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The Souvenir MP5-SD | Lab Rats was released on December 6th, 2018 as a purple restricted tier limited drop for users who earn a certain amount of required XP playing the new battle royale game mode known as Danger zone. The weapon skin comes in several different patterns, including the Red Rat pattern, making them unique.

I made this guide because despite how common this skin has become already, no one has yet to explain the various rare patterns that are available. This guide will attempt to do just that and will also touch on some other important topics! This is not a price guide. Prices vary as much as the patterns, so it's best to do some research and see what similar Lab Rats are selling for on the market.

To unlock the MP5 | Lab Rats skin, all you need to do is load up a game of Danger Zone on an account with Prime status and get 250 XP (the weekly bonus XP doesn't count). To reach Prime status, you need to reach level 21 in casual matches. If you don’t want to wait that long for Prime, you can buy the status for $14.99. Once you’re done with your first game of Danger Zone, the MP5 | Lab Rats skin is all yours. It should drop into your inventory once you get back to the lobby in the main menu.

The MP5-SD | Lab Rats comes in three different conditions ranging from Field-Tested to Factory New. The float values range from the highest float being capped at 0.35 all the way to the lowest float having a cap at 0.00.

Unlike all the other souvenir skins, the Lab Rats is one of the only souvenir skins in existence that has one singular set position for its sticker placement. This is very important because it makes it easier for collectors since they do not have to worry about the positioning of their stickers because there is only one sticker, and it is consistently in one single position on every Lab Rat. The Lab Rat's sticker is placed right above the trigger in the second sticker placement position closest to the back of the MP5.



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Want to make your "Red Rat" pattern Lab Rats look even better? Then apply iBuyPower and Mousesports stickers to it! The iBuyPower and Mousesports stickers perfectly match the red rat and are perfect for collectors and crafters! Some of the best name tags that I have seen used so far are "iRatsPower" and "Tom and Jerry."

Someone actually crafted a Kato 2014 Lab Rats! He applied a Mousesports 2014 Katowice Holo to the right part of the handguard on a #2 pattern Red Rat. Credit goes to Path for allowing us to feature his awesome Kato craft in this guide.

The MP5-SD Lab Rats is one of the few souvenir skins that have a variant pattern. The Lab Rat patterns are made in a "cookie-cutter" type fashion from a premade pattern template. For this reason, there are patterns of these Lab Rats that are the same. There is no one-of-a-kind MP5-SD Lab Rats pattern. The cookie-cutter design allows for duplicates and quality (ex. field-tested) does not play any part in the pattern of the gun.


Please do note that the pattern template below does not reflect the actual colors on the skin. The only available template of the Lab Rats pattern shows inverted colors. We have fixed this slightly by color-correcting the pattern template to the best of our ability to be as accurate as possible. You will notice below that there are multiple numbers in the template that are highlighted in red; having those on your skin is much more desirable. In the middle of the pattern, there is a red mama rat within the cluster of all the rats. Also, you will notice that there is a rat towards the top left of the pattern that is highlighted red which having that on your skin is known as the rare "Red Rat" pattern.

Pattern Description: It features a hydrographic pattern depicting a mischief of rats.


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The pattern doesn't only move up, down and sideways, it also tilts a little bit and its most noticeable with the numbers although it affects the whole pattern. I am saying this because in theory if there is a pattern with the head a bit higher and a bit more tilted forward, it could show the entire red rat on idle inspect.

Side-by-side comparison

Notice that the 12 above trigger doesn't only move, but it also tilts down in the 514 which is mainly why the 514 is better because the head is tilted up more making it a tiny bit more visible.

1. Inspect the Lab Rats in-game.
2. Hover over the "Item Certificate" on the bottom right of the inspection window.
3. CTRL + F the "Pattern Template" number to find it's ranking in the list below.

