Following on from my earlier test run of the new rules (adapted from a Battlegames article) for my Sun King figures, two wargaming friends came round for a game to try them out. It was a straightforward attack and defence game, the French on the attack, the Dutch/Austrians on the defence holding a ridge line. The game was fought on my hex terrain, skilfully upgraded by Steve from their original form, the board being 8' by 4'. Opinions were positive about the new rules, with only one amendment made, and they certainly provided a faster pace game than the previous set we have used. Below is a range of pictures from the action. Honours went to the French after some furious cavalry battles on the right flank and a brave charge up the ridge by their infantry.

The battlefield, Dutch/Austrians on the left, French on the right.

Figures are mostly North Star, some Old Glory, and a few League of Augsburg.

The Dutch infantry and artillery holding the ridge.

The French centre and left wing.

The French right wing.

French Foot Regiments.

More French Foot Regiments.

The unit in brown coats is the Royal Italien, heir to Cardinal Mazarin's Foot Regiment of the 1650s. 

The French left wing cavalry.

The French right wing cavalry.

The Dutch/Austrian left wing cavalry - three units of Austrian Hussars,

very colourful but also very unreliable! The figures are Old Glory.

The Dutch/Austrian right wing cavalry - a regiment of Austrian Cuirassiers (two big squadrons)

and two regiments of Dutch Horse, each of two squadrons.

A Dutch medium cannon. All my guns are from League of Augsburg.

A Dutch Dragoon regiment.

Two Dutch Foot regiments; Aylva on the left Beaumont on the right.

The Dutch Beaumont Foot Regiment.

The Dutch Vrijbergen Regiment, all marines off their warships, so armed with flintlocks but no pikes. It was the first time they had appeared in a wargame and, as usual with brand new units, they performed rather disappointingly!

The main cavalry engagement, which proved to be a see-saw affair, neither side gaining an advantage for quite some time. The dice show a unit's Fatigue Points.

The French infantry attack moves up the ridge.

The cavalry fight on the opposite side of the battle.

The hussars performed rather badly and were chased off by the Dutch cavalry.

Towards the end of the game, a unit of French guard cavalry charged a Dutch infantry regiment in Stand of Pikes (the 17th Century equivalent of a Napoleonic square).

 The cavalry were, not unsurprisingly, beaten off.

The final stages of the game, with disaster all around for the Dutch, being driven off the ridge in the background and about to be overwhelmed at the bottom of the picture, having been caught in the wrong formation.