introduction

The Wehrmacht, including the Waffen-SS, used very specific identification markings on its uniforms, including the usual combat badges and unit insignia. In addition, they employed a system of shoulder “boards” (really stiff fabric loops attached at the shoulder) to supplement collar tabs showing rank and membership in the various branches of service (infantry, panzers, etc.). The branches were classified by color (known as the Waffenfarbe, literally the "weapon color" but the meaning being closer to "branch of service color"):

Infantry: silver gray with white Waffenfarbe
Panzers: pink Waffenfarbe
Artillery (including FlaK batteries attached to other units): red Waffenfarbe
Panzergrenadiers/mountain troops: green Waffenfarbe
Recce/cavalry: ocher Waffenfarbe

One of the good things about modeling the Waffen-SS (as opposed to their regular Army counterparts) is that their insignia remained constant throughout the Third Reich. There are no early war/late war shoulder boards to choose, which requires some research into what the figures you’re modeling were wearing at any particular time. While the exigencies of war meant that some soldiers were undoubtedly wearing some EW items midway through the conflict, the lifespan of a garment was not such that you can use the EW markings for the Battle of Berlin. With the Waffen-SS, you can.

Alliance Modelworks has released a set of Waffen-SS that should cover just about any situation except specific units like Das Reich or Wiking.

the set

The set comes packed in the usual Alliance Modelworks poly bag with a stapled-on hang tag for display on a peg board. It contains:

1 sheet of decals
2 small frets of PE
1 sheet of instructions

the review

I hate doing Wehrmacht figures.

The pressure is just too great: what kind of uniform were they wearing at that point in the war? What unit-specific insignia did they have on their uniforms? And the intricate camouflage!

AMW has come to my rescue with this set and three others like it. The solution is pretty simple: offer a set of decals that covers most situations. The decals include helmet & cap eagles, sleeve patches & shoulder boards, various decorations (Iron Cross ribbons, plane destruction badges for FlaK troops), etc. The set even includes PE Iron Cross, combat badges and even some shoulder straps for figures with poor molded-on ones.

The decals have excellent registration, and are easy to apply. You should make sure to use a good wetting solution, and keep a sharp eye during application, as the decals can slip off the raised shoulder straps and collar tabs on many styrene figures (I have not tried them out on resin figures, but assume the same applies).

When dry, be sure to cover with a protective clear spray to prevent abrasion or harm from washes or pigment application.

conclusion

This set is a very good "one stop shopping" solution for finishing 1/35th Waffen-SS figures, and I recommend it highly. The quality of the decals is very high, and the instructions mean you don't need volumes of research to complete a diorama's worth of figures. And at the price, you can't really beat it.

Thanks to Alliance Model Works for providing this review sample. Be sure to mention you saw it reviewed here on Armorama when ordering.