In the pot, Asurmen Blue reads as a cool blue, mid-tone and vivid. For modelling, drop to Talassar Blue in the recesses and step up to Pylar Glacier on the edges, both Citadel paints. Asurmen Blue is a little less common: the closest same-finish match, The Army Painter Tidal Wave, reaches 83 percent, and 1 other brand carries a strong same-finish alternative. Any substitute is a mixing base rather than a drop-in, so tune it on the model.
Asurmen Blue equivalents and near misses
Fair warning: nothing matches Citadel Asurmen Blue cleanly. The options below are the least bad, and every one of them drifts.
Closest The Army Painter equivalent: The Army Painter Tidal Wave, close, with a hint of drift side by side (delta E 3.5).
Best Vallejo option: Vallejo Blue Wash, workable at tabletop distance, not up close (delta E 6.3).
From Tamiya: Tamiya Clear Blue, a usable stand-in rather than a twin (delta E 6.8).
The Two Thin Coats pick: Two Thin Coats Relic Blue, close enough that batch variation matters more (delta E 1.9), but it is an opaque acrylic so treat it as a color reference, not a swap.
The honest caveat: The Army Painter Tidal Wave dries slightly darker than Asurmen Blue, so expect recess shading and edge highlights to shift with it.
How to read the score
90+Close
80sUsable
<70Mix
The Army Painter
Vallejo
Tamiya
Two Thin Coats
Humbrol
Scale75
Revell
Monument Pro Acryl
About this color
Color profile
Highlight and shade ladder
Pairs well with
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Frequently asked
What is the closest equivalent to Citadel Asurmen Blue?
The closest same-finish match is The Army Painter Tidal Wave at 83% color similarity.
Is Asurmen Blue a one-coat paint?
Asurmen Blue is a contrast paint, made to basecoat and shade in a single pass over a light primer. One coat drops color into the recesses and leaves the raised areas brighter; a second coat deepens the tone if you want it richer.
What do I highlight and shade Asurmen Blue with?
Highlight Asurmen Blue toward Pylar Glacier and shade it down into Talassar Blue, both Citadel paints in the same finish family.