Dark Wood vs Muddy Brown

How close are they?

ΔE 11.9, fair: the same colour family, but not a straight swap. Muddy Brown is more muted than Dark Wood. They are different kinds of paint: Army Painter Dark Wood is a one-coat contrast-style paint and Reaper Muddy Brown is an opaque base/layer paint, so they won’t behave the same on the model even where the colour is close.

Can I use Muddy Brown instead of Dark Wood?

Only where an exact match doesn’t matter, such as a new unit or a highlight. Fair match (ΔE 12). Muddy Brown is more muted than Dark Wood. They are different kinds of paint.

Can I use Dark Wood instead of Muddy Brown?

The same difference applies the other way round: Dark Wood is more saturated.

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.