Where Azeroth's villains have banded together to form a super-villain collective called the The League of E.V.I.L. The latest expansion for Blizzard's free-to-play card game Hearthstone brings 135 new cards, including a bunch of cool new mechanics, whilst also marking the beginning of the Year of the Dragon. Plus, it kicks of a year-long story for the first time in the game's history.

“With Rise of Shadows, we’re kicking off the biggest story we’ve ever told in Hearthstone and offering players a bunch of wicked new cards to get crafty with,” said J. Allen Brack, president of Blizzard Entertainment. “This expansion also marks the beginning of a brand-new year of Hearthstone content—the Year of the Dragon—and we have a lot more in store for players in 2019."

In terms of new mechanics, Schemes are special spells that grow in power as each new turn ticks over with Lackey's being special minions that do the bidding of their masters. Also, Twinspells - which creates a copy of itself and places it in your deck. Very cool. For more on this and the overall design of Rise of Shadows be sure to check out our interview with Blizzard.

As per previous new sets, the single-player component for Rise of Shadows is expected next month - in May. Described as "a grand Solo Adventure" and "the most ambitious Hearthstone" campaign seen yet, we're definitely keen to see what the proposed five chapters look like. The first of which will be free with subsequent chapters unlocking for 700 gold or purchased in a single package for $26.95 AUD.

Also, for a limited time players who log in will get the Archmage Vargoth card - a four-mana Legendary minion that recasts a friendly spell at the end of a turn.