CS:GO Operation Vanguard Case Has Valuable Weapon and Knife Skins for Collectors
7/29/2023
Operation Vanguard Case Great Skins and a Dash of Controversy
Operation Vanguard was the last operation of 2014 in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Launching in November at a price of $5.99. The operation was scheduled to run until February 10, 2015. However, it was later extended through the end of March 2015. Players had access to six new community maps, campaigns, and a new weapons case.
Reviewing the Operation Vanguard Weapon Case
The Operation Vanguard Case was the last of six cases released in 2014. It came about four months after the eSports 2014 Summer Case. The case contains one of 14 community-designed weapon skins or an exceedingly rare knife drop. Possible knives include the M9 Bayonet, Bayonet, Flip Knife, Karambit, or Gut Knife. These are available in the 13 Arms Deal Finishes for a total of 65 possible versions.
Similar to previous operations, players with the Operation Vanguard Coin received exclusive case drops on top of the normal timed drops that occurred during the course of the operation. They also had the potential to receive the Operation Vanguard Case as a mission drop. To open the case, players would also need the Operation Vanguard Case Key.
What’s Inside the CS:GO Operation Vanguard Case?
Most of the skins in the Operation Vanguard Weapon Case feature intricate details either through engraving or skin patterns. While there wasn’t any type of apparent overall theme, there does seem to be a little something for everyone in this case.
A few of the skins have notable features, primarily the AK-47 Wasteland Rebel. This skin features a variety of easter eggs for players to enjoy. For example, the skin includes the phrase “The pizza is a lie,” which is a nod to the extremely popular game Portal which coined the phrase “The cake is a lie.” The skin also features other phrases including “1337 Krew,” “7355608,” and “Make them Cry!”
The full list of weapon skins in the Operation Vanguard Case includes:
- Mil-Spec
- G3SG1 | Murky
- MAG-7 | Firestarter
- MP9 | Dart
- Five-SeveN | Urban Hazard
- UMP-45 | Delusion
- Restricted
- Glock-18 | Grinder
- M4A1-S | Basilisk
- M4A4 | Griffin
- Sawed-Off | Highwayman
- Classified
- P250 | Cartel
- SCAR-20 | Cardiac
- XM1014 | Tranquility
- Covert
- AK-47 | Wasteland Rebel
- P2000 | Fire Elemental
Also included in the case is the chance to get an exceptionally rare knife. This set of knives is featured in several cases including the upcoming Revolver Case. The complete list contains:
- Karambit | Case Hardened
- Karambit | Fade
- Karambit | Crimson Web
- Karambit | Slaughter
- Karambit | Night
- Karambit | Blue Steel
- Karambit | Boreal Forest
- Karambit | Vanilla
- Karambit | Scorched
- Karambit | Stained
- Karambit | Safari Mesh
- Karambit | Urban Masked
- Karambit | Forest DDPAT
- M9 Bayonet | Case Hardened
- M9 Bayonet | Crimson Web
- M9 Bayonet | Fade
- M9 Bayonet | Night
- M9 Bayonet | Slaughter
- M9 Bayonet | Stained
- M9 Bayonet | Scorched
- M9 Bayonet | Blue Steel
- M9 Bayonet | Vanilla
- M9 Bayonet | Urban Masked
- M9 Bayonet | Boreal Forest
- M9 Bayonet | Forest DDPAT
- M9 Bayonet | Safari Mesh
- Flip Knife | Case Hardened
- Flip Knife | Crimson Web
- Flip Knife | Fade
- Flip Knife | Slaughter
- Flip Knife | Stained
- Flip Knife | Night
- Flip Knife | Blue Steel
- Flip Knife | Urban Masked
- Flip Knife | Boreal Forest
- Flip Knife | Forest DDPAT
- Flip Knife | Safari Mesh
- Flip Knife | Vanilla
- Flip Knife | Scorched
- Bayonet | Case Hardened
- Bayonet | Crimson Web
- Bayonet | Fade
- Bayonet | Slaughter
- Bayonet | Night
- Bayonet | Blue Steel
- Bayonet | Forest DDPAT
- Bayonet | Boreal Forest
- Bayonet | Stained
- Bayonet | Urban Masked
- Bayonet | Safari Mesh
- Bayonet | Scorched
- Bayonet | Vanilla
- Gut Knife | Case Hardened
- Gut Knife | Fade
- Gut Knife | Crimson Web
- Gut Knife | Slaughter
- Gut Knife | Stained
- Gut Knife | Blue Steel
- Gut Knife | Urban Masked
- Gut Knife | Night
- Gut Knife | Boreal Forest
- Gut Knife | Scorched
- Gut Knife | Safari Mesh
- Gut Knife | Forest DDPAT
- Gut Knife | Vanilla
Controversial Contents
The Operation Vanguard Case was not without controversy. The original M4A4 Griffin skin was altered on December 18, 2014, due to copyright infringement. However, instead of making the skin Contraband as was done with the M4A4 Howl, Valve took a different approach. They made the decision to alter the artwork and update all in-game skins with the new artwork but left the skin at the restricted level.
Market Demand and Rarity
The Operation Vanguard Case has fewer than 6,500 listings currently on the Steam Community Market. The case itself is in the rare drop pool, giving Prime Status players a tiny chance of securing the drop with their weekly level-up. The case price has had some instability so far in 2023 with prices ranging between $0.98 and $3.61.
Operation Vanguard Case skins come in at a variety of prices. The Factory New version of the AK-47’s Wasteland Rebel is listed for $350, while other versions of this skin along with the P2000 Fire Elemental fill the listings between $120 and $220. In the $50 to $100 range players start to see occurrences of the XM1014 Tranquility and SCAR-20 Cardiac.
For knife listings, the Fade skin with StatTrak for the Bayonet tops the charts at just over $2,000. The same skin for Karambit is also wildly popular in addition to M9 Bayonet versions of Urban Masked.
Get Your CS:GO Operation Vanguard Weapon Case
With the case still attainable through rare weekly level-up drops, players still have a chance to get it. For those who don’t have luck on their side, then it might be a better idea to purchase or trade for the case. With many affordable skins on the market, players may also have the opportunity to purchase or trade for their desired skin. When it comes to the knives, the knife itself and the finish play a big role in the price. However, there are multiple cases containing these knives that might provide better odds for collectors.