Best CSGO AK-47 Case Hardened Patterns

Few skins in CS2 can rival the AK-47 | Case-Hardened, and when it comes to the best blue gem patterns, nothing comes close.

The AK-47 | Case-Hardened is one of Counter-Strike 2’s most iconic skins. A mainstay in professional play and the dream of every collector, there’s simply something magical about the skin. Originally released in the CSGO Weapon Case way back in 2013, the skin has ballooned in value even for the cheapest variants. As for the most expensive, it currently holds the title of the most expensive skin in history.

For CS2 players curious about just how deep the rabbit hole goes, here are the best blue gem patterns for the AK-47 | Case-Hardened explained.

What are the best AK-47 | Case-Hardened blue gem patterns?

Pattern 661 is the most expensive AK-47 | Case-Hardened blue gem, but plenty of other patterns can rival it as the best.

The 661, often called the Scar pattern, features the most possible blue along the top of the rifle. From CS2’s first-person perspective, this puts as much blue as possible in the owner’s field of vision. The sheer quantity of blue makes the rifle seem completely blue most of the time, though the rifle is far from being blue all over. Even on the cleanest Scar patterns, there’s plenty of yellow on the body. The magazine also has barely any blue except for the very bottom.

The Scar pattern has become the holy grail of CS2 skins. Only 129 are known to exist, and of that tiny pool, only 10 are factory new. As is statistically likely, only one is StatTrak™, making it the single best example of the ultimate AK-47 | Case-Hardened blue gem pattern. It allegedly sold for $1 million in a private deal in 2024, making it the most expensive CS2 skin to ever exist.

If the 661 is a little too much, there are a few other AK-47 | Case-Hardened blue gem patterns worth looking at in CS2. All of these feature significant amount of blue, and the majority of it will be visible during gameplay.

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AK-47 | Case-Hardened blue gem magazine patterns

Some AK-47 | Case-Hardened patterns put all the blue on the magazine, creating a fetching alternative to the standard blue gem.

While most blue gem AK-47 patterns emphasize the body of the gun, there are a few that keep the blue down low. The blue gem magazine is a true collector’s pattern, as most of the blue is invisible during play. However, whenever the owner reloads or hits inspect, the motion reveals an ocean. The somewhat hidden nature keeps them more low key than the flashy 661s, but they still fetch an incredibly high price from skin traders.

In addition to being some of the most coveted blue gem patterns in all of CS2, the full blue magazine is also one of the most common. There are several different patterns with blue mags, but these are the most common when referring to a blue gem magazine AK-47 | Case-Hardened.

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AK-47 | Case-Hardened gold gem patterns

AK-47 | Case-Hardened patterns that show off little to zero blue at all are often called gold gems, and they have a niche market of their own.

More of an AK-47 | Gold Arabesque guy? Strangely enough, the Case-Hardened can also appeal to such tastes. In addition to the blue gem, there is an equal and opposite series of patterns called gold gems. These skins show off as little blue as possible, instead showcasing as much gold and metal. While the name implies that the skins would be gold all over, only small chunks look truly gold. The bulk of the patterns are plain metal with burn marks. In fact, the gold gem is defined more by the lack of blue than the presence of gold.

These are often considered budget alternatives to the blue gem, but these skins can still fetch shockingly high prices among traders. In fact, there are actually fewer AK-47 | Case-Hardened gold gem patterns than blue gems. The following are considered the best patterns for gold gems, though a few others can pass as fakes.

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AK-47 blue gem patterns tier list

Here’s a quick tier list roughly ranking the various patterns among AK-47 blue gems and their alternatives.

Keep in mind that the exact definition of blue gem can vary from collector to collector, and what might look like a decent blue gem to one may be nothing special at all to another. The value of any given skin is solely determined by how much someone is willing to pay for it. This is doubly true in a specialized market such as blue gems. It’s possible that the blue gem patterns tier list above doesn’t include every blue AK-47, and certain patterns not listed can still demand overpay. However, at the end of the day, the gem is in the eye of beholder.