The AK-47 is the terrorists' core assault rifle and one of the most recognizable weapons in CS2, and its skins span the game's entire price range as a result: from a few cents for Uncharted to $15,000+ for Wild Lotus Factory New. AK-47 has more than 60 finishes, and this tier list ranks them by market logic rather than looks: price ceiling, entry price, and liquidity, the same approach we used in our AWP tier list. Case Hardened makes the point especially well: its base price is modest, but it holds the single highest price ceiling on this list thanks to the pattern lottery behind it. Below, 20 notable AK-47 finishes sorted into tiers: how they look, where they came from, which wears exist, and what they cost right now.
How the Tiers Work
This ranks finishes, not the rifle itself: every player has the same AK-47, but there are more than sixty paint jobs for it, and the market prices them very differently. Tier here isn't a ranking by one single number like the Factory New price — it's a combination of entry price and ceiling, status and recognition, how scarce the source is, and collector value. Fire Serpent and X-Ray make the point well: at Factory New they cost almost the same ($2,330 and $2,380), yet Fire Serpent sits in S-tier and X-Ray in A. Fire Serpent has the higher entry price ($500 versus $340 for Battle-Scarred), and it's one of the most recognizable classic AK-47 finishes with a long-standing grail reputation, while X-Ray is a much newer 2020 finish without that history. Case Hardened follows similar logic: its Factory New base price is modest, around $390, but the rare-pattern lottery creates a collector ceiling orders of magnitude higher — that's what keeps it in S-tier rather than A. This is an editorial cut based on market data, not a rigid formula; the real market doesn't reduce to one variable. S-tier is the finishes where price, status, and scarcity line up at once; C-tier is the cheapest entry. All prices below are starting prices, "from" the cheapest available wear.
Fire Serpent — S-Tier
AK-47 | Fire Serpent is green, not red, despite the name: dragon-serpent scales in green with gold-orange accents cover the receiver and magazine over a dark wood stock. It's one of the most recognizable classic AK-47 finishes, from the Operation Bravo Case back in 2013. This case, like most older ones, no longer sits in the weekly free-drop pool, but a copy bought on the market still opens with a key, so new copies keep trickling in even though most of the volume trading now is a resale.
Rarity is Covert, a StatTrak version exists, and all five wears are available. Float runs from 0.06 to 0.76. Prices start around $500 for Battle-Scarred and reach about $2,330 Factory New — the old case's limited supply has kept this one priced high for years.
Case Hardened — S-Tier
AK-47 | Case Hardened is a blue-purple oxidized patina over metal with a wood stock and gold-toned parts, from the very first case in the game, the CS:GO Weapon Case (2013) — it too no longer sits in the weekly free-drop pool, but it still opens with a key. This is a classic pattern-index skin: the exact color distribution on any given copy is set by a numeric pattern, and the price spread within this one model is the widest in the game. The rarest "blue gem" patterns, with the most blue coverage, sell far beyond the ordinary market: in June 2024, pattern #661 in a StatTrak Factory New copy sold for over $1 million.
Rarity is Classified, StatTrak exists, and all five wears are available. An ordinary copy without a prized pattern costs far less: from $160 for Battle-Scarred to $390 Factory New, but the chance of pulling a rare pattern is what makes this a lottery with the highest ceiling in the roundup.
Wild Lotus — S-Tier
AK-47 | Wild Lotus is one of the priciest standard AK-47 skins on the market (setting aside Case Hardened's rare patterns): a green base covered in bright pink and red lotus flowers with gold vine accents. It never came from a case: the finish belongs to The St. Marc Collection, added with Operation Shattered Web in November 2019, and was earned through that operation's reward system: pass holders earned stars by completing missions, and progress through those stars unlocked weapon drops from its new collections, St. Marc included. The operation closed in March 2020, and that direct source no longer works, but a trade-up contract here isn't a gamble — it's a working source of new copies: ten copies of MP9 | Wild Lily, the only Classified item in The St. Marc Collection, are guaranteed to produce Wild Lotus, since it's the collection's only Covert skin.
