Dominions Nations Evaluations ;)

[thejeff]

Gandalf Parker said:
Also, the use of Pans wandering thru provinces dropping maenads each turn can be very effective. There is no "waste of a turn" there. Without ever becoming visible they create combats each turn testing the defenses of their opponent, forcing expenditure in defense, slowing the movement of armies, and gaining extremely detailed information on the enemy.

You've suggested this before and I still can't see how it's effective. The maenads lack a leader and thus autoroute. 1PD is enough to beat them. So there's essentially no defense expenditure, it doesn't slow army movement. You do get detailed info, but 300+ gold is a lot for an improved scout.
And the trail of maenads lets him know where your Pan is going. It should also only work in turmoil, or do they still get a few in enemy order dominion?
What am I missing?