Nova | Mandrel

Origin Story

The Nova Mandrel, released on September 1, 2018, was introduced as part of The 2018 Nuke Collection alongside the FACEIT 2018 Major. Its design features a grayscale hydrographic pattern of interweaving pipes, creating an industrial, technical appearance. This skin is characterized by its utilitarian aesthetic, with a dense, interlocking pipe motif that is most visible along the main body and receiver. As a Consumer Grade item, it functions primarily as a budget-friendly option for players or for completing Nuke-themed souvenir collections.

Drop Chance

Nova | Mandrel is Consumer Grade, the most common drop tier in CS2. It has appeared across 11 tournament packages, most recently the Rio 2022 Nuke Souvenir Package, Shanghai 2024 Nuke Souvenir Package, and Stockholm 2021 Nuke Souvenir Package.


Souvenir Packages are awarded to viewers watching live Major matches on the corresponding map, not opened from cases, so Valve doesn't publish per-skin drop odds. Each package contains one item from The 2018 Nuke Collection, with rarity tiers drawn on a weighted system that heavily favors common grades, meaning Consumer Grade skins like Mandrel are a small fraction of total package contents. There are 4 other Consumer Grade skins in the collection competing for the same drop slot. New copies only enter the market when a recipient chooses to open their package, so supply trickles in over time even after the tournament ends.

Skin Condition

Float range 0 to 0.5. Exteriors: Factory New, Minimal Wear, Field-Tested, Well-Worn. StatTrak is not available for this skin.

• Factory New ($0.08): The grayscale pipe network is crisp and continuous across the Nova, showing no visible wear on the barrel or pump.
• Minimal Wear ($0.04): Very light edge wear appears on the front barrel and pump edges, but the pipe pattern remains nearly pristine.
• Field-Tested ($0.03): Noticeable chipping begins on the muzzle and leading edges of the pump, with fine scratches visible on the lighter gray tones.
• Well-Worn ($0.03): Extensive wear appears along the barrel, pump, and stock edges, with broader areas of the base material exposed and the pipe pattern looking worn in high-contact areas.

Model

Mandrel uses the legacy Nova model, introduced with FACEIT 2018 – Ways to Watch on September 1, 2018. The inspect animation and third-person appearance match the original CS:GO version.

How to Obtain

The Nova | Mandrel is exclusively available as a Souvenir item, originating from various Nuke-themed Souvenir Packages. These packages, such as the Antwerp 2022 Nuke Souvenir Package, Berlin 2019 Nuke Souvenir Package, and Paris 2023 Nuke Souvenir Package, were awarded to viewers during Major tournaments when matches were played on the Nuke map. Since these tournaments have concluded, new packages are no longer distributed. Players can acquire this skin by purchasing existing copies on the Steam Community Market, third-party marketplaces, or through case-opening and skin trading sites.

Price Range

Nova | Mandrel ranges from $0.04 (Battle-Scarred) to $0.08 (Factory New). Field-Tested copies sit at $0.03.


The current 7-day median is $0.03. The 90-day median is $0.03. The all-time median is $0.03. Volume averages 103 trades per day.

Visual Theme

Hydrographic: A grayscale hydrographic pattern of interweaving pipes has been applied. This pattern features varying tones of light gray, mid gray, and dark charcoal gray. The most visible element in first-person is the cluster of overlapping pipe shapes along the main body and receiver of the Nova. Visually, it fits among industrial or technical-themed Nuke skins which lean into cold, utilitarian designs.

Player Rating

Rating: N/A / 5
Votes: 0

Sticker Compatibility

The Nova | Mandrel, with its neutral grayscale palette, pairs well with monochrome, black, or white stickers that complement its industrial aesthetic. Yellow or green Nuke-themed stickers also stand out against the gray base, aligning with the skin's collection identity. The most visible sticker positions in first-person are typically on the receiver/body and near the pump/fore-end area.