D&D 5E Attack of the Clones: Simulacrum

[cake quarry]

You are correct that it's not an exponential growth scenario; each clone can only produce one more. However, wish has a 1-action casting time, so the growth, while linear, is very rapid. In one hour, you can have 600 clones. In twelve hours, you can have over seven thousand.

They will, of course, be lacking 9th- and 7th-level slots (since you used your 7th-level slot to cast simulacrum, and each clone has to cast wish to create the next in the chain). That makes them roughly equivalent to 13th-level wizards, only with an 8th-level slot instead of a 7th-level one. Seven thousand 13th-level wizards is... scary, to say the least.

why would they not have 7th level slots if you rest and then they duplicate you with a 7th level spell slot then the new simmulacri would have 7th level spell slots

 

[cake quarry]

Have not read the whole thread but dealing with one simulacrum I recommend dispel magic. If you want to deal with loads of them at once I would argue anti-magic field kills them off if they are in the aura, so you could just run through the army instantly killing them whilst they have no real defence as they are all spell casters.

why would it kill them? the spell anti-magic feil would only make them blink out of existence untill it was "turned off"