P250 | Cartel

Origin Story

The P250 | Cartel, released on November 11, 2014, as part of The Vanguard Collection, is celebrated for its intricate engraved design. This Classified pistol features a detailed motif of skeletons, flowers, and serpents, giving it a distinctive tattoo-like appearance. It is often grouped with other Cartel skins, forming a cohesive set for themed inventories. The skin is recognized as a clean, tasteful engraved P250 that works well for crafts and inventory themes.

Drop Chance

P250 | Cartel is Classified, a Pink-tier skin, rare with strong collector demand. From the Operation Vanguard Weapon Case: approximately 1.07% per opening (roughly 1 in 94). The 3.2% Classified tier rate is split across 3 Classified skins in the case. StatTrak versions drop at ~0.11% from the Operation Vanguard Weapon Case (about 1 in 937). These per-skin odds assume equal weighting within tier — Valve publishes tier rates but doesn't formally confirm even distribution across skins in a tier.

Skin Condition

Float range 0 to 0.75. Exteriors: Factory New, Minimal Wear, Field-Tested, Well-Worn, Battle-Scarred. StatTrak is available in FN, MW, FT, WW, BS.

• Factory New ($61.91): The metal appears clean and relatively bright, with a subtle patina and crisp, high-contrast engraved skeleton, flower, and serpent lines.
• Minimal Wear ($15.55): The engraving remains sharp, with only light surface wear at extreme edges and the muzzle, making it visually very close to Factory New.
• Field-Tested ($11.66): The patina becomes noticeably darker and duller, especially on the slide and frame, though the engraving remains fully visible with reduced contrast.
• Well-Worn ($13.35): The overall metal is darker and more aged, showing more extensive wear along the slide, muzzle, and grip edges, giving it a heavily used, antique feel.
• Battle-Scarred ($11.80): The patina is at its darkest and dullest, with large areas appearing heavily worn, but the engraved motifs remain present and distinguishable.

Model

Cartel uses the legacy P250 model, introduced with Operation Vanguard on November 11, 2014. The inspect animation and third-person appearance match the original CS:GO version.

How to Obtain

The P250 | Cartel is primarily obtained by opening the Operation Vanguard Weapon Case. Since this is a Classified-grade skin, it can also be acquired through trade-up contracts using ten lower-rarity skins from The Vanguard Collection. A StatTrak version is also available for kill tracking. For direct purchase, players can find this skin on the Steam Community Market, third-party marketplaces, or various case-opening and skin-trading sites.

Price Range

P250 | Cartel ranges from $11.80 (Battle-Scarred) to $61.91 (Factory New). Field-Tested copies sit at $11.66. StatTrak versions carry a premium at every wear tier.


The current 7-day median is $13.23. The 90-day median is $12.20. The all-time median is $2.61. Volume averages 13 trades per day.

Visual Theme

Patina: It has been engraved with skeletons, flowers and serpents. The P250 | Cartel features a dark bronze-brown metal with a worn patina and lighter highlights from the engraved lines. In first-person, the detailed engraving of skeletons, flowers, and serpents is clearly visible on the side of the slide and frame. This skin is often mentioned alongside other Cartel skins as part of a cohesive "Cartel set" for themed inventories.

Player Rating

Rating: 4.83 / 5
Votes: 3

Sticker Compatibility

The P250 | Cartel's dark bronze patina and intricate engraving provide an excellent canvas for stickers. Gold, foil, and metallic stickers complement its "Cartel luxury" aesthetic, while neutral or white stickers allow the detailed design to remain prominent. Muted reds or deep greens can also enhance its "Day of the Dead" or tattoo-like feel.