Colonial Campaigns Club (CCC)

I realise this is off-topic, but it is in-era, so here goes. Which of Napoleon's Marshals would you rate as "best". Please supply your reasons as well as your choices. For myself I will choose Davout and Berthier. Davout's unswerving loyalty, his great dignity, his care for his soldiers, and his superb battlefield performance make him my #1 choice as a commander. I always felt that Boney was jealous/wary of Davout, and that was why he allowed the Marshal to rot in Hamburg in 1814; also why Davout was given no field command in 1815 - Napoleon needed to regain his power by himself and could not appear to lean on anyone else. Davout might have been too succesful in the field and thus could have detracted from l'Empereur's gloire.

Berthier gets the nod for his outstanding ability as chief-of-staff. He managed to satisfy one of history's greatest ogres and made sense from his master's fragmentary and scattered directions. True, he was a submissive dude, taking abuse from Napoleon on a regular basis, but this should not take away from his accomplishments as C-o-S.

That's my two pence; let's have yours.

Sir, I agree on the choice of Marshal Davout. He saved the day many times and I think Napoleon would have won at the Waterloo campaign if Davout had been there instead of Grouchy or Ney. Also Suchet should be up there. As for Berthier, granted he was a great Chief of staff but his performance at the head of troops was not that great in the least.

Sir, Davout was the go to man in many campaigns, and one of the few who could be trusted with independent command. He more than showed his ability at Auerstadt and at Eckmuhl. Most of the rest could not do the things that Davout did.
Ney gets points for personal bravery and charisma, although not much in the brains department. Massena and Lannes were also highly trusted and respected as independent commanders by Napoleon. The last two go way back with Bonaparte.