Paints › Army Painter › Rough Iron › vs Shadowed SteelRough Iron vs Shadowed Steel
Brand Army Painter Range Warpaints Air Type a metallic Swatch #3a3030 (estimate)
Brand Reaper Range MSP Metallics Code 09052 Type a metallic Swatch #3b3938 (estimate) How close are they?
ΔE 5.1, very close: most people won’t see a difference side by side. Shadowed Steel is a little lighter than Rough Iron.
Can I use Shadowed Steel instead of Rough Iron? Yes, for most jobs. Very close match (ΔE 5). Shadowed Steel is a little lighter than Rough Iron.
Can I use Rough Iron instead of Shadowed Steel? The same difference applies the other way round: Rough Iron is a little darker.
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 Rough Iron on the colour wheel See Shadowed Steel on the colour wheel
Other Reaper paints close to Rough Iron Other Army Painter paints close to Shadowed Steel All matches: Rough Iron equivalents · Shadowed 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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