The only exception is where the set has a theme and, while that effect would normally be narrow, it's not in that particular environment
The new cards interact with each other in ways they didnt previously in The First Chapter
Graveyards show up, but they are not the main engine every game
While we already saw the power of Thalia in powered formats, where she can hate out combo decks and slow down sweepers, such as in the Five-Color Humans deck above, the card has also enjoyed a great deal of success as just a good card for aggressive, creature-heavy decks. Creatures (27) 3 Fiend Hunter 4 Champion of the Parish 3 Avacyn's Pilgrim 3 Mayor of Avabruck 3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben 2 Restoration Angel 3 Sigarda, Host of Herons 4 Silverblade Paladin 2 Druid's Familiar Lands (25) Spells (8) While Thalias ability is so good, she would likely see a fair bit of play even without first strike, its actually the first strike that really gets her over the finish line
This is excellent if youre casting a ton of low-cost red direct damage spells like lightning bolts and shocks to soften up your enemys defenses before attacking with a buffed up Swiftspear
Keep in mind that you can not chain it to negate an effect that has already activated
