Paints › Army Painter › Steel › vs Burnt IronSteel vs Burnt Iron
Brand Army Painter Range Warpaints Historical Code WP4038P Type a metallic Swatch #5a5a5e (estimate)
Brand Mr. Hobby Range Aqueous Hobby Color Code H-76 Type a metallic Swatch #7a6d73 (estimate) How close are they?
ΔE 10.5, fair: the same colour family, but not a straight swap. Burnt Iron is a little lighter than Steel.
Can I use Burnt Iron instead of Steel? Only where an exact match doesn’t matter, such as a new unit or a highlight. Fair match (ΔE 11). Burnt Iron is a little lighter than Steel.
Can I use Steel instead of Burnt Iron? The same difference applies the other way round: Steel 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 Steel on the colour wheel See Burnt Iron on the colour wheel
Other Mr. Hobby paints close to Steel Other Army Painter paints close to Burnt Iron All matches: Steel equivalents · Burnt Iron 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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