CS2 Slaughter Patterns Guide

The Slaughter family stands out as the only skin collection that appears on knives and gloves, but not any other weapon types, which adds to its rarity. The rich red hues and their subtle variations cover the entire blade, giving it a vicious, blood-soaked appearance, perfect for causing carnage on the battlefield.

Available exclusively in Factory New, Minimal Wear, and Field Tested conditions, the Slaughter skin’s visual appeal also heavily depends on the pattern. If you pay close attention, you will notice that the pattern defines the contours and lines that form various recognizable designs. As with most CS2 skins, some patterns and responsive designs are rarer than others, which can significantly increase their price. That said, the wear index remains the primary factor influencing overall value. Now, let’s take a closer look at the best Slaughter patterns identified by the community.

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What is Special About the Slaughter Skin?

The Slaughter family was among the very first skins introduced into the game, added to the first two Global Offensive containers released on 14 August 2013—the CS:GO Weapon Case and eSports 2013 Case. The Karambit, M9 Bayonet, Bayonet, Flip, and Gut Knives were the first blades to receive this unique design, and they were later included in ten additional cases. However, many other knife types did not receive the same level of attention from Valve and typically appear in only one or two cases.

Just a few years after the release, the gaming community began noticing that CS Slaughter patterns varied significantly, with some being more captivating and rarer than others. As a result, the Counter-Strike community most often highlights patterns such as Angel, Diamond, Phoenix, Heart, and Zebra, although the full list of associative designs is far more extensive.

It’s nearly impossible to determine Valve’s logic behind the creation and distribution of CS2 Slaughter patterns, as many of the designs shown below are difficult to recognize on the base template alone. Therefore, let’s walk through the rarest designs step-by-step and explore the most popular Slaughter patterns.

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Slaughter Patterns Tier List & Rarity

The community divides Slaughter patterns in CS2 into tiers based on their rarity and visibility on the blade, which directly affects market prices. The rarest patterns form unique images, significantly increasing a knife’s value.

At the same time, some skins feature popular designs but still sell close to market price. This happens because the value of a given pattern depends heavily on current trends among traders and collectors. Additionally, image clarity and symmetry play an important role in determining the knife's price.

The table below lists all commonly recognized patterns grouped by tier. You can use it to estimate the value of your skins or guide your trades on the Steam Community Market and third-party platforms.

Slaughter Patterns Types

There are roughly a dozen drawings that the community highlights when it comes to Slaughter patterns in CS2. In rare cases, multiple associative images can appear on a single blade, significantly boosting both rarity and, consequently, the value of the knife.

Slaughter Dogbone Pattern

We’ll kick off this guide with the Dogbone pattern, a clear and easily recognizable design that requires little imagination. By simply glancing at the Slaughter knife in CS2 and then checking the blade, you can identify the dogbone-like shape. While not perfectly defined, it remains unmistakable.

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Slaughter Diamond Pattern

The Slaughter Diamond pattern is another simple and highly recognizable design found near the blade’s edge. This pattern becomes especially valuable when positioned closer to the center, which slightly increases its price.

Interestingly, on the Falchion knife, the Diamond pattern appears rotated by 90 degrees, giving it a unique and visually appealing look.

The table below lists the most popular designs for various knife models, including the iconic Karambit Slaughter Diamond pattern.

Slaughter Heart Pattern

The Slaughter Heart pattern is another easily recognizable design commonly seen on blades, which can be seen without additional imagination. However, some collectors argue that a smaller, playing-card-style heart represents the most authentic version of this pattern.

Slaughter Diamond & Heart Patternttern

As the name suggests, this pattern combines both the Heart and Diamond shapes on a single blade. While difficult to find, it creates a truly unique and highly desirable knife.

On larger blades, such as the Bayonet, two tiers of Diamond and Heart patterns exist. The elite tier seed features center-located depictions of the two core outlines, while Tier 2 indicates a slightly off-center placement.

