I just finished "decaling" my defense using the Tudor decals, and I would offer some observations to Kirk's advice, which is spot on.
First, I never trimmed the flash from my figures before painting, which left the legs a little bumpier than I would have liked for the stripes. TRIM. Socks too!
My first batch was done without any decal set, and while they went on, they also didn't seem to take as well--one stripe fell off when I began my second round of decals--so I'm glad I didn't get too far.
I only was able to get my hands on Testors decal set, but it worked a charm. I brushed it on before and after each decal, and they look great. I didn't use a dish of water, rather, I used a wet sponge, which worked great, especially for the sock stripes, which I curled before I put them on the sponge, making the application much easier. I didn't need a q-tip or anything to absorb the added water, because they weren't soaking...the brush helped them into place.
I gotta finish my offense, then figure out these face masks!!! Good luck!