Vive Le Roi!

The Malburian game last night was a game of mixed fortune and mixed emotions for me.
At it's best it proved several in-house theories correct and gave the French a long awaited victory. At worst that victory came with another player in command of my troops.

The battle was an even points affair with the French having more horse (especially on their left flank - the oly open ground availble) and it was this that turned the tide in the allies favour. Twenty squadrons of French, including six of Maison du Roi, faced fifteen allied sqaudrons. The Maison du Roi were held up for many moves by some stubborn Danish horse but eventually won through relatively unscathed and at the end of the game were sitting ready to ride down the flank of the remaining allied battalions.

On the allied right flank things were more in our favour. Despite being outnumbered two to one in infantry here the ground and room for deployment gave the allies the advantage. So it was that by pushing some dragoons on foot through the central woods and then having the Danish foot in line, the allies held the flank all night. The moment of decision came when the Bavarian second dragoons charged the Danish foot guards (at this point reduced by a third in strength). The guards held their fire and emptied almost two thirds of the saddles of the charging horse. The guards had already seen off two foot battalions and now held the flank with support from the Dutch horse and Cadogans horse.
The center was a more closely contested affair. Six allied battalions (half english half Dutch, including the dutch guard), faced ten French and Bavarian battalions (including a battalion of French foot guards and the combined Bavarian grenadiers). At the end of the game the allies still had three battalions in reasonable order but faced six battalions of French in good order still. The Dutch guards had carried the first line of French but were stopped by the second although even that was a close thing (despite the guards being under half strength), it requiring Marshal Villeroi to booster the French morale. The Royal Irish lived upto their reputation and stubbornly refused to lie down putting large dents in three Bavarian battalions (including the grenadiers).

So what did it prove?
Well it proved that the English line battalions are stubborn and difficult to remove no matter who is in command of them. It also showed that the Dutch guards are earning a fearsome reputation with the second game in a row seeing them defeat superior numbers.
It also showed me why Mark dislikes my Masion du Roi. Not only do they look imposing enmasse they are very hard to stop.

but the very wrst thing last night was that my french won without me in command. that can only mean one thing - it's not the army that has a problem just their commander!