Stupid question but how do unusual cosmetics actually work?

[fatherward]

Can you unbox any cosmetic with any unusual? Could I for example unbox a ballonihoodie and get one of the original unusual effects or a spinning tf2 logo or something?

[TheRenegadeSniper]

It completely depends on the case/effect/hat. 

 

In your example, a balloonihoodie with logo is possible, just the odds are low. You'd have to unbox the winter 2017 case, not hit an event effect from that case OR the event if there's one happening, and then strike the odds on logo.

 

But, say you wanted a team captain with distant drift or something, that's not possible. Certain hats are only accessible via certain crates with certain effects. You basically have to search on a case by case basis on what is possible. Start with the hat, then the effect, then the case. 

[fatherward]

5 minutes ago, TheRenegadeSniper said:

It completely depends on the case/effect/hat. 

 

In your example, a balloonihoodie with logo is possible, just the odds are low. You'd have to unbox the winter 2017 case, not hit an event effect from that case OR the event if there's one happening, and then strike the odds on logo.

 

But, say you wanted a team captain with distant drift or something, that's not possible. Certain hats are only accessible via certain crates with certain effects. You basically have to search on a case by case basis on what is possible. Start with the hat, then the effect, then the case. 

Okay, thanks. Maybe I'm being an idiot but judging by what I've read from the wiki and from the Winter 2017 crate, would a pairing like the Cat's Pajamas and the Pyroland Daydream no longer be possible? Sorry if it's a stupid question, I'm just trying to wrap my head around this stuff for the first time and the wiki says "The cosmetic effects can still be obtained by opening a Winter 2019 Cosmetic Case." so I assume I could only get the effect on Winter 2019 items?

[dinorno]

precisely. during the three big yearly event (summer, scream fortress and smissmass), valve releases a new case with new effects. the new effects are unboxable on the new and old cases for the duration of the event they are released in, and after the event ends they will still be available for unboxing, but only on the case they released with at lower odds. outside of events, you can unbox any effect from the first 3 generations on all cases. crates work a little differently tho. so yeah, can't unbox pajamas with that effect anymore, but it would still be possible on the winter 2019 case (at lower odds of course, and outside of a big seasonal update)

[stapletapeworms]

1 hour ago, TheRenegadeSniper said:

It completely depends on the case/effect/hat. 

 

In your example, a balloonihoodie with logo is possible, just the odds are low. You'd have to unbox the winter 2017 case, not hit an event effect from that case OR the event if there's one happening, and then strike the odds on logo.

 

But, say you wanted a team captain with distant drift or something, that's not possible. Certain hats are only accessible via certain crates with certain effects. You basically have to search on a case by case basis on what is possible. Start with the hat, then the effect, then the case. 

 

Just in case it wasn't clear from this, it isn't possible during an event at all. The current event effects override anything else that can come from a case. You would have to wait until the event is over completely, and then you would have a chance of Circling TF Logo/any old non limited time effect/any listed effect on the case itself.

[Bananas]

lmao this is like asking how cars work, it’s a super overcomplicated valve spaghetti bullshit

 

mann co crates:

old crates #1-82ish or some shit generally have yellow text, no “graded” items like elite grade, just a set list of items and a chance to unbox series whatever (1,2,3) unusual

 

robo crate: 

unboxes robo cosmetics and gives you robo effect unusuals

 

eotl crate: 

unboxes winter eotl related cosmetics and gives you eotl effects

 

event crate/original event:

the original Halloween events (2011-2015) just turned any regular unboxable crate into a chance to unbox that years halloween series of effects. Outside of 2017s event or a unlocked creepy crate you are no longer able to unbox OLD Halloween effects, new is a different story.

