Because skeletons disappear so quickly on higher difficulties, the HP boost alone makes it better, but add to that their ability to stagger and send enemies flying, that leaves them as the only skeletons that actually do something on Cata, even Legend. In other words, this is the one that does TWO useful things at once. Let’s compare this to the other level 30 talents shall we…
Barrow Blades - gives them two swords and they now apply the fire DoT, which is clearly designed with Sienna’s other burning talents in mind to create mini explosions and other things. There’s some utility to that, but not Level 30 worthy, and certainly not worth getting over Dread Seneschals. For one thing they’re not sticking around long enough to do anything.
Army Of The Dead - I’m sad to say this as this was my most anticipated talent, but absolutely useless. This talent only comes into play IF any skeletons are still alive, which as established earlier isn’t something they do very well. And even if you managed to get the dream of doubling (tripling with purple potion) your army of skeletons, they have an arbitrary 20 second timer which is nowhere near long enough to make any real impact.
Overall skeletons could use a survivability buff depending on difficulty. But as for the talents themselves…
Barrow Blades - being the offensive option, maybe also give them some scaling damage so their DPS remains higher across all difficulties. Or have them leap behind and focus down targets Sienna pings.
Army Of The Dead - so many options here. From significantly cutting down the ability cooldown. Have a chance to summon a free skeleton after each Special/Elite killed. Automatically summoning 1-2 free skeletons that follows Sienna independent of the active ability. Or even make the talent summon more skeletons on activation.
I agree. Dread Seneschal Skeletons also die fast on Cata+.
I wanted to play a different class, but when Skeletons die, you’re just Staff Spam Part 4 - £7 Edition. And they die way too fast on Cata difficulty spikes or Cata+.
The utility of Dread Seneschal is countered by getting hit while you accidentally drink a pot too.
Barrow blades is a very nice talent imo if you take additionally “cursed blood” the skeletons will stagger everything and keep the enemies stunlocked.
When it comes to THP, usually on cata+vanguard+send in next wave, i have still 4 or more skeletons up (no matter which level 30 talent i take) before i can use my ult again. So even with army of the dead i manage to have 10 skeletons up on regular basis.
But yeah a slight thp buff is ok, but a huge buff would be a bit op.
The problem with barrow blades is that I don’t feel like it’s even a very good option for being an “offensive option”. It’s more like a lazy way to enable Malediction of Nagash for builds where sienna either lacks a good option for igniting targets with DOT effects or she’s just too lazy to do so.
That’s actually an extra effect of barrow blades. The summoning doesn’t apply flame for baseline or Dread Seneschal skeletons. The baseline effect is just a stagger.
Going to pitch in with with my two cents - Barrow Blades is very dependable on Cata, with a small prerequisite of completely rethinking the way one uses their skellies.
BB shines the most when you’re playing stagger-heavy loadouts, allowing you to keep the enemies on their knees while Flaming Bone Troupe slowly chews their health to zero. Blunt instrument of choice + coruscation/conflagration staff is a wonderful combo for keeping the chaff staggered and 1v1 with the tougher armored baddies should the need arise. Flame blade spam x6 is also surprisingly effective against monsters, and with someone kiting overheads deals nicely consistent DoT.
True, for maximum benefit you have to babysit and protect way more than with AotD’s disposable skeletons or DS’s armored skeletons but that’s basically what we’ve done with the regular bots since 2018 anyways. As an added bon(e)us it requires much less Icon of Death micromanagement than Dread Seneschal does.
As you said its a option where sienna lacks a good option for igniting and imo the skellies with barrow blades are still tanky enough for cata and cata+.