The best Nova skins in CS2 for looks per dollar are Nova | Hyper Beast from $9, Nova | Antique from $9, Nova | Koi at around $2, and Nova | Toy Soldier and Nova | Plume, both under a dollar in worn condition. These are starting prices: the cost depends on wear (float) and StatTrak. Below, each skin is covered with its design, case, available wears and price on LIS-SKINS.
The Nova is available to both Counter-Terrorists and Terrorists. This pump-action shotgun is cheaper than its alternatives, has a tight spread and works well at close range, especially against unarmored opponents. In Competitive and Premier it often pays off on eco and force-buy rounds, so a Nova skin makes sense even if you only pick it up now and then. For a wider selection, see the guide to the best shotgun skins in CS2.
Nova Plume
If you like skins with unusual textures, Nova Plume fits the bill. Most of the shotgun body is covered with a bird feather design in several shades of brown, which makes the pattern look like wood carving. It comes from the Shattered Web Case, exists in all five wears from Factory New to Battle-Scarred, and costs under a dollar in Field-Tested and about $3 in Factory New.
Nova Antique
If you see a skin as more than decoration, take a look at Nova Antique. It is a Classified skin from the Operation Phoenix Weapon Case, added in 2014. The vintage design features gold botanical engraving on the stock, wood furniture and a patina on the metal parts. It exists only in Factory New, Minimal Wear and Field-Tested, so even the cheapest copy looks clean. The regular version costs about $9 to $10, StatTrak starts around $15.
Nova Hyper Beast
For fans of monster-themed skins, Nova Hyper Beast has no real competition. The bright psychedelic colors and detailed artwork make it unmistakable, and the toothy jaw along the barrel looks properly menacing. It dropped in the Operation Wildfire Case in 2016, and the Hyper Beast design also exists for other guns. All five wears are available: from $9 in worn condition to about $25 in Factory New, while a StatTrak Factory New costs around $75.
Nova Koi (Koi Carp)
For fans of bright color combinations there are cheaper options too, such as Nova Koi from the Operation Breakout Weapon Case, added back in 2014. The whole shotgun is covered with a koi scale pattern in white, black and orange. Koi exists only from Factory New to Field-Tested, so finding a good-looking copy is easy, and any of them costs about $2.
Nova Toy Soldier
Some skins win people over with simplicity rather than detail, and Nova Toy Soldier is clearly one of them. The shotgun is painted bright green, with a raised five-pointed star on the stock that looks molded into plastic. It comes from the Horizon Case; worn copies cost under a dollar and Factory New about $10. The evenly painted surface is a great backdrop for stickers, especially in matching colors, such as Green’s Problem, Nuke Beast or Salute, each under a dollar.
If you are curious which shotgun skins were popular before, check the roundup of the most popular shotgun skins in CS:GO.
