On September 3, 2018, the Nova | Mandrel made its debut in CS2. It was released with the "FACEIT 2018 – Ways to Watch" update, as part of the Budapest 2025 Nuke Souvenir Package.
Origin
The Nova | Mandrel can be acquired by opening one of the 11 available containers that include this skin. These encompass the London 2018 Nuke Souvenir Package, Katowice 2019 Nuke Souvenir Package, and Berlin 2019 Nuke Souvenir Package. It is also a part of the 2018 Nuke Collection.
Popularity
Currently, the Nova | Mandrel enjoys a popularity of 75%, placing it within the top 25% of the most favored items in CS2.
Rarity
Among the 161 other Shotgun skins available, the rarity of the Nova | Mandrel is categorized as Consumer Grade, indicating that it is a fairly typical item in the game.
Availability
The Nova | Mandrel is priced between $0.00 and $0.68, making it an economical skin choice.
Versions
The float value for the Nova | Mandrel spans from 0.00 to 0.50, allowing for availability across all exterior conditions. For each exterior, a Souvenir variant also exists for the Mandrel.
Finish Style
This version of the Nova features a "Hydrographic" finish with the Mandrel design. Weapon components are submerged in a water tank where they pass through a floating hydrographic film. This film attaches to the prepped parts, rendering a patterned surface. Primarily, this skin displays shades of gray. The pattern index affects the appearance of the Mandrel finish. The skin utilizes the old legacy model.
Community Sentiment
The Nova | Mandrel has received over 11 votes leading to an average rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars. The skin is currently also owned by the professional CS2 players flusha, s1mple, and allu.