Army of Louis XIV vs the Allies!

I hadn't had my early 18th Century stuff on the table for a while, so I opened up the cupboards and pulled figures off the shelves so that i had a solid French force with Dutch, Prussian and Imperial opponents.

Nick and Ross were the French and Phil, Richard and I were the Allies. The scenario was a little convoluted. Prince Eugene had given one of his subordinates the task of proceeding down a valley and take a small village at the far end. The subordinate mistakenly  stopped and the first village where a brigade of Irish troops was installed and began to deploy his troops to besiege the village- the wrong village. Eugene arrives and orders the village to bypassed and get through the valley. The local French commander had managed to put a force of dragoons and second rate infantry together to block the advance- this was the starting point of the game.

Racing to get our troops across the table, the French managed to stop us every step of the way. The Allies moved too slowly and in the end the French had the victory. Eugene reduced his incompetent subordinate to a latrine boy!!!!

French Dragoons in the woods.

Allies to the right, French top left trying to cut off the allies advance.

Dutch cavalry attacked a French column - not a good ending for the German Regiment in French service- "Surbeck"

The center of the field- French to the left, Allies to the right.

The Dutch deploy.

Dutch Infantry deploy- with Imperial Cuirassiers on their left riding forward.

Dutch and Prussian Infantry

Dutch Cavalry charge into an enemy column.

The Irish in the village, once the allies had withdrawn the bulk of their force, advance out of their works to attack the Austrian cover force. The Albermarle regiment attacking the Austrians 

French Du Roi Dragoons evade into the woods

The French cavalry deeply to halt the Allied advance.

View from the French line- the Prussians seem to have a clear path thru the pass!!

The French guns and infantry deploy on the flank of the advancing allied

The French at the bottom and left - allies at top and right- Ross' rapid deployment of his infantry and Nick's throwing of his cavalry into the fray stopped the allies ( Richard Phil and I)