Citadel (Games Workshop) · Layer

Administratum Grey Paint Guide

Citadel (Games Workshop) Layer #989C94
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Administratum Grey paint guide
Administratum Grey Paint Guide

The closest Administratum Grey equivalent is Silver Grey (70.883) (Vallejo Model Color) (ΔE 2.5).

Administratum Grey is a layer from Citadel (Games Workshop), commonly used for armour plates, cloth, and trim work.

Quick Equivalents

  • Closest equivalent: Silver Grey (70.883) (Vallejo Model Color) – ΔE 2.5
  • Vallejo equivalent: Silver Grey (70.883) (Vallejo Model Color) – ΔE 2.5
  • Army Painter equivalent: Mouldy Clothes (Army Painter) – ΔE 12.2

How to Use Administratum Grey

This paint is typically used for:

  • Layering
  • Drybrushing

Apply it over a suitable primer and build layers gradually. Coverage sits around medium, so two thin coats usually give a more stable finish than one heavy pass, especially over a dark primer.

Paint Behavior and Tips

Consider the following when working with this paint:

  • Coverage: medium — affects how many coats are needed over primer
  • Dilution: légère à modérée pour layering — keeping the right ratio maintains flow and prevents brushmarks
  • Interaction with washes and highlights: always run a highlight pass to verify the tone does not shift after drying

A good equivalent should remain stable after shading and highlighting. Test this alternative on the same primer and in the same recipe before switching a whole unit.

Miniature Painting Tips

For best results with Administratum Grey on Warhammer and other miniature projects:

  • Use the same primer across the project to keep tonal consistency
  • Test on a spare part before applying to a full unit
  • Compare after shading and highlights, not just the base coat

Even small differences can become visible on a finished miniature. This match may behave differently on textured surfaces like cloth, fur, and metal trim once the full recipe is applied.

Conclusion

Choosing the right Administratum Grey equivalent ensures consistent results across your painting workflow. Use this page as a paint conversion chart to compare the Vallejo equivalent, the Army Painter equivalent, and other close options before committing to a full army.

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💡 Tip

Use Administratum Grey as your main layer colour and build it up with thin, controlled coats. It has medium coverage. Thin it lightly to moderately for layering. Good companion colours include Dawnstone, Nuln Oil, Mechanicus Standard Grey and Eshin Grey.

Do not force the basecoat into an NMM-style finish. It behaves much better in a standard layered workflow.

✅ Techniques
Layering Drybrushing Highlighting
Direct answer
How to use Administratum Grey and where to be careful

Use Administratum Grey as your main layer colour and build it up with thin, controlled coats. It has medium coverage. Thin it lightly to moderately for layering. Good companion colours include Dawnstone, Nuln Oil, Mechanicus Standard Grey and Eshin Grey.

  • Citadel (Games Workshop) · Layer
  • Layer · #989C94
  • Best for Layering, Drybrushing, Highlighting
  • Pairs well with Dawnstone, Nuln Oil, Mechanicus Standard Grey

Method

This summary is built from the local usage notes, structured paint detail data, and the same Delta-E matching system used across ChromaStack.

Limits

Do not force the basecoat into an NMM-style finish. It behaves much better in a standard layered workflow.