They were OP when BH7 came out but drop ship/minions is the new strat. I'm currently maxing mine before I work on the BM because they do such good damage that you don't really need the BM to win. I'm at the lower 4k level.
Many bases have orientated themselves to defend against barbs. I see less open bases now and more emphasis on walls. Then, there's the upgraded defenses to contend with so that makes barbs a little underwhelming. Not that they're not good, they just aren't countering the current bases very well.
Perhaps, when people start defending against DS, the bases may become more vulnerable to barbs so it's a good tool to have.



