We need an invested soldier bracket. I have been confusing Direforms for Magnified Ones (Yazed-im).
I do wonder regarding the logistics of the creation of a 1xKalad's Phantom vs 1xKoloss vs 1xRegal
So when it comes to fielding an army the speed at which numbers can be accrued and the associated investiture cost is something I would consider.
Shashara developed single breath awakening which was used to create the Phantom's - But I'm quite sceptical by the written prose that a Phantom would only take a single breath.
Happy to read anything that gives a clearer answer as to the cost. But could range from 50:1 (pre Manywar cost) to 1:1.
It does seem that the creation of a Phantom is going to be very involved. Clean skeleton, encased in stone which doesn't seem all that quick! I would really love to read Vasher's notebooks from his time developing them.
You could acquire the breath from a person and then use them to make the lifeless so that would go some way to limiting the external costs for creation.
Koloss is a 4:1 but it's rapid. I envisage a stacked table like the hemurgic poster so you can create the spikes and place them immediately.
I don't think there's any opportunity cost for a Regal, nothing has to be sacrificed to create a single soldier in the same way you would a Koloss or Lifeless.
In terms of timing you need a Highstorm (or at least you did) - You get a spike (hehe) in production every storm.
Account for no shardic intervention I think I would choose Regals, and if pressed Direforms.