TF2 War Paint Qualities

TF2 war paint quality items became available after the release of the Jungle Inferno Update in 2017. War Paints replaced the traditional skins system and allowed players to apply unique patterns to their weapons, creating customized designs.

TF2 War Paint Quality

TF2 War Paint Quality

In Team Fortress 2, War Paint can come in a variety of qualities. Some cost just a few cents, while others can reach hundreds of dollars. The price depends on several factors:

  • Float point (condition of the paint)
  • Rarity (Mercenary Grade to Elite Grade)
  • Community demand

War Paint and all the weapons created with it are considered to be Decorated items. Sometimes, they can also belong to the Strange or Unusual classes.

War paint quality in TF2 dictates that Elite Grade War Paints are significantly more expensive than those of Mercenary Grade rarity.

What Are the Different War Paint Grades?

Each War Paint collection consists of different grades that reflect their rarity and value:

GradeRarity LevelExample War Paint
Mercenary GradeCommon (Most Frequent)Civic Duty Mk.II
Commando GradeUncommonAutumn Mk.II
Assassin GradeRareMacaw Mask
Elite GradeVery Rare (Below 1%)Park Pigmented

How to Apply War Paint in TF2

In Team Fortress 2, War Paints cannot be applied directly to existing weapons. Instead, they create a new weapon with your selected pattern. Here’s how to use War Paint in TF2:

  1. Inspect your War Paint to preview the design.
  2. Select a compatible weapon to apply the War Paint to.
  3. Confirm the application, which creates a new, uniquely painted weapon.

Tip: Factory New War Paints are the most valuable, while Battle-Scarred ones are typically less desirable.

War Paint Float Values Explained

Like TF2 skins, War Paints have float values that determine their wear condition:

Float Value RangeCondition
0.00 – 0.07Factory New
0.07 – 0.15Minimal Wear
0.15 – 0.38Field-Tested
0.38 – 0.45Well-Worn
0.45 – 1.00Battle-Scarred

Factory New War Paints are rare and sought-after due to their pristine appearance.

Unboxing TF2 War Paint

When you open a War Paint Case, the odds of getting an Elite Grade item are below 1%, making them the most valuable. Here’s what to expect:

  1. Mercenary Grade (Common) – 50%+
  2. Commando Grade (Uncommon) – ~30%
  3. Assassin Grade (Rare) – ~15%
  4. Elite Grade (Very Rare) – <1%

Pro Tip: If you’re aiming for rare War Paints, focus on cases tied to limited-time Scream Fortress and Winter events.

War Paint Collections

In total, there are around a dozen different War Paint collections. In each collection, you can find War Paint of different qualities.

For example, the Jungle Jackpot Collection features an Elite Grade War Paint called Park Pigmented and other War Paints of various rarities. The Mercenary Grade ones are the most frequent, while the Commando Grade, Assassin Grade, and Elite Grade ones are increasingly less frequent in this particular order.

These are the TF2 War Paint collections you can currently own:

  1. Jungle Jackpot Collection
  2. Infernal Reward Collection
  3. Decorated War Hero Collection
  4. Contract Campaigner Collection
  5. Saxton Select Collection
  6. Mann Co. Events Collection
  7. Winter 2017 Collection
  8. Scream Fortress X Collection
  9. Winter 2019 Collection
  10. Scream Fortress XII Collection
  11. Winter 2020 Collection
  12. Scream Fortress XIII Collection

Unboxing high-quality War Paint items is identical to unboxing high-quality TF2 skins. You have a small chance of getting the rare varieties and a high chance of getting the common varieties.

Recent War Paint Collections (2024-2025 Updates)

As of 2025, several new War Paint collections have been introduced, further enhancing customization options in TF2:

Collection NameRelease DateNotable War Paints
Scream Fortress XVIOctober 2024Haunted Hazard, Crypt Creeper
Winter 2024 CollectionDecember 2024Frostbite Fury, Arctic Mirage

These collections introduce seasonal designs and community-created War Paints, expanding player choices for unique weapon cosmetics.

By keeping up with the latest War Paint collections, you can maximize your TF2 inventory’s value and find exclusive, rare skins. So Trade TF2 Items now on the best-rated skin trading site.

TF2 War Paint Items

TF2 War Paint Items

A lot of collections feature War Paint items from the 4 rarity classes mentioned above. But others feature more mundane ones as well.

As a collector, you should treat War Paint the same way you treat skins. Because they’re almost identical. In terms of rarity, float value, price, and everything else that matters, War Paint is another word for skins. War Painted weapons are simply Team Fortress 2 skins. However, not all weapons are paintable weapons.

In almost every case, there is one Elite Grade item in the collection, a few Assassin Grade items, several Commando Grade items, and around half a dozen Mercenary Grade items.

  • The odds of obtaining an Elite Grade item are probably below 1%. But the value of such War Paint tends to be high, especially if you random the Factory New version.
  • Other wear levels, such as Minimal Wear, Field Tested, Well Worn, and Battle-Scarred, are generally less valuable.

The value decreases gradually though, not abruptly. As with skins in general, people will be searching for War Paint that’s rare, looks great, is hard to obtain, is popular within the TF2 community, and so on.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Apply War Paint in TF2?

You cannot apply War Paint to existing weapons. When you use War Paint, it creates a brand-new weapon with your chosen design.

What Are TF2 War Paints?

TF2 War Paints are cosmetic skins that apply unique patterns to your weapons. They change their appearance permanently and come in various grades and conditions.

Can You Trade TF2 War Paints?

Yes, most War Paints are tradable and can be exchanged through community markets or platforms like Tradeit.

What Is the Rarest TF2 War Paint?

Yes! In 2024 and 2025, Scream Fortress XVI and the Winter 2024 Collection introduced new community-created War Paints.

Are There New TF2 War Paint Collections?

Yes! In 2024 and 2025, Scream Fortress XVI and the Winter 2024 Collection introduced new community-created War Paints.

Posted by
William Westerlund

William is an author, editor, and an avid gamer with over 10.000 hours in CS:GO (Counter-Strike 2). He also enjoys playing Rust, Dota 2, and TF2 but never became a top 1% player in any of those games.