Rarity is Covert, there's no StatTrak version, and all five wears are available. Float runs from 0 to 1. Prices start around $3,700 for Battle-Scarred and reach $15,370 Factory New — a rare origin and limited new supply keep this one of the priciest standard finishes on the model.
X-Ray — A-Tier
AK-47 | X-Ray is a translucent red-gold metallic finish with an x-ray-style imprint of the rifle's internal skeleton. Like Wild Lotus, it never had a case: it belongs to The Havoc Collection, added with Operation Broken Fang in December 2020, and was earned through the operation's star system — players earned mission stars and spent them in the operation's reward shop on items from the collection. The direct drop through the operation is closed, but new copies can still appear through a trade-up contract: ten Classified-rarity skins from The Havoc Collection (MAC-10 | Hot Snakes or AWP | Silk Tiger, in any combination) still let you reliably get X-Ray, since it's the collection's only Covert skin.
Rarity is Covert, there's no StatTrak version, and all five wears are available. Float runs from 0 to 1. Prices start around $340 for Battle-Scarred and reach about $2,380 Factory New.
Vulcan — A-Tier
AK-47 | Vulcan is a silver-and-black metallic finish with bright blue accents and a laser-etched tech pattern. It drops from the Huntsman Weapon Case, released in May 2014 — one of the oldest cases in the game, still openable with a key even though it's long gone from the active drop pool.
Rarity is Covert, StatTrak exists, and all five wears are available. Float runs from 0 to 0.9. Prices run from $100 for Battle-Scarred to $590 Factory New.
Asiimov — A-Tier
AK-47 | Asiimov is a white, orange, and black futuristic design, one of the most recognizable skin lines in CS2 across several weapons. For the AK-47 it drops from the Danger Zone Case, released in December 2018. Currently this case no longer sits in the weekly free-drop pool, but a purchased copy still opens with a key, so fresh copies keep reaching the market.
Rarity is Covert, StatTrak exists, and all five wears are available. Float runs from 0.05 to 0.7. Prices run from $40 for Battle-Scarred to $260 Factory New.
Jaguar — A-Tier
AK-47 | Jaguar is a green-and-brown jungle camo with a jaguar-spot pattern over a wood stock. It's from the eSports 2014 Summer Case, released in July 2014; the case has long been out of the active drop pool, but old copies still open with a key.
Rarity is Covert, StatTrak exists, and all five wears are available. Float runs from 0 to 1. Prices run from $70 for Battle-Scarred to $450 Factory New.
Wasteland Rebel — A-Tier
AK-47 | Wasteland Rebel is a dark wood stock with white Arabic-style calligraphy and a bird silhouette over rust-brown metal, styled like a wasteland rebel poster. It's from the Operation Vanguard Weapon Case, released in November 2014 alongside the operation of the same name; the operation is long closed and the case is out of the weekly free-drop pool, but a purchased copy still opens with a key, so new copies of the skin keep appearing.
Rarity is Covert, StatTrak exists, and all five wears are available. Float runs from 0.05 to 0.7. Prices run from $80 for Battle-Scarred to $360 Factory New.
The Empress — A-Tier
AK-47 | The Empress is a red-and-gold pattern with a checkered motif and heraldic accents on the receiver — a genuinely regal look. It's from the Spectrum 2 Case, released in September 2017. Currently the case no longer sits in the weekly free-drop pool, but a purchased copy still opens with a key.
Rarity is Covert, StatTrak exists, and all five wears are available. Float runs from 0 to 1. Prices run from $100 for Battle-Scarred to $200 Factory New.
Bloodsport — B-Tier
AK-47 | Bloodsport is a dark base with red-and-white sticker-bomb-style graffiti and blue accents on the barrel. It's from the Spectrum Case, released in March 2017. Currently the case no longer sits in the weekly free-drop pool, but a purchased copy still opens with a key.
