Wait, you'd make the things for<em>combat</em>? No no no. If you want high powered combat mooks you use alchemy and jump them up on Wind-Fire. Triples your magnitude and provides a dot of might right out the gate, and it addicts them so they'll always be ready for more. A very efficient little toy.<br/>You use amalgams for crafting, for politicking, for guardianship. They are the voice and the eye, perfect for managing followers and cultists and conquered regions. The gift of power and authority to the favored servant.<br/><br/>As for the thing, by the core rules you can chop the resources cost down to 3 and make it a difficulty 4 crafting roll with a 4 day dramatic action. A terrestrial spell, Incantation of Effective Restoration, ensures that you don't screw up. The stone is the only limiting factor, and the export of good stone is something of a major industry at this technology level. Yeah if you get an ST that sees that and thinks "oh, wow, that must be really hard to get" you're screwed. But there's no reason it should be.