The best M4A4 skins in CSGO to buy before the buffs

Make your CT side stylish with the five best M4A4 skins in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

In the current CSGO metagame, the M4A1-S reigns supreme. The buffs from Operation Riptide have made it superior to the M4A4 and, overpowered according to pros. That may be bad news for M4A4 enjoyers, but it also means that skins for the gun are cheaper than they’ve been for a very, very long time. Now is the best time to pick up a fancy M4A4 skin, and these five are the best options at every price point.

The best M4A4 skins in all of CSGO

The M4A4 is currently the less-popular CT rifle, but with the M4A1-S in such an overpowered state, it’s only a matter of time before Valve nerfs it. With everyone using the M4A1-S, many M4A4 cosmetics have massively dropped in price. This applies to cheap skins as well as the very best M4A4 wraps. Here are five awesome options at every price point.

5. Converter ($1)

The best cheap M4A4 skin in CSGO is the Converter. A blue from the Inferno collection, the black background is segmented by a honeycomb pattern and red splotches that resemble blood stains. Factory New Converters are available for just a dollar on the Steam Market. Before Operation Riptide, this skin used to sell for nearly double the price.

4. Griffin ($4)

If you want something more than just a simple pattern, the Griffin is the cheapest graffiti-style M4A4 skin in CSGO. The image of a screeching griffin resonates with a lot of players, but the price is still fairly low at just $4 for Factory New. The Vanguard collection is one of the oldest operation cases in CSGO, so the price of the Griffin could soar considering the relatively low supply.

3. 龍王 (Dragon King) ($21)

Speaking of retro skins, the Dragon King is another great pull from a fan-favorite case. The Chroma collection introduced a ton of new knife skins including the ultra-rare Black Pearl, but it also added a very handsome M4A4 skin. The 龍王, which literally translates to Dragon King, combines very cool art of a traditional Chinese dragon with an eye-catching color pallette. The skin used to cost around $31 at Factory New, but now a clean one is just $21.

2. Royal Paladin ($79)

Players who are really committed to the M4A4 can pick up a Factory New Royal Paladin for its all-time low price of $79. The Revolver case is pretty unpopular to open nowadays since it has mediocre knife skins and the R8 Revolver | Fade is infamously cheap at just $5.34. The Royal Paladin sports an ornate gilded pattern with intricate patterns on every surface. It pairs well with other regal skins like the AWP | The Prince.

1. Poseidon ($1,514)

A Factory New Poseidon sells for an insane price tag, but there’s a very good reason why. The Poseidon hails from the Gods and Monsters collection from Operation Bloodhound. As the only pink skin in the collection, this is the only option for guaranteed AWP | Medusa tradeups. Before the M4A1-S buffs, clean Poseidons sold on the Steam Market for around $1,800. That makes the current market price of $1,514 look like a steal.

The Howl is the most expensive M4A4 skin in CSGO

As for the most expensive M4A4 skin in CSGO, the M4A4 | Howl ranks among the most expensive gun skins in the entire game. Factory New examples are so expensive that they are almost never sold through the Steam Market. A StatTrak Factory New Howl is currently for sale on a third-party trading website for $30,000.

The Howl’s incredible price is due to its unique yellow Contraband rarity. The skin was introduced in the Huntsman collection but was removed when Valve discovered that the artwork was stolen.

Valve removed it from the case, but existing Howls were replaced with an altered version. The incident cut off the supply of Howls at approximately just 7,347. A Valve blunder coupled with extreme rarity makes the Howl a favorite of CSGO collectors with expensive tastes.