The community has even put together a concise table outlining both tier patterns for Slaughter Bayonets:

Slaughter Diamond & Double Heart Pattern

he pinnacle of rare Slaughter patterns lies in having a Diamond and two Hearts on the same blade. Just like with the Diamond and Heart pattern, these designs are divided into two tiers, with elite seeds featuring more prominent and well-centered placements of the shapes.

Slaughter Double Diamond & Heart Pattern

Another rare combination you may encounter is the Double Diamond and Heart pattern, which also belongs to two seed groups. It is important to note that finding two fully outlined diamonds is practically impossible. However, when the shapes are clearly visible, it is a strong indicator of exceptional quality and extreme rarity. This unique combination significantly increases a knife's desirability among collectors, making it a true standout piece.

Slaughter Angel Pattern

The Angel pattern is one of the most popular designs in the Slaughter family and is most commonly seen on larger blades, such as the Bayonet or Huntsman Knife. It is also one of the easier patterns to identify along the edge, as the angel-wing shapes are relatively clear. That said, a bit of imagination is still required, as the mind must complete some of the invisible lines to visualize the full Angel image.

Slaughter Phoenix Pattern

Many players consider the Phoenix Slaughter pattern to be a reversed version of the Angel. While the lines are similar, your imagination must fill in more gaps to see the Phoenix clearly. Because only fragments of the rising bird are typically visible, this pattern leaves much to interpretation, making it less popular among collectors.

Slaughter Zebra Pattern

The defining visual trait of a zebra is its alternating black-and white-stripes, which cover the entire body of the animal. With a similar association in mind, the community decided to describe some Slaughter patterns in which darker and brighter stripes alternate. This pattern is fairly straightforward and relies on simple visual association.

Below are some of the most popular variations, including standout Butterfly Slaughter patterns:

Slaughter Clown Face Pattern

This is one of the most imaginative Slaughter patterns, requiring significant visual interpretation and the ability to mentally connect multiple lines. Larger knives, such as the M9 Bayonet or Huntsman, may display parts of the clown’s face, including lips, nose, unusual eyes, and even dreadlock-like shapes along the sides of the head.

Slaughter Kitty Pattern

Certain blade shapes highlight the Kitty pattern particularly well, completing the cat’s head with symmetrical ears. Interestingly, this rare design does not rely on just two colors from the Slaughter template, but can display up to four distinct shades at specific viewing angles. This makes the pattern especially eye-catching and unique from certain angles.

Below are the most popular Karambit Slaughter patterns featuring this design:

Slaughter Butterfly Pattern

The Butterfly pattern is another commonly recognized Slaughter design and typically appears on knives. It depicts the upper portion of the butterfly’s body, with symmetrical wings that encourage the viewer to imagine the rest of the insect.

How Slaughter Skins Look in CS2

The transition to Source 2 has significantly altered how Slaughter patterns are perceived. Thanks to advanced lighting and Physically Based Rendering (PBR), materials now react more consistently and realistically to light sources.

At the same time, the increased brightness and contrast make some patterns easier to identify, while others become more difficult to spot. You can experiment with this by adjusting the Shader Detail setting. Setting it to the maximum value enhances reflections, improves realism, and highlights the details of each Slaughter pattern in CS2.

 Lowering this setting, on the other hand, makes skins appear flatter and duller. This can noticeably affect pattern visibility, especially for high-contrast designs such as Diamond and Angel.

Additionally, skin wear behaves differently in CS2, causing some knives to appear more or less worn than they did in CS:GO. For this reason, it is strongly recommended to inspect Slaughter knives directly in-game before buying or selling them. This way, you can ensure that you’ll get a knife with a pattern that will be noticeable even after the change of the game engine.

Conclusion

Without a doubt, the CS2 Slaughter patterns remain highly popular within the CS2 community, and their distinctive designs continue to add value to knives. However, it is important to pay closer attention to skin wear and evaluate items directly in-game, especially considering the updated lighting system. Only after confirming that the desired Slaughter pattern is clearly visible should you consider making a purchase to showcase a valuable new knife in your inventory.