I think all generals should have the chance to have good builds without minions. You would then focus on things an assassin would focus on.
I don't like the looks and skills of most of the assassins, but I enjoy playing generals like Sedna, or Lord Erebus. I think you should be able to play them without minions. So instead of buying priests and so early on, you'd buy armours and the like and still be good. Just in a different way. The skills you'd level wouldn't be the usual yetis or nightcrawlers, but the passive, attack and so on.
I've played with these builds before and they were quite effective. With Erebus anyways. Sedna still deserves a buff I think.
But I hope I'm not the only person thinking like this.