You now know why they created and made so many "dork discs"; those goofy aluminum or plastic discs between the freewheelcassette and the spokes. Of course every self-respecting cyclist promptly took it off (and many of us also dumped our chains between like you did).
Bill Kapaun is right on. Ride the wheel, If it works, great, if not you could replace spokes as they break, but as a clyde, I;d do all the right-side spokes and probably both sides. (I'm a light, skinny guy, I'd probably go till the 3rd breaks but then, I never and cannot rip stuff apart on a bike.
Ben