Nova | Rising Skull (Minimal Wear)

The Nova | Rising Skull (Minimal Wear) is a Restricted shotgun skin with a white body and a skull drawn in matte paints and oil-based marker. Minimal Wear keeps the pale base almost spotless while landing a step below Factory New on price.

Design

The look is stark and gothic: a hand-drawn skull in matte paints and oil-based marker set against a white finish, all contrast and no clutter. It's a community piece by the artist UFOsAreReal, and it carries a slice of lore in its in-game line — "Mr. Izaki, I'm not complaining... but how many shotguns do you need? - Imogen and The Oni, Part 1."

Nova | Rising Skull (Minimal Wear) Float and Wear

With the finish capped between float 0.00 and 0.50, Minimal Wear falls just above the Factory New band. At this grade the wear is limited to the faintest edge marks, and the white base stays bright enough that the skull artwork still reads sharply. It's the pick for near-top condition without paying the Factory New premium.

Nova | Rising Skull Rarity

Rarity: Restricted. That's the pink tier, ranked mid-to-upper among the standard weapon grades — an uncommon pull that sits well above the common blue and light-blue rarities.

Nova | Rising Skull Case and Collection

Part of The Winter Offensive Collection, the finish comes out of the Winter Offensive Weapon Case, which launched with the Winter Offensive update in December 2013. The Restricted tier drops at about 15.98% from the case (a rate shared across the tier). Being one of the game's older cases, its supply is capped, so copies mostly circulate on the market.

Nova | Rising Skull Patterns

There's no random roll on this finish — the skull lands identically on the white base of every copy, so no paint seed or blue-gem variant is worth seeking out. The only meaningful differences between copies come down to their wear grade and float value.

StatTrak & Souvenir

There's a StatTrak edition of this Nova, unboxed from the Winter Offensive Weapon Case with a confirmed-kill counter attached; it's a scarcer, costlier drop than the plain finish, and its counter is permanent, staying with the item through trades and sales. No Souvenir version exists, because Souvenir weapons are handed out only through Major-tournament packages and this case was never one.

Nova | Rising Skull Price

Minimal Wear sits just under Factory New on the finish's ladder — a small saving for a nearly identical look, which makes it a smart middle choice. It stays a premium Nova without reaching the priciest end. It's available to buy on Skin.Land with instant delivery and no hidden fees.

FAQ

How different is Minimal Wear from Factory New?

Barely different to the eye. Minimal Wear shows only the lightest edge marks, and the white base stays bright, so most players can't tell the two grades apart in-game. The gap is really about price — Minimal Wear costs a bit less while keeping essentially the same stark skull look.

Is Rising Skull a premium Nova?

Yes, it sits in the premium tier of the Nova lineup, though Minimal Wear softens that by trimming the Factory New rate. You get the full white-and-skull design and near-top condition for a little less, a fair trade if you want the gothic look without paying the very top price.

Does the StatTrak Rising Skull cost more?

Yes. The StatTrak edition drops more rarely from the Winter Offensive Weapon Case, so it commands a premium over the standard finish. It adds a confirmed-kill counter that never gets wiped through trades or sales. There's no Souvenir version, as those only come from Major-tournament packages.