Paints › Golden › Mars Black › vs NATO BlackMars Black vs NATO Black
Brand Golden Range Heavy Body Acrylics Type an opaque base/layer paint Swatch #191c1a (estimate)
Brand Vallejo Range Model Air Code 71.251 Type an opaque base/layer paint Swatch #28282b (estimate) How close are they?
ΔE 7.4, close: similar, with a visible difference side by side. NATO Black is a little lighter than Mars Black.
Can I use NATO Black instead of Mars Black? Usually, if you are not matching paint already on the model. Close match (ΔE 7). NATO Black is a little lighter than Mars Black.
Can I use Mars Black instead of NATO Black? The same difference applies the other way round: Mars Black 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 Mars Black on the colour wheel See NATO Black on the colour wheel
Other Vallejo paints close to Mars Black Other Golden paints close to NATO Black All matches: Mars Black equivalents · NATO Black 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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