Paints › Army Painter › Mithril › vs Tarnished SteelMithril vs Tarnished Steel
Brand Army Painter Range Warpaints Fanatic Type a metallic Swatch #b8bcc0 (estimate)
Brand Reaper Range MSP Metallics Code 09206 Type a metallic Swatch #9e9c9b (estimate) How close are they?
ΔE 12.1, fair: the same colour family, but not a straight swap. Tarnished Steel is noticeably darker than Mithril.
Can I use Tarnished Steel instead of Mithril? Only where an exact match doesn’t matter, such as a new unit or a highlight. Fair match (ΔE 12). Tarnished Steel is noticeably darker than Mithril.
Can I use Mithril instead of Tarnished Steel? The same difference applies the other way round: Mithril is noticeably lighter.
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 Mithril on the colour wheel See Tarnished Steel on the colour wheel
Other Reaper paints close to Mithril Other Army Painter paints close to Tarnished Steel All matches: Mithril equivalents · Tarnished Steel 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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