Paints › Army Painter › Rough Iron › vs Honed SteelRough Iron vs Honed Steel
Brand Army Painter Range Warpaints Fanatic Type a metallic Swatch #3a3a3a (estimate)
Brand Reaper Range MSP Metallics Code 09053 Type a metallic Swatch #5a5a5a (estimate) How close are they?
ΔE 13.8, fair: the same colour family, but not a straight swap. Honed Steel is noticeably lighter than Rough Iron.
Can I use Honed Steel instead of Rough Iron? Only where an exact match doesn’t matter, such as a new unit or a highlight. Fair match (ΔE 14). Honed Steel is noticeably lighter than Rough Iron.
Can I use Rough Iron instead of Honed Steel? The same difference applies the other way round: Rough Iron is noticeably 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 Honed Steel on the colour wheel
Other Reaper paints close to Rough Iron Other Army Painter paints close to Honed Steel All matches: Rough Iron equivalents · Honed 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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