The stats are way too different (mana, attack, HP). Also, we all know that Darius is better than The Boogeymonster, but we want to have the our comparison to be as close to the power curve as we can

The closest card to this is (in my opinion) Kvaldir Raider, a 5-cost 4/4 that gets +2/+2 every turn. The advantage of being able to attack face with Raider pretty much cancels the drawback of having to hero power. The addition of rush may make this card playable in constructed, but it’s a good arena card anyway (assuming it can survive fatal damage like pre-warleader-nerf Finja).

So basically a worse Hammer of Wrath?

This is such a good analysis! You covered almost every point while still keeping it interesting. Can’t wait for future card analysis.

All I know is that this will be the first card from this expansion that I’ll add to my Reno Hunter deck.

This card feels like Doomsayer (on empty board). You waste a card (which is important in aggro pally) to get to decide how the board will be built. While Doomsayer is a control tool that caounters minion based aggro decks, Rebuke is the opposite of that, countering spell based control decks. Doomsayer sees play for a reason – control decks can play a card that does nothing while aggro decks can’t. The great body on loatheb it what makes it so popular (you wouldn’t play a 2-cost spell that shuffles an Un’Goro pack in your deck), so I think Rebuke will see some trial in Genn Paladin, but it won’t work in the end.

I think that this card is actually balanced. I don’t mean that it’s weak, but that Lord Godfrey wouldn’t break the game. If you count the value, it’s similar to Azure Drake + Defile, but a little bit better (because the body isn’t likely to survive with Drake). The same thing can be seen in Nightblade (4/4 + Hunter hero power that’s values as a 0-mana card) that doesn’t see play. I think it’s a solid 5-star card, but it’s not the meta-breaker that everyone makes out of it.

1) Just think of it:
Umbra + Sylvanas
Umbra + Highmane
Umbra + Cairne
Umbra + Aya
Umbra + Moat Lurker on a friendly Deathrattle minion
And that’s just standard (except for sylvanas)
This card should have been (5) 4/5.

2) If you want to trigger 1 deathrattle (like sylvanas), why don’t you just use Terrorscale Stalker? (3) 3/3 is better than a (4) 3/4.

3) this card is really situational and combo oriented (Firey bat alone, for example, will not be that good).

4) This card is good with many small deathrattle minions. This is a good hunter card that is not too aggresive.

4/5 stars seems the most correct