*Just because there is a red rat on the skin does not mean it is a Red Rat Pattern. Read the requirements below*

For the skin to qualify as a "Red Rat" pattern, more than 85% of the rat must be visible when inspecting it (not in-game). Also, it either needs to be on the handguard, above the trigger, or the suppressor/silencer of the MP5-SD. Make sure the red rat is on the play-side. The most desired and rarest area for the Red Rat pattern to appear is on the handguard. If you do get it on the handguard, it is preferred if it is placed in an area where the hands will not cover it (closer towards the back of the handguard without cutting off the body of the red rat). The #1 "Red Rat" pattern is about 1 in 200 so its two times as rare as the old blue leaf. Since the Red Rat is a rare pattern, it can carry a decent price tag depending on where it is located on the MP5-SD. Below I ranked the four "Red Rat" patterns and their pattern id for each from best to worst.

Exclusive Steam Group

If you do happen to own a "Red Rat" pattern that has a listed pattern ID down below, then request to join the exclusive "Red Rat" Collectors steam group by clicking HERE.

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Pattern IDs (Ranked from best to worst):
514 > 510 > 55 > 570 > 835 > 777 > 404 > 552 > 990 > 939 > 361 > 572 > 771

Although this pattern is somewhat common compared to the other red rat patterns, it has the good-overall visibility in-game and displays all of the rats as long as it is in the correct position. Pattern 514 is the #1 best overall "Red Rat" pattern in the game due to it having the best possible placement and also having some numbers on it.

It's important to point out that the 570 and 55 are ranked as high as they are because of their in-game visibility. The 514 and 510 are positioned very well on the weapon, but most of the rat still gets covered by the hand of the player in an idle hold.
The 55 and 570 have a higher position than the 514 and 510 and therefore have a better visibility of the mouth and leg of the rat in-game but because their position is so high, parts of the rat are cut off and cannot be seen in any way, which is why they cannot be considered the best patterns.

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Pattern IDs (Ranked from best to worst): 625 > 450 > 471 > 640 > 736 > 44 > 343

This pattern is still considered a Red Rat even though parts of the rat's body is cut off. While this pattern has the best viewing while in-game, a small part of its body does get cut-off. Since it is above the trigger, it is the closest pattern towards the user holding it making it have the best possible visibility. Pattern 625 is the best "Red Rat" pattern for above the trigger due to its placement.

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Pattern IDs (Ranked from best to worst):
133 > 297 > 479 > 979 > 927 > 590 > 616 > 174 > 554 > 424 > 689 > 845 > 310

This pattern is not as desirable as the three above because it is the hardest to see while using the skin in-game due to it being positioned all the way at the front of the MP5 on the silencer. The only way to see it while holding it is by inspecting it. Even though this is less desirable than the two other patterns up above, it still does hold a decent amount of value. Pattern 133 is the best "Red Rat" pattern for the silencer due to its placement.

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Pattern IDs (Ranked from best to worst):
104 > 66 > 255 > 558 > 706 > 298 > 119 > 899 > 519 > 379

Keep in mind that this red rat pattern has terrible placement and will get covered up by a hand while using it in-game. The only way to see it in-game while holding it is by inspecting it. It is the least desirable of "Red Rat" patterns and according to many traders, it is worth only market due to how common they are and their terrible visibility (...I know I lied at the beginning when I said I wouldn't go into pricing. This is just a little exception XD).

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Patterns that have a Red Rat on either the MAGAZINE or on the BACK-SIDE of the skin are FAKE RED RATS.

Any pattern that has a partial red rat on it but some of its body is cut off is considered a fake (This excludes red rats above the trigger). These patterns are worth nothing since they are relatively common and they are not a full rat (...Shoot I talked about pricing again). Be very careful when buying red rats due to how easily someone can shark someone else by telling them that their Lab Rats skin is a "Red Rat" when it is a fake. One of the patterns that are considered a fake red rat are red rats that are on the magazine. This is due to the magazine on the MP5 being extremely small leaving only enough room for less than 50% of the rat being visible.

An honorable mention goes to pattern 589 which is recognized as one of the few special fake red rat patterns out there. Although the rat's head is fully visible on the right side of the handguard, the rest of the body is cut-off and unfortunately it is less than 85% of the rat being visible :(.
You will notice that the rat's head sticks out from the far right border of the handguard. Although this pattern doesn't meet the necessary requirements of being a red rat pattern, it is still a cool pattern that deserves a notable mention.

