this skin: Factory New, Field-Tested, Well-Worn and Battle-Scarred.

Appearance in Minimal Wear

The stock and receiver are covered in a hydrographic pattern of sand, light tan and orange-brown tones cut through by flowing teal blue streaks, with curved bands that resemble swirling grain. The ribbed pump fore-end carries the lighter beige part of the pattern, so its grooves stand out clearly.

Light marks may appear on the muzzle tip and the sharpest edges of the receiver. The pattern on the stock and the ribs of the pump remains intact. At normal distance in game the skin is practically indistinguishable from Factory New. The colours and the barrel coat look clean overall.

Minimal Wear wear: float 0.07–0.15

The float of Nova | Quick Sand ranges from 0 to 0.5; the Minimal Wear quality covers 0.07–0.15 — 16% of this skin’s scale. The lower the float within the range, the cleaner the surface looks and the higher a copy is usually priced.

Where the skin comes from: collection and case

The skin’s collection is The 2021 Dust 2 Collection with 19 skins in total.

It drops from:

• Antwerp 2022 Dust II Souvenir Package
• Austin 2025 Dust II Souvenir Highlight Package
• Austin 2025 Dust II Souvenir Package
• Budapest 2025 Dust II Souvenir Highlight Package
• Budapest 2025 Dust II Souvenir Package
• Rio 2022 Dust II Souvenir Package

And 2 more — souvenir packages and other sources.

Price by quality

Among 14 skins of the Nova in the Mil-Spec Grade grade and this quality, this skin ranks 3rd by price, counting from the dearest.

Souvenir version

There is also a the Souvenir version with tournament stickers.

Which stickers suit it

Stickers in teal, navy or sand tones blend with the hydrographic pattern, while a warm orange accent echoes the brown bands on the stock. Placing stickers on the receiver keeps them close to the busiest part of the pattern, and the dark blue barrel works as a calm backdrop for a single bright sticker.

What to check before buying

• Check where the float sits within the wear range, since copies near the top of a grade look noticeably cleaner on the muzzle and pump ribs.
• Inspect the ribbed pump fore-end and the muzzle, as these show wear first on this finish.
• Souvenir copies exist and come with stickers already applied, so check whether you want that version.
• Look at any stickers or name tag on the item and decide whether they suit the tan and blue palette.

Who the Minimal Wear quality suits

• Players who want an almost spotless look without chasing the top grade.
• Crafters for whom a faint mark on the muzzle does not matter.
• A sensible balance between a clean look and a relaxed choice.