Historical boxed sets?

[Gluteus Maximus]

That's the thing. While 40k is pure fantasy, you can do what you want.
Try fielding a Peninsular force in Waterloo and you bet there is badly shaved, dysfuncional, balding, sausage and crisps smelling 47 year old pointing at your minis with bitten finger nails saying (with a raspy voice you only get by sitting in your old boysroom, living with mum and working as a self-lernt programmer from home):
-Those are Peninsular troops. Why do you bring Peninsular troops to Waterloo? You got the wrong regiments as well, and that white is to bright for a light company. Are you thick or just very retarded?-
 You are a obviously baffled as this is the most sentences this guy ever uttered in a row. Any other person and you'd start swinging that chair, aiming for his head. But, chocked, confused and a little bit sad, you pick your well-painted (but bright-white light infantry) and walk home. It starts to drizzle, you realise its november and that your wife got the car this evening. When you pass th club window, you see your nemesis smug at you while adjusting his glasses with his index finger. From that day you swear that you never do "gay napoleonics" again, and that if you ever ser him again while driving, you will try to hit him and if you miss, you'll kick into reverse and try to hit him with your thick, sharp Volvo door...

True, Naps gamers can be incredibly anal.... although if you've ever witnessed some smelly, greasy haired, socially inept GW fan-boy do the same with your 10 year old son's lovingly painted Ultramarines, you'll know fantasy/SF gamers can be just as bad. GW's Fantasy/SF gamers are far more rigid in their outlook and less forgiving than most "historical" gamers 

Said munchkin did escape without suffering violence, but his pride was dented by some well-aimed comments 

The main problem with this type of historical boxed set is as others have said, lack of common basing or organisation conventions. Probably the best you could do would be to offer figures in 10s and leave them unbased. There would still be too many complaints, though 

[Doomhippie]

I'm missing the part where your age-old nemesis winks at you while fondling your wife... 

I was just about to say it could be worse. It could be raining when I re-read your post and you've already been there...

Anyway, I think a boxed set only makes sense when the company is trying to go for the major league. Otherwise it might be too expensive to do. Just my thought.