But if you do use a village, the problem then becomes how you place your troops inside it? I have seen a regiment of British infantry perched on top of a row of houses and a farmhouse before now. So when planning my town and village scenery, I decided to build some flexibility into them.
Timescale buildings on my own customised bases
The bases are square cut Foamex (like an MDF version of foamboard) which is easy to cut but is also robust. I aim to give all bases the same colour, use the same talus and drybrush the same - the reason being that they can then be put together to form larger BUA's (town, city) which have a consistent look and feel.
Need a town? Just push two villages (or 3 or 4) together! Having the same base materials helps them blend in
Before starting I mark out where the buildings are to go and draw around them with a pencil. Then the base is talused and flocked but the areas where the buildings are to go are left plain. Once complete, I add a couple of trees, walls, rocks etc.
The buildings are not glued to the base though. They rest upon their designated spot until troops contact the base of the BUA (thereby taking posession). The buildings are then moved - allowing the troops to sit on the base itself. Once they move out, the building is replaced.
As troops move in, the buildings are moved off - but its still clear which area they have taken posession of.
This flexibility does help in making battles go smoother - esepecially in Napoleonic rules (where occupying BUA's provides big bonuses for the defender).
Some bases allow for troops to move in without needing to remove the building.
The great thing about 6mm and 10mm wargaming. Enough scenery for 12 villages in a standard A4 box file!