Tainted Gold is a mid-tone moderate metallic gold with a warm undertone. For modelling, drop to Weapon Bronze in the recesses and step up to Brazen Copper on the edges, both The Army Painter paints. Substitutes are thinner on the ground; Humbrol Metalcote Satin Bronze is the nearest same-finish option at 87 percent, with 2 brands in strong-match range. Cross-brand swaps are adjust-on-model territory here, useful as a starting point rather than an exact replacement.
Tainted Gold equivalents in other ranges
Tainted Gold is awkward to replace. Treat the matches below as starting points for a mix rather than straight swaps.
Closest Humbrol equivalent: Humbrol Metalcote Satin Bronze, a near match with visible drift up close (delta E 2.6).
From Monument Pro Acryl: Monument Pro Acryl Bright Gold, close, with a hint of drift side by side (delta E 3.4).
Citadel's closest color: Citadel Liberator Gold, workable at tabletop distance, not up close (delta E 6.0).
Nearest in the Vallejo catalog: Vallejo Gold, a usable stand-in rather than a twin (delta E 6.0).
The honest caveat: Humbrol Metalcote Satin Bronze dries slightly cooler and more muted than Tainted Gold, so expect recess shading and edge highlights to shift with it.
How to read the score
90+Close
80sUsable
<70Mix
Humbrol
Monument Pro Acryl
Citadel
Vallejo
P3 Paints
AK Interactive
Two Thin Coats
Scale75
Tamiya
Green Stuff World
Revell
About this color
Color profile
Highlight and shade ladder
Pairs well with
Try any paint in the scheme toolMatch difficulty
Found in 2 other brands with a same-finish match.
Where painters use it
Frequently asked
What is the closest equivalent to The Army Painter Tainted Gold?
The closest same-finish match is Humbrol Metalcote Satin Bronze at 87% color similarity.
What finish is Tainted Gold?
Tainted Gold is a metallic paint with a gold tone and a reflective finish. Because the shine comes from metal flake, a flat paint can match the color and still be wrong for the job, which is why cross-finish matches here are references rather than swaps.
What do I highlight and shade Tainted Gold with?
Highlight Tainted Gold toward Brazen Copper and shade it down into Weapon Bronze, both The Army Painter paints in the same finish family.