Souvenir AK-47 | Cartel (Battle-Scarred)

Skin overview

Battle-Scarred Cartel looks like an old engraved rifle that has seen heavy use. Much of the metal is worn to a lighter, uneven tone, and the ornament survives mostly as traces in the deeper areas. For players who like a rough, aged look this is the most weathered version of the finish.

Item type: rifle. The weapon is available only on the Terrorist side. Classified is the second-rarest weapon tier, only Covert sits above it.

Patina: an aged metal surface; wear is part of the design, so the gap between qualities is less visible.

Other qualities of this skin: Factory New, Minimal Wear, Field-Tested and Well-Worn. The same quality also exists as the StatTrak™ version.

How the skin looks in Battle-Scarred

The receiver, dust cover and barrel area are finished in dark gunmetal with a fine engraved ornament of skeletons, flowers and serpents. The curved magazine carries the same dark engraved pattern along its length.

Most of the metal surfaces are rubbed to a light, uneven tone, with the dark coating left in patches and in the engraved lines. The magazine and receiver show the heaviest wear, especially on all edges. The wood is dull but keeps its colour and grain. In game the rifle reads as an aged, weathered AK with warm wooden parts.

Battle-Scarred quality — float range 0.45–0.75

The float of Souvenir AK-47 | Cartel ranges from 0 to 0.75; the Battle-Scarred quality covers 0.45–0.75 — 40% 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 Chroma Collection with 14 skins in total.

It drops from Chroma Case (on sale since Jan 8, 2015).

Souvenir version

This is the Souvenir version: such copies dropped to tournament viewers in souvenir packages; the team stickers and signatures on them cannot be removed or chosen. Souvenir items never carry StatTrak™. There is also the regular version without tournament stickers.

Stickers and crafts

Gold, bronze and muted red stickers suit the dark engraved metal and warm wood. Placing them on the receiver above the magazine keeps them readable against the dark background, while busy multicolour stickers tend to compete with the ornament.

What to check before buying

• Check where the float sits within the wear grade, since lower values keep the dark coating on the edges noticeably longer.
• Inspect the receiver corners, muzzle and magazine base, as these lose the dark finish first.
• Look at how clearly the engraving reads on the receiver and magazine in the inspect view.
• Check applied stickers and the name tag, as they change how the dark receiver and wood combination looks.

Who the Battle-Scarred quality suits

• Entry-level buyers looking for the lowest-cost version of the skin.
• Fans of a rough, heavily weathered look on a wooden AK.
• Conclusion: the budget pick for those who like a worn rifle.