Best Army Ever!

[Sandinista]

Louis XIV had a pretty mean army, dominated for quite a long time

Cheers
Ian

[fsn]

Alexander the Great did quite well, but an army can only really be judged on how it performed in it's own time and level of technology.

Aye. That's the point. Alexander combined the pike with some excellent cavalry. The weakness of his army was perhaps its dependence on Alexander himself.

Louis XIV had a pretty mean army, dominated for quite a long time

Hmmm ... what made it so good? Wasn't it up against Frederick for a while? Also, at 72 years, his was a pretty long reign.

What made it so good? Apart from some excellent engineers?

[Sandinista]

Louis had the best cavalry in Europe at the time, finance and organisation helped

Cheers
Ian

[Leman]

Which Frederick? The Great fought Louis XV.

[T13A]

The Army of Northern Virginia.

Why? The Seven Days, Second Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg (OK, slight hiccup), the Wilderness, Spotsylvania ..........

Cheers Paul 

[Westmarcher]

I understand that the quality of the early armies of Louis XIV was due to the establishment and maintenance of a permanent regimental system. And, of course, they had the great Turenne as an army commander until his death in 1675. However, it wasn't only quality but quantity that made it a great army. Wars of that time were largely attritional (witness the many sieges) and with France being the wealthiest power much of its success particularly in the early years (it didn't do too well in the WSS) was down to the sheer size of its army (it was the largest in Europe).

I'll probably come up with another one later but one of the best armies that springs to my mind would be the Grande Armee of 1805-07 which defeated the armies of Austria, Prussia and Russia.

p.s. @fsn: Nobby, as Leman suggested, possibly the Frederick you were thinking of was of another era? @T13A: The Army of Northern Virginia is also a good one.

[fsn]

p.s. @fsn: Nobby, as Leman suggested, possibly the Frederick you were thinking of was of another era?

Yeah - brain f**t.  Got me XIV and XV muxed dip. 

I try and read about the lace wars, but my brain just sort of gives up and says "why not just go to the Napoleonics instead?"

Anyway, part of the reason for the question is to show a light on my ignorance. I have a mental block between 1415 and 1808, and on at least 4 continents.

[Orcs]

Worms, especially the first edition of the game!

Especially when armed with the concrete Donkey and the exploding banana bomb

[Orcs]

The Salvation Army. They make a point of not going round killing people.

Yes they do some quite amazing stuff

[Leman]

Yeah - brain f**t.  Got me XIV and XV muxed dip. 

I try and read about the lace wars, but my brain just sort of gives up and says "why not just go to the Napoleonics instead?"

Anyway, part of the reason for the question is to show a light on my ignorance. I have a mental block between 1415 and 1808, and on at least 4 continents.

Not to worry old boy; I have a mental block on anything post 1930, or that involves faeries.

[nikharwood]

Barmy:

[d_Guy]

The first one was reminicent of "Zulu" - the movie

[Leman]

My 'best armies' are the ones I have most enjoyed putting together, regardless of how they perform on the table. For me it would be Belgian 1914, French 1870, Prussian 1756, Venetian 1509 and Seleucid c200BC. The last two are 15mm. I think my 28mm Papal 1512 may well join them. As you can see, mostly they were not particularly successful, but they've been the best fun for me.

[FierceKitty]

Gotta love Seleucids. And they win quite often too. You don't have to deploy elephants among your pikemen.

[SV52]

Romans: Polybian to early Imperial.  Destroyed their only rival in the Med. Took known Europe.  Disaster in forest in Germany was a side show; the empire building continued, to be consciously reined back in the Hadrianic period.