Rarity is Covert, and StatTrak exists. Bloodsport has no Battle-Scarred: only four wears exist, from Factory New down to Well-Worn, with a narrow float range of 0 to 0.45, so even the roughest copy still looks fairly clean. Prices run from $110 for Well-Worn to $155 Factory New.
Neon Rider — B-Tier
AK-47 | Neon Rider is neon graffiti art in pink and teal tones. It's from the Horizon Case, released in August 2018. Currently the case no longer sits in the weekly free-drop pool, but a purchased copy still opens with a key.
Rarity is Covert, StatTrak exists, and all five wears are available. Float runs from 0 to 0.8. Prices run from $40 for Battle-Scarred to $175 Factory New.
Inheritance — B-Tier
AK-47 | Inheritance is a cream porcelain body with a dark blue floral pattern and gold accents, drawing on traditional Chinese porcelain painting. It's from the Kilowatt Case, released in February 2024 — currently one of the few cases still in the weekly free-drop pool.
Rarity is Covert, StatTrak exists, and all five wears are available. Float runs from 0 to 0.8. Prices run from $30 for Battle-Scarred to $120 Factory New.
Aquamarine Revenge — B-Tier
AK-47 | Aquamarine Revenge is a teal base with an orange-red coral-style pattern. It's from the Falchion Case, released in May 2015; the case has long been out of the active drop pool, but old copies still open with a key.
Rarity is Covert, StatTrak exists, and all five wears are available. Float runs from 0 to 1. Prices run from $30 for Battle-Scarred to $150 Factory New.
Frontside Misty — B-Tier
AK-47 | Frontside Misty is a teal-and-black pattern with white swirling graffiti-style linework. It's from the Shadow Case, released in September 2015; the case has long been out of the weekly free-drop pool, but a purchased copy still opens with a key.
Rarity is Classified, StatTrak exists, and all five wears are available. Float runs from 0.02 to 0.87, one of the widest ranges in this roundup. Prices run from $15 for Battle-Scarred to $115 Factory New.
Orbit Mk01 — B-Tier
AK-47 | Orbit Mk01 is a dark red-and-black tech pattern styled like a sci-fi interface. It's from the Operation Hydra Case, released in May 2017 alongside the operation of the same name; the operation is closed, but old copies of the case still open with a key.
Rarity is Restricted, StatTrak exists, and all five wears are available. Float runs from 0 to 0.55. Prices run from $25 for Battle-Scarred to $95 Factory New.
Redline — B-Tier
AK-47 | Redline is a black base with thin red pinstripes, one of the most recognizable minimalist designs for the AK-47. It's from the Operation Phoenix Weapon Case, released in February 2014 alongside the operation of the same name; the operation is long closed, and the case is out of the weekly free-drop pool, but a purchased copy still opens with a key.
Rarity is Classified, and StatTrak exists. Redline has no Factory New at all: only Minimal Wear, Field-Tested, Well-Worn, and Battle-Scarred exist (float 0.1 to 0.7). Because there's no Factory New, Minimal Wear becomes the best available wear and carries a real premium: prices start around $23 for Battle-Scarred, while Minimal Wear, the best wear it has, runs about $155 — nearly what some A-tier skins cost, despite Redline's reputation as a "budget" finish.
Cartel — C-Tier
AK-47 | Cartel is a dark wood stock and black metal with a restrained metallic sheen, one of the plainer designs in this roundup. It's from the Chroma Case, released in January 2015. Currently the case no longer sits in the weekly free-drop pool, but a purchased copy still opens with a key.
Rarity is Classified, StatTrak exists, and all five wears are available. Float runs from 0 to 0.75. Prices run from $15 for Battle-Scarred to $53 Factory New.
Point Disarray — C-Tier
AK-47 | Point Disarray is a geometric pattern of red, black, and teal shards, styled like shattered glass. It's from the Revolver Case, released in December 2015. Currently the case no longer sits in the weekly free-drop pool, but a purchased copy still opens with a key.
