This will be a third part of card review series for the upcoming expansion Rise of Shadows. This will be a last short one. For the next couple of days the card reveals will be much faster with bigger batches of cards presented so the card review might be on a daily bases starting from March 26th. Today we will again have only 4 cards to review.
Part 1
Part 2

Rafaam's Scheme

First off we have a new Warlock Scheme card. This card's effect was predicted by the community after Blizzard teased its artwork and I can see why. This card resembles most Warlock cards in the past with similar effect, most recently, Fiendish Circle. In comparison to that, Rafaam's Scheme has a lot of potentials, but I'm a bit worried about its viability. Having this card in the opening hand is nice, maybe playing it on turn 4 or 5 can get plenty of tempo for 3 mana, but drawing it during the game seems like a pretty big issue. Unlike other schemes, this one is really useless if played the first turn you get it. I get the point of this mechanic is that you should be able to hold on it for a while but this one looks pretty much like it belong in some kind of aggressive, Zoo style Warlock deck and that kind of decks usually play whatever they draw and having to hold on a card for at least 2-3 turn to make it at least worth the mana is a bit problematic. Now again, when the rotation in standard happens the game will probably slow down enough for this card to have some chances, although it will most like need more support around it. Getting a full board of tokens for 3 mana is damn cheap, the only problem is that if it is played so late in the game those tokens might not be that helpful.

Rafaam's Scheme looks like the least appealing Scheme card right now, but it is in Warlock class and we know how that class is versatile and will most likely find a use for this card.

Omega Devastator

The second callback card that refers to the Boomsday Project Omega mechanic.
This is my current favorite card of the set. 4 mana for 4/5 body, this is already of premium quality, its a Mech and on top of that the amazing battlecry most fitting for the Warrior class. In the worst case scenario, this is a Chilwind Yeti with Mech synergy, but it can be stronger than Crowd Roaster bringing value and tempo. Versus aggressive decks, this will be, like I said, most of the time just a 4/5 minion but because it is 4 mana it still feels good for the Warrior since their 4 mana slot choices are terrible and this card will perform great in that spot. Also, it has synergy with Zilliax which can mitigate the battlecry sacrifice considering how good body suites Magnetic effects. After Baku rotates out and we finally see Warriors playing without the upgraded Hero Power because of this card, I can see new archetypes rising.

Omega Devastator is one of the strongest and one of the best-designed cards so far revealed in the Rise of Shadows. Hope to see more cards like this one.

Improve Morale

Another Warrior card, Improve Morale is an interesting card and another one of those deal damage to a minion and if it survives you get an effect. This synergizes well with Warrior cards like Execute and Devastate and with minions that get stronger when damaged like the iconic Grommash Hellscream. Lackeys are mostly tempo cards and Warrior isn't necessarily a tempo class but with some other tempo tools, this card will see some action. Not the best card to say the least but it can be used in many different ways and being a cheap 1 mana spell there will be always some type of deck that is going to be able to make use of it.
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Not the most amazing card of the set but it is one of those that is bound to see play in some stages of the meta.

Madame Lazul

Priest legendary representing another super-villain joining the E.V.I.L. League, Madame Lazul. This card doesn't disappoint. 3 mana for a 3/2 body is understated but for good reason, the battlecry effect more than compensates for it. A really nice thing about this card is that it captures a Priest style of copying opponents cards and the fact that Lazul is a fortune teller. By discovering a card from your opponent's hand it is meant that you see three cards in their hand a then pick one and get a copy of it. This effect is strong not because it generates value by adding a card to your hand, but also because you get information of a portion of the opponent's hand. This will be especially strong in Control vs Control match-up as it can help you to get the most value out of your cards because you can be sure what the opponent is holding onto and makes it easier to plan ahead. Against aggressive decks the card is also not that bad, the only problem is a poorly stated body. In this match-up, it can help with the big dilemmas most of us have when facing fast decks. When do I play a big taunt, or when is good to play my board clear or even an important single target removal. By knowing what your opponent has in store for the very next turn it is easier to make a better or even the best play.

This card is really strong and will most likely see play in every Priest deck because how valuable hand information can be.

Thank you for reading!

, z3ll