Thats why fetch lands like Flooded Strand, Misty Rainforest, and Verdant Catacombs are paired with shock lands like Breeding Pool, Steam Vents, Godless Shrine, and Temple Garden
There were cards like Jacques Trap and Pwny Bomb that made opening a pack of cards just a little more fun, even if the cards themselves werent the best
It can be really frustrating when you get a quick start, and nearly take out an opponent, but then you just cant do those last few bits of direct damage
I mentioned counterspells before as a form of removal, but they can also be a form of protection
Any card that cares about modified creatures or a creature becoming modified can go into an Auras-only deck, and I hope to see more batching things like that
The reality tends to be more uneven, with lower-quality spells hopefully doing enough to maintain momentum as you dig for highly broken outliers like Jeskas Will, Peer into the Abyss, and Ad Nauseam