It was about 1968 that I made my first " Battle of Waterloo" with my youngest brother. Soon we found out that the Aifix soldiers we used would fall down when you made a soft bump to the table. In a few moths I became a master in cutting of the plastic base of the feet from the soldiers and making solid steel pins in their legs. So the soldiers would always stay solid in the battlefield (unless they where shot) and it looked much more natural. Also they where easy to remove.

On the left, you see the original plastic base for the horses. With this base it is impossible to give the horse a natural look on a hilly underground

By using steel pins, the horses look more natural and you don't see the ugly plastic plate under their feet. The riders are glued to the horse, so I don't ever have problems with falling soldiers on my battlefield

Also these Afrikakorps soldiers have pins.

As a ground to my battlefield, I used softboard, that is used under laminated wooden floors. The hills, I made from carton boxes with papermaché. After drying, paint it black with thick plakat paint and sprinkle grass and mud structure from miniature trains.

After drying you can put the soldiers in the ground as many times as you like.

I have made my battlefield on a wooden table with wheel, so I can push it over to the other wall, this saves space. But, just imagine,how many soldiers would fall down if I had placed them in the normal way with plastic bases under their feet!

Thausands and thousands of soldiers I prepared with steel pins. The horses in their bellies, the foot soldiers in their legs.  

You see, even without cluing your figure on the ground, it will stand and hold his position