I tried a minion build Erebus earlier, man it sucked so bad. Just as I was complaining about it too, my connection broke, I guess everyone else thought I was ragequitting!!! 
The problem I found is that the minions are too slow for one thing, then they get completely smashed by AOE. Minions need to be ranged to be any good, melee minions are useless due to the speed and pathing issues. The only viable strategy I see for minions is to use them at a secondary location. The trouble is then that you have a gimped general and a slightly buff creep wave.
That said one of the guys I played with had a great QoT minion build, it was pretty effective. I think she is the only general that can really do it as she seems a little underpowered in the main skills in the first place. Plus her shamblers are ranged making them a lot more effective.
Oak is also pretty good in this respect, as his minions are not constrained by pathing.
Erebus and Sedna, you can pretty much forget it, Yetis will shamble around hitting minotaurs or getting stuck on corners. Nightcrawlers just bobble around generally getting in the way.
Also minion control is just too annoying, you set them somewhere and they wander around when something is even in a sniff of range. Trying to control priests to keep them out the way is a real pain, there needs to be a guard mode or hold ground (perhaps there is one, I haven't seen it).
/minion rant off
Minions need :
Better pathing.
Range attacks as pathing will likely not be sorted out or no collision detection.
More options like hold ground.
More upgrades like movement speed or secondary abilities, rather than health and damage.