Playing a necromancer, trying to figure out how to get the most followers possible. Here's where I'm at.

Myself
Dog
Dead Thrall 1
Dead Thrall 2
Companion
Companions summon

So I'm at a party of 6, can I get more (without using temporary quest followers.)

I've heard there's a glitch surrounding Cicero that allows you to recruit more than one follower, is there any truth to this?

Thanks in advance.

you might be able to get a horse into there, although they arn't really the best fighters (although shadowmere is invinciible). Other than that, try to get one temporary quest follower. Frenzy might be useful, as well as a summoned creature and summon that dark brotherhood guy, so you can count those as ally to you. That would bring your total to 11, which is more than enough to be honest

Oh yeah, didn't think of the DB ghost.
Any temporary quest followers you recommend? Say, any who are half decent at fighting and don't constantly bug you about continuing their quest?
Also read up on the Cicero glitch, seems you can hire him and an initiate.
Was thinking Barbas but apparently he whines constantly. Also, don't wanna temporarily hire anyone from the main quest (the blades woman and the old guy) as I intend to finish it, eventually.

Myself
Dog
Dead Thrall 1
Dead Thrall 2
Cicero
Initiate
Lucien

Holy crapola, that party sounds like a pain in the butt! I applaud your patience.
I couldn't stand more than 2 minutes with that dog.

Yeah I think Barbas is too annoying to keep.
Also not sure about the other dogs you can hire, apparently they're pretty weak. I'm fine with seeing people get slaughtered but animals... can't do it. Not even in games.

Wait a sec, if I give this merry bunch some summoning staffs, they'll all summon their own stuff, right?
Including my own, I think I could end up with a party of around 12.

[edit] Wait I can do better. Including all quest followers who it would be practical and unintrusive to keep around.

Myself
Dog
Dead Thrall 1
Dead Thrall 2
Cicero
Initiate
Lucien
My summon
Dead Thrall 1's Summon
Dead Thrall 2's Summon
Cicero's Summon
Initiate's Summon
---
Barbas
Eola
Farkas

So... 15?
There's a couple of others, but they both sound completely useless in combat and 15 seems overkill enough.

With that force you can take on the entire thalmore army

Also, I think there are a couple of dungeon quests that give you a temporary follower, I don't know if they will follow you out of the cave, but its worth a shot

Also Eola can summon on her own, so 16. Dayyum.

Hmm, can't put up with Barbas, eh? I didn't find him any worse than other dogs, but whatever.

Farkas? Doesn't he REPLACE your other follower(s)?

With so many followers, you are almost certain to get some friendly fire issues. Make sure nobody is using area spells!
I also hope you have a good system with plenty of cooling power. Mine would melt.

My hat's off to you.... I can't even stand dealing with ONE follower.

This. I am a solo act. I have on occasion used the conjure staff or rarely the conjure spells, though more often than not, they are just tactical distraction not expected to win. I don't know why, but for some reason I tend to think of resurrected dead and frenzied enemies as different than a permanent follower. I see that as tactical use of divide and conquer technique, while a follower seems a boring cheapening of the combat challenges. I do tend to bring a follower (Cicero on the one save or Faendal on a newer one) along strictly as a pack mule for loot. I'll leave the follower outside at first, and slowly bring them further in as I clear more of a place and gather loot up. Exception will be the dragon you can summon whenever I actually go that far into the main quest (have not yet in all my play time). Even then, I think I will likely just use it for straight dragon on dragon fights.

Lucien takes up one of your summon slots

I clear rooms with mayhem or calm entire rooms with harmony so followers and perma pets don't work out for me.

But I always was interested in walking around with an army. Two conjurer thralls, follower with sanguine rose, barbas and dog, etc.