Rarity is Classified, StatTrak exists, and all five wears are available. Float runs from 0 to 0.67. Prices run from $12 for Battle-Scarred to $65 Factory New.
Slate — C-Tier
AK-47 | Slate is a matte dark gray-and-black finish with no bright elements, the most minimalist design in this roundup. It's from the Snakebite Case, released in May 2021. Currently the case no longer sits in the weekly free-drop pool, but a purchased copy still opens with a key.
Rarity is Restricted, StatTrak exists, and all five wears are available. Float runs from 0 to 1. Prices run from $3 for Battle-Scarred to $15 Factory New.
Uncharted — C-Tier
AK-47 | Uncharted is a brown-and-gold paisley ornament over a dark wood-toned base. It's the cheapest skin on this list, from the Prisma Case, released in March 2019. Currently the case no longer sits in the weekly free-drop pool, but a purchased copy still opens with a key.
Rarity is Mil-Spec Grade, StatTrak exists, and all five wears are available. Float runs from 0 to 1. Prices run from $0.54 for Battle-Scarred to $2.61 Factory New — a nearly free way into customizing an AK-47.
Getting an AK-47 Skin
Most of the finishes on this list drop from cases. Of the cases featured in this tier list, the Kilowatt Case (Inheritance) is the one currently in the active weekly free-drop pool — alongside it, the current pool also includes the Revolution Case, the Dreams & Nightmares Case, and the Genesis/Dead Hand terminals, none of which are featured in this roundup. The rest of the cases on this list — the Danger Zone Case (Asiimov), Spectrum 2 Case (The Empress), Spectrum Case (Bloodsport), Horizon Case (Neon Rider), Chroma Case (Cartel), Revolver Case (Point Disarray), Snakebite Case (Slate), Prisma Case (Uncharted), Huntsman Weapon Case (Vulcan), eSports 2014 Summer Case (Jaguar), Falchion Case (Aquamarine Revenge), Shadow Case (Frontside Misty), and the cases tied to closed operations (Wasteland Rebel, Orbit Mk01, Redline, Fire Serpent, Case Hardened) — no longer sit in that pool. That doesn't mean new copies of these finishes stop appearing: the containers themselves stay on the market, and an already-purchased case still opens with a key — you just can't get one for free after a match anymore. The odds on any specific finish from a case are low, so for a given wear it's almost always cheaper to buy a finished listing than to gamble on cases.
Wild Lotus and X-Ray never had a case at all: both belong to collections added by the Shattered Web (2019) and Broken Fang (2020) operations, and were earned through that operation's missions and reward shop. Both operations are long closed, so that route no longer works, but a trade-up contract here isn't a gamble — it's a guaranteed result: ten copies of MP9 | Wild Lily (the only Classified item in The St. Marc Collection) produce Wild Lotus, and ten Classified-rarity skins from The Havoc Collection produce X-Ray, since each is the only Covert skin in its collection. Gathering ten matching skins for a contract takes longer than buying a finished listing, but the outcome here is predictable.
What Determines an AK-47 Skin's Tier
A few factors drive a skin's position on this tier list, roughly in order of weight:
The pattern and its index. On Case Hardened, the exact color layout on any given copy is set by a numeric pattern index: the rarest "blue gem" patterns sell for orders of magnitude above the base price — the one genuinely open-ended price ceiling on this list.
Limited new supply. Wild Lotus and X-Ray never sold in cases and came through long-closed operations, while Fire Serpent and Case Hardened come from cases long pulled from the weekly free-drop pool (though purchased copies still open). New supply for all four is sharply limited, which is why they sit at the top.
How many wears exist. Bloodsport has no Battle-Scarred, and Redline has no Factory New: that changes which wear becomes the price ceiling, not just the skin's general tier.
