Just a game of soldiers ?

I am in something of a reflective mood right now. Phase 1 of our planned relocation to Spain is complete, we have a new home in Ador, Gandia, bought and paid for, that we are currently furnishing, and we look forward to many happy years here together. It was a huge step, to sell up and move to another country, not to be undertaken lightly, but we both feel very much at home here already and have not a single regret ..... well possibly the English Ale, but at least I found it in cans! 

The new house has an 'underbuild' actually a large garage with access down from the main house, it is fully finished with plastered white walls and tiled floor to match the main upstairs, far too nice to use for the car which can sit beneath the integral porch to keep the sun off it. Domestic negotiations are still at an early stage, but I have made my case for the occasional use of this space for the playing of the wargame on a temporary table as and when not in use for visiting family extra accommodation. We are going to have the roll over garage door replaced with double patio sliding doors so it will become the perfect multi function space.

I very much doubt that I will want to play much more than a good old fashioned simple game of soldiers with my 40mm Napoloenics, although I do still intend to paint and expand them. I'd like to build them into 24 figure battalions for the infantry and 16 for the cavalry, with the artillery being a couple of pieces each. I have sufficient figures here for about 4 such battalions per side with a bit of extra painting work, a very good start. I really just want to be able to take them from the display shelf, place them on the table and fight a simple battle in an hour or two every so often.

I set up a 24 figure battalion for  a few pics below, together with a couple of French guns and crews, I think 24 figures looks about right in this scale?  I have a bit of basing to do this week having managed to find a supplier of such materials nearby, card, glue, filler, ruler. Stanley type knife etc.