[tinkthank]

I can only judge from Pythium, but 5 to 1 is too small for a long battle.

8 to 1 is minimum if you go past 20 turns or so. I only feel safe with 12+ slaves per master, usually without reinvig items (no time to forge all those), so 16 or more is usually the ratio I like to have.

This is with Quickness cast. Pythium gets this easily, and I always use it.

Note that Pythium's casters have 8 encumbrance, I think.