Hitting for 2-3 damage per turn starts threatening real creatures on the board and eventually threatens your opponent, too
Before I explain what those groups are, let me show, for those who never played Magic before, how its card layout usually looks like: If I were to teach Magic to a new player, that is the essencial information I would make sure they had understood
Cards that place counters in small increments (like adapt, bolster, or Modular creatures) become dramatically more threatening when paired with The Earth Crystal
Build decks with new themes, such as a blue Animal Kingdom Pirates deck or a purple Straw H
Competitively, Charizard ex's Infernal Reign ability and Pidgeot ex's Quick Search became tournament staples quickly