 

cases / graded items :

this is the complicated part

 

so case items are unboxable forever until the case runs out, however the effect you get is event dependent 

 

if you unbox that balloon hoodie during a non event period you’ll get a random gen 1-3 effect or that cases effects, which are locked to that case outside of events

 

so let’s say it was winter 2022 and the case just dropped

 

all cases before 2022, including old 2017 cases now unbox 2022 effects for a limited time. If you unbox a 2017 hat with a 2022 effect, it goes from being a regular graded common unusual to an actual limited halloween that stops becoming unboxable, however that effect will always be unboxable on that 2022 case, and there will be 100s of that effect on a super common hat. This is why newer halloweens tend to sell for less than old ones

 

tl;dr yes ur hoodie can come in tf logo just buy one or unbox its case when it isn’t halloween or Christmas 

[AwesomeSause]

6 minutes ago, Bananas said:

lmao this is like asking how cars work, it’s a super overcomplicated valve spaghetti bullshit

 

mann co crates:

old crates #1-82ish or some shit generally have yellow text, no “graded” items like elite grade, just a set list of items and a chance to unbox series whatever (1,2,3) unusual

 

robo crate: 

unboxes robo cosmetics and gives you robo effect unusuals

 

eotl crate: 

unboxes winter eotl related cosmetics and gives you eotl effects

 

event crate/original event:

the original Halloween events (2011-2015) just turned any regular unboxable crate into a chance to unbox that years halloween series of effects. Outside of 2017s event or a unlocked creepy crate you are no longer able to unbox OLD Halloween effects, new is a different story.

 

cases / graded items :

this is the complicated part

 

so case items are unboxable forever until the case runs out, however the effect you get is event dependent 

 

if you unbox that balloon hoodie during a non event period you’ll get a random gen 1-3 effect or that cases effects, which are locked to that case outside of events

 

so let’s say it was winter 2022 and the case just dropped

 

all cases before 2022, including old 2017 cases now unbox 2022 effects for a limited time. If you unbox a 2017 hat with a 2022 effect, it goes from being a regular graded common unusual to an actual limited halloween that stops becoming unboxable, however that effect will always be unboxable on that 2022 case, and there will be 100s of that effect on a super common hat. This is why newer halloweens tend to sell for less than old ones

 

tl;dr yes ur hoodie can come in tf logo just buy one or unbox its case when it isn’t halloween or Christmas 

so u can get roboactive still?

[Bananas]

1 hour ago, AwesomeSause said:

so u can get roboactive still?

you can get roboactive out of robo crates only

 

anything case graded can’t be unboxed in robo/eotl either so no GBH rotation or mallard cats pajamas 

 

and obv no miscs 

[Vincentius]

17 minutes ago, Bananas said:

you can get roboactive out of robo crates only, and only during non events

Slight correction, if you unbox robo crates / eotl crates you will still get their regular (robo/eotl) effects even during events. 

 

[Bananas]

1 hour ago, Vincentius said:

Slight correction, if you unbox robo crates / eotl crates you will still get their regular (robo/eotl) effects even during events. 

 

oh shit I didn’t know that learn something new every day

[AwesomeSause]

4 hours ago, Bananas said:

you can get roboactive out of robo crates only

 

anything case graded can’t be unboxed in robo/eotl either so no GBH rotation or mallard cats pajamas 

 

and obv no miscs 

thank goodness no cats pajamas

[Apo]

5 hours ago, Bananas said:

oh shit I didn’t know that learn something new every day

no crates roll from event pool, since like 8 years ago or something, only cases

[FP jh34ghu43gu]

https://wiki.teamfortress.com/wiki/Mann_Co._Supply_Crate#Unboxing_Unusuals

 

Edit: I spent 3h rewriting this so feel free to reread it if you clicked on it before this edit text.

Edited September 6 by FP jh34ghu43gu

[RussellSproutz]

15 hours ago, fatherward said:

Okay, thanks. Maybe I'm being an idiot but judging by what I've read from the wiki and from the Winter 2017 crate, would a pairing like the Cat's Pajamas and the Pyroland Daydream no longer be possible? Sorry if it's a stupid question, I'm just trying to wrap my head around this stuff for the first time and the wiki says "The cosmetic effects can still be obtained by opening a Winter 2019 Cosmetic Case." so I assume I could only get the effect on Winter 2019 items?

Thats correct. You can only get winter effects unless it's in an event which in this case you can get summer 2024 effect