Float. On most AK-47 skins, a cleaner wear costs noticeably more than a worn one, and the Factory New-to-Battle-Scarred gap on top-tier skins runs into the thousands of dollars.
StatTrak. Available for nearly every skin on this list and usually a real premium over the regular version; the exceptions are Wild Lotus and X-Ray, where no StatTrak version exists at all.
Comparing AK-47 Skins by Tier
Every skin from this tier list in one table, from S-tier down to the cheapest entry:
| Skin | Tier | Price From | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fire Serpent | S | $500 | A classic grail from an old, scarce case |
| Case Hardened | S | $160 | The highest price ceiling, via pattern |
| Wild Lotus | S | $3,700 | One of the priciest standard AK-47 skins |
| X-Ray | A | $340 | A rare skin that never had a case |
| Vulcan | A | $100 | An old case skin with a stable price |
| Asiimov | A | $40 | An iconic look, available via an old case |
| Jaguar | A | $70 | Jungle camo from an old case |
| Wasteland Rebel | A | $80 | A finish from a 2014 closed operation |
| The Empress | A | $100 | A regal design from an old case |
| Bloodsport | B | $110 | Narrow float, almost always clean |
| Neon Rider | B | $40 | Bold neon graffiti art |
| Inheritance | B | $30 | The only skin from this list's one active case |
| Aquamarine Revenge | B | $30 | A teal finish from an old case |
| Frontside Misty | B | $15 | A wide float range |
| Orbit Mk01 | B | $25 | An affordable way into Restricted |
| Redline | B | $23 | A classic with no FN, but an MW premium |
| Cartel | C | $15 | A restrained design at a low price |
| Point Disarray | C | $12 | Bold geometry for next to nothing |
| Slate | C | $3 | A minimalist matte look |
| Uncharted | C | $0.54 | One of the cheapest AK-47 skins |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which AK-47 skin is the best?
By recognition, price ceiling, and history, three S-tier skins lead the pack: Fire Serpent, Case Hardened, and Wild Lotus. For maximum status without a pattern lottery, go with Fire Serpent or Wild Lotus; for a genuine shot at hunting down a rare pattern, go with Case Hardened.
What's the cheapest way to get an AK-47 skin?
Uncharted is the most affordable finish on this list: wears from Factory New to Battle-Scarred cost anywhere from cents to a couple of dollars. Among more recognizable finishes, Slate is the cheapest entry, at about $3.
Is an AK-47 skin worth buying as an investment?
Skins with no case at all or from long-closed operations (Wild Lotus, X-Ray) only get new copies through trade-up contracts, and those draw from a limited pool of expensive input skins. Skins from cases pulled from the weekly free-drop pool (Fire Serpent, Case Hardened, Vulcan, Jaguar, Wasteland Rebel, Aquamarine Revenge, Frontside Misty, Orbit Mk01, Redline, Asiimov, The Empress, and most of the rest) also fill up more slowly than before, but not completely — their cases still open on the secondary market. Only Inheritance still has an active case, so its supply of new copies is the widest on this list. Limited supply can support the price, but it's no guarantee: without checking a specific skin's price history, treating this as the only argument for buying isn't a good idea.
What sets S-tier apart from the rest?
S-tier isn't just the three priciest skins on this list — it's the three where price, collector status, and limited supply are all strong at once: Fire Serpent is a recognizable classic grail with a high entry price and an old case's sharply limited supply, Wild Lotus has a closed direct source and pricey trade-up inputs, and Case Hardened carries a rare-pattern lottery that can sell for orders of magnitude above the base price. No single factor decides it alone: X-Ray (A-tier) actually costs slightly more Factory New than Fire Serpent, but its more modest entry price and shorter grail history keep it out of S. A-tier has these factors in weaker form — most of its skins come from a case long pulled from the weekly free-drop pool (X-Ray never had one at all), but without a pattern lottery like Case Hardened's. B and C-tier are more accessible entries where price and scarcity matter less and availability takes over; part of C-tier costs less than five dollars even Factory New.
