Paints › AMMO by Mig › Steel Shadow › vs Shadow ThornSteel Shadow vs Shadow Thorn
Brand AMMO by Mig Range IONIC Smart Colors Code IONIC-0167 Type an opaque base/layer paint Swatch #253746 (estimate)
Brand Army Painter Range John Blanche Vol. 1-4 Code Vol. 3 Type an opaque base/layer paint Swatch #003f5e (estimate) How close are they?
ΔE 12.4, fair: the same colour family, but not a straight swap. Shadow Thorn is much more saturated than Steel Shadow.
Can I use Shadow Thorn instead of Steel Shadow? Only where an exact match doesn’t matter, such as a new unit or a highlight. Fair match (ΔE 12). Shadow Thorn is much more saturated than Steel Shadow.
Can I use Steel Shadow instead of Shadow Thorn? The same difference applies the other way round: Steel Shadow is much more muted.
ΔE is the colour difference between our two swatch estimates: under about 6 is close, over about 15 is loose. Real paints also differ in finish, coverage and how they thin, so test before you commit.
See Steel Shadow on the colour wheel See Shadow Thorn on the colour wheel
Other Army Painter paints close to Steel Shadow Other AMMO by Mig paints close to Shadow Thorn All matches: Steel Shadow equivalents · Shadow Thorn equivalents
© 2026 AK Tabletop Studio. Swatch colours are estimates and will differ from the real paints; cross-brand matches are close, never exact.
Chart-listed matches come from the Two Thin Coats Paint Comparison Chart 2024, the Army Painter Warpaints Fanatic conversion chart, the AK 3rd Generation Acrylics equivalence table (2021) and the Herrick Games hobby paint comparison chart; the rest are a nearest-colour calculation.
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