Pattern IDs (Ranked from best to worst):
952 > 182 > 360 > 234 > 463 > 103 > 467 > 773 > 334 > 546 > 577 > 598 > 403 > 605 > 447 > 124 > 115

The red mama rat pattern is an upside-down rat that is on the handguard. While it is similar to the red rat pattern in color, it is much less hostile looking, and the shape is significantly different. Please be warned that this is not in any way, shape, or form a red rat pattern and anyone who claims that theirs is and has this pattern is lying. Pattern 952 is the best possible red mama rat pattern that you can get.

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Pattern IDs (Ranked from best to worst): 135 > 984 > 409 > 87 > 320 > 913 > 194 > 694 > 95 > 983 > 758

For it to be considered as a red mama rat silencer pattern, it must have the red mama rat on the silencer with its eye visible. The red mama rat silencer pattern can be identified as having turquoise on the handguard. While this is an impressive looking pattern color-wise, it is relatively common and does not hold that much value (...Broke my promise again sorry). Also, the red rat is behind the handguard on the red silencers, but it is not visible since it is not on the play-side. While although the red silencer pattern doesn't have a red handguard, it does have a blood-red colored silencer. Pattern 135 is the best possible Red Silencer pattern since it has the red mama rat pattern fully visible on the silencer.

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Pattern IDs (Ranked from best to worst):
59 > 237 > 462 > 797 > 859 > 212 > 800 > 864 > 369 > 740 > 446

The Red Fades are identified as having the handguard colored with light red. Although this is an excellent looking pattern color-wise, it is relatively common and does not hold that much value (...DId it again, I think that I am becoming a hypocrite).

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Possible numbers to get on your skin include: #5, #8, #9, #12, #13, and #14

While having numbers your Lab Rats is cool, rarely will it add any value to the skin. Also, it is possible to get a Red Rat pattern with numbers on the skin. In that case, if you do get it with a Red Rat pattern, it might slightly increase the value of the skin.

DISCLAIMER: Please note that this section is highly opinionated and is not meant to manipulate the prices of this skin. Please read this next section with a grain of salt.

Although this drop is a limited drop, there are many more factors that need to be considered when predicting the future prices of Lab Rats. First off, this is one of the first souvenir skins and one of the few CS:GO skins in the game that isn't obtained through unboxing a case. This is important because the drops will only last until January 9th of 2019. You are not able to unbox this skin, nor will you be able to trade up to it. This means that after January 9th there will be no other way to acquire Lab Rats unless you buy it straight from the Steam Community Market or trade with someone who happens to own one.

The next factor that needs to be deeply considered is how common this skin will become before January 9th. Although this skin is in very high demand at the moment, the supply has within the first three days of its release already surpassed the demand driving the prices of the Lab Rats down. Currently, factory new Lab Rats are sitting at around 0.70 cents for market price on the third day after its release. You can only assume that as time goes on, the demand is going to shrink while the supply only continues to grow. Soon almost everyone will have an MP5-SD Lab Rats, and it probably won't be regarded as highly as it is at the moment.

Steam market Lab Rat median sale prices rising from Dec. 10 to Dec. 12, as shown above.
(This does not include the sale of rare patterns).

Current outlook on Red Rat patterns:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McKpwSLwr0A

Last Edit: 07/11/2019

If you are interested in other skins that have rare patterns, then you should check out this guide linked below which showcases a complete list of patterns:

https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=700399956

In conclusion, while MP5-SD Lab Rats have become extremely common, it does have an extremely rare pattern that is hard to find. If you guys have any suggestions or corrections that could help improve this guide, then please leave a comment below. We will read every comment, and we are always looking for new suggestions. Also, if you have any further questions, feel free to ask us directly through our profiles. Our Steam names are Blizzard, Pelusa, and SeanErren. Please make sure you COMMENT on our profiles first telling us why you added us before you add one us. Please don't ask any of us for price checks; we will ignore you if you do. Don't forget to hit the like and favorite button if you enjoyed the guide!

Google Spreadsheet Pattern Data: Coming Soon!

Blizzard • Pelusa • SeanErren

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Other Useful Guides:

https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1528825070
https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1564950181
https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=568865100

Copyright 2018 [Blizzard, Pelusa, and SeanErren.] This item is not authorized for posting on Steam, except under the Steam accounts named either Blizzard, Pelusa, or SeanErren.