tech. query: mlvl of SU minions?

[adeyke]

Would it be roughly correct that any "container" pop, like this, is ~ area_level for ilvl?

It's always exactly equal.

I'm sure ethereal and various "low quality" items don't spawn with sockets (apart from "forced" eth uniques with sockets, if such exist). Does LQ affect socketing in any other way? (e.g. a cap on # sockets or something?)

Ethereal items can spawn with sockets normally. I don't think etherealness ever affects sockets at all.

I don't know about low quality items.

I assume I can't horcube normalize this item before socketing, as ilvl 1 results and gives on 3 max sockets?

Correct.

Looks like I can normalize after though (the cubemain recipe doesn't say "nos" e.g.). Ah, but it rerolls the item and zaps the sockets, doesn't it?

Correct.

Recently on trade forum it was observed that none of us can remember seeing a LQ phase blade. Is there some ilvl/qlvl deal going on here where really good base items never show up as LQ?

I hadn't heard anything about that before. My guess (and it is just a gues) would be that such low quality items just aren't noticed, so no one remembers finding them.