Glad you asked. We'll go with 8th level, up to a +2 LA ignored, within reason. Standard wealth for 8th level, or 27,000gp. You'll also start with a handful of minions; up to five creatures, with a total CR no more than 8.<br/><br/>As a side note, having too many minions of different kinds imposes a morale penalty, so diversifying is not in your best interests.