For any ambitious military noble serving the king the ultimate prize was to be appointed commander-in-chief of one of the royal armies. It was a highly demanding job, but the potential rewards it could generate for an individual and his family were great indeed. Very few generals were as self-effacing as Nicolas Catinat, and as deeply reluctant as he to exploit their position and good credit with the king to advance their relatives. For all that, there were around 20,000 nobles in military or naval service at the peak of mobilisation during the 1690s, yet only a handful of armies and fleets to command. Even for those who made it to the rank of general few could seriously expect to reach the very top of the ladder. Many were called, but few were chosen. This chapter will accordingly seek to explain the criteria by which Louis XIV made some of his appointments to command and his promotions to general rank, while the final chapter of this book will examine the means he deployed to encourage good service among his most senior officers.