Overall, this looks like one of the more solid sets I've seen. There doesn't appear to be any clear color weaknesses and blue doesn't look like it will run over everyone. There's interesting things to do, with support for some different strategies.
All in all, my feelings are positive about this set and I think this is an excellent one for new players to join in.
White
It is with Gauntlets of Light that I noticed that WotC is allowing for a slightly higher complexity at lowered rarities. There's quite a bit going on for a creature enchantment and though I don't think any of it is difficult to understand, I do think there's plenty to keep track of. This is about where the complexity level ought to be: Gauntlets will reward players for paying attention and skillful use of this one-and others at this rarity.
This is the first core set with a Disenchant and not a Naturalize that I can remember in a long, long time. This feels unusual, since the effect has been moved to green and I can only assume that there are metagame considerations at play that I'm unaware of.
Leyline of Sanctity is a welcome reprint, but after that I'm not seeing something that really pops except for Brought Back. And BB is probably the glory of cool things but it's still pretty dang cool.
I also prefer Sephara, Sky's Blade's implementation of indestructible, over Avacyn's. Avacyn exists to make players miserable, Sephara means there's still a game to play.
In Blue we have a core set without an unconditional counter spell at 3 mana. Again, that's really odd for a core set.
Atemis, the All Seeing has a neat new win condition for Magic and the nice subtheme on flying creatures feels right. I like it. Tale's End is a weird combination of effects and Octoprophet is a missed opportunity for synergies, buy a reprint of the blue Leyeline is good, and Flood of Tears will almost certainly be a staple at Commander tables everywhere.
There's also a spirit pirate now, which is always a flavor in.
Black has my favorite dinosaur of the set, Rotting Regisaur. It's big and dumb so what's not to like? I also like how Embodiment of Agonies is teaching us about what different mana costs are in Magic.
Bloodsoaked Altar will likely go into my garbage cube deck, and if nothing else it's a relief to have at least one card be an easy pick.
I don't think Dread Presence is going to revitalize mono black control but I would like it too. The effects are powerful but incremental and not promptly game changing. Still I like the design.
My current feeling is that Red's Cavalier is the strongest in the cycle and the Leyline is an outlet for Red decks against storm, which I welcome, since storm decks are terrible (for the game). Chandra's yearbook snapshot planeswalkers are fun and I hope WotC does similar things with this. I realize the design space might be limited but seeing planeswalkers shift like that is cool.
I'm glad to see Flame Sweep; Red has been missing proper Pyroclasm effect for far too long, in my opinion. Marauding Raptor is a nice shift on Heartless Summoning, and I wish the Thunderkin Awakener didn't have quite as restrictive a trigger for its attack condition. Still, there's a fun deck to be built around it, I'm sure.
As we check in with Green there's pretty typical stuff; token makers and giant creatures, some mana ramp speckled in. I think the Leyline of Abundance has the potential to be a lot of fun in any deck that wants to have a turn 1, Forest, mana elf, play. Having four mana on turn two seems like a great way to jumpstart your deck.
It's Overgrowth Elemental that finally rings my bell about how uncommons are becoming stronger: a 3/2 for three is pretty solid, but the life gain puts it above rate, for me. What makes it really strong is the synergy with elementals; the OE can be useful in nearly any deck but with a little help can really be a beatstick.
However, it needs a little help; is it good? Yeah. Is it breaking uncommon power level? No; it's just a really solid playable in damn near any deck that wasn't oriented towards elementals. But with it? Yeah, now that's cool
I also have to admit that I like that they're trying to make Hydras a thing for green. For being the creature color-especially the big creature color-green doesn't have an iconic big creature the same way that the other four do; (Angels, Dragons, Demons, Kraken). Maybe this will be the year where that changes.
Nightpack Ambusher is the wolf lord that werewolf players have been hoping for and I think it'll be a real boon for that deck. Again; fairly powerful, something that I think players who like that tribe want, but also narrow as a card-while still being perfectly useful in limited formats. Good stuff.
As always, the multicolored stuff is where WotC likes to show off a little and this is no exception. The wedge legends all do some pretty cool stuff and are less bound by M19's dragon history month restrictions. Some are clearly for Commander, like Omnath, others, like Kykar are meant to stimulate the Johnny/Spike economy and power to 'em for it.
Artifacts, always a tricky business (and for the first time in a Core set, making appearances in color) are kept on the weaker/weirder side with Bag of Holding, Colossus Hammer and Mystic Forge doing their part. But Grafdigger's Cage and Steel Overseer are good to have in the metagame.
I like the role of the lands in M2020 too; color fixing for every style and at common, and I've long since come around on the scry lands from Theros; those things are fantastic and underrated.
Field of the Dead could do some work in the Commander meta; a way to generate creatures for free is always worth the time and who knows how that might help decks that would go creatureless otherwise.
But Lotus Field is definitely something I want to pick up multiple copies of. A hexproof land mitigates the drawback it has in older formats. No more Wasteland or Ghost Quarter to ruin your day when you've just set your manabase back by two turns. Fair, but cool.
I'm not sure what possibilities will open up as a result of this set-and that's exciting! The fall set hasn't been announced so we don't know where we're headed next but enhancements for artifacts and enchantments exist, suggesting Theros or New Phyrexia, the mana base is so broad right now that a brand new plane could be coming at us, especially since we've spent so much time revisiting old places and concluding big storylines. There's a lot of support for many lines of play or deck concepts which is about as strong as a core set can be.
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