Are Unusuals Worth It?

The scenario is simple. You’ve just acquired your very first unusual. Or maybe it’s your second unusual. Or your third. Whatever. The point is, was it worth all the effort trying to get an unusual hat? Or is it all pointless?

Let’s start from the beginning. There are only a few ways in which you can acquire an unusual hat. The first and technically the simplest way is to unbox an unusual, with that one-in-one-hundred chance to get something worth more than the key used to open it. Of course, this is a rare occurrence and it’s the only source of clean, fresh unusual hats, unless you’re the lucky person who finds a bug and is told they can have the unusual hat of their choice. The other ways of obtaining an unusual are more common, but not always easier. Firstly, we have trading, which can be really easy if you have lots of keys, or really hard if you’re saving up the old-fashioned way. Then we have being given an unusual or winning one in a raffle. And finally we have people who cheat, scam and shark their way into owning unusuals.

So just getting an unusual is fairly worth it, especially if you put effort into obtaining it. If you just cheated, then you don’t deserve any of your precious items. But what about wearing it? There are pros and cons to that too.

The first problem is trying to find things that go with your unusual hat. Not everyone has a huge collection of hats and miscs for every occasion. If you just traded away your entire inventory to get an unusual hat, you’ll have nothing to wear it with. Or maybe you just don’t own that one specific item that really goes with your unusual. Another issue is trying to fit your unusual hat in with your normal themes. An unusual Das Hazmattenhatten isn’t going to go well with a Grimme Hatte and a Blighted beak. Other items will end up no longer being worn as you show off your unusual.

Once you’ve finally managed to get your look right, you’ll face another problem. All of a sudden, you’ve become a magnet. Not just a Sniper magnet, but a magnet for everything. Of course, Snipers can see you from a mile away, but other enemies will assume that you are more skilled because you have an unusual (this is a thing) and friendly Medics will tend to stick to you as well. While this new-found attention may be nice, it will always be fleeting, especially as server regulars recognise your skill level and people in general realise that you’re not as good as you seem.

But on top of all that, there is a bigger issue. People get bored with unusuals. They’ll get bored with the effect or the hat. They’ll be unable to find the perfect load out. They’ll just want something else. What now? There’s either the choice of trading your unusual for something else, whether it’s a new hat, an upgrade to a better effect, conversion into buds or a new hat completely; or you start from scratch, saving up again to get another unusual.

Either way, it’s back to square one. So what IS the point of unusuals?

I guess they’re just pointless.