This is a common color; 4 other brands cover it, the nearest being Two Thin Coats Plate Armour at 94 percent. Color-wise this is a muted, mid-tone metallic silver leaning neutral. For modelling, drop to Gun Metal in the recesses and step up to Flat Aluminium on the edges, both Tamiya paints. In practice you can substitute across brands here without anyone noticing at arm's length.
Metallic Grey equivalents, brand by brand
Several ranges orbit this color without landing on it. Here is the closest each brand manages, nearest first:
- Closest Two Thin Coats equivalent: Two Thin Coats Plate Armour, a swap nobody spots at arm's length (delta E 1.1).
- Humbrol's closest color: Humbrol Metalcote Polished Steel, a near match with visible drift up close (delta E 3.7).
- Nearest in the Citadel catalog: Citadel Runefang Steel, close, with a hint of drift side by side (delta E 3.9).
- Best P3 Paints option: P3 Paints Quick Silver, workable at tabletop distance, not up close (delta E 4.1).
- From AK Interactive: AK Interactive Dark Aluminium, a usable stand-in rather than a twin (delta E 7.7).
- Monument Pro Acryl's closest color: Monument Pro Acryl Silver, workable at tabletop distance, not up close (delta E 7.7).
We checked the Lab numbers for a hidden catch and there is none: lightness and temperature both line up, so this swap is as safe as they come.
How to read the score
90+Close
80sUsable
<70Mix
Two Thin Coats
Humbrol
Citadel
P3 Paints
AK Interactive
Monument Pro Acryl
Vallejo
The Army Painter
Scale75
Revell
Green Stuff World
About this color
Color profile
Highlight and shade ladder
Match difficulty
Found in 4 other brands with a same-finish match.
Where painters use it
Frequently asked
What is the closest equivalent to Tamiya Metallic Grey?
The closest same-finish match is Two Thin Coats Plate Armour at 94% color similarity.
Is there a Citadel equivalent of Metallic Grey?
Yes. The closest Citadel option is Runefang Steel at 80%, a same-finish match.
What finish is Metallic Grey?
Metallic Grey is a metallic paint with a silver 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 Metallic Grey with?
Highlight Metallic Grey toward Flat Aluminium and shade it down into Gun Metal, both Tamiya paints in the same finish family.