Love my MM, I waited until right before factions was released (had the game 10 months now - almost time for two chars to get thier mini-pet

)and I could kick myself. I ended up deleting her and rerolling a Cantahn one - much prefer the new models.
In prophecies they aren't very good until you get fiends and veratas/blood of the master - fairly late in the game. I played one until kryta and deleted her out of frustration. Later I had a e/n go through the game and unlocked all the skills. By then MM'rs running thirsty were well known making me interested - WOW was all I could say with a sup death rune, max points I could get into death, and some minion healing ability. Even WOW at low levels. Plus there is just something about a little tiny female having an undead army.
Though, yes, there was some more fun before the nerf. I got a free "run" from beacons to Kryta (wanting to transfer to cantha, though I ended up deleting her), ended up in the ice caves getting bored and killing the ettins there, I had about 20 minions and caught up with the runner (very glad I didn't pay). With the rest of the trip they mostly just watched me bowl over everything in existence. Can still do that, just not quite as well. Against higher level (20+) mobs the changes seem to help quite a bit though.
There is nothing like looking at a sea of red dots and thinks "Ooooh, army of potential undead" instead of "Oh crap - hope I can just pull a few". Though, until you get your army up your not worth much - but once you do you can solo much of the game as long as you keep getting corpses (I blew through the sing jea stuff, in Vizunah 2/3 of the other team leftand I was clueless as to where to go and no one person - including henchies - died).
Plus, you know that level 12 asassissin/monk or wammo wanting a group in the cantha mainland that commercials as a tank or healer? lots of corpses for minions and is now a VERY valuable member of the party