>>96134646
>comically expensive
The reality is that most viable premodern decks cost no more than viable standard deck with most t1+2 decks costing under $400. Except you only have to buy your deck once. A deck like Psychatog ($200 if you're not a chump who puts intuition into it while still losing the tournament) has just as good of a chance winning, especially with duress, in a game against stiflenought. Stiflenought is also notoriously weak to discard as found in the pitrack deck which can be gotten $200 if you're not too fussy about card conditions or the printing. Another $200, mono-red burn, can utterly wipe the floor with stiflenought as it is often the case that nought will not draw its combo soon enough or will not have enough protection to get past the sideboard.
>worthless cards
Worth is in the eye of the beholder.
>x4 Cradle,
Really expensive of course. But outside of elves or specific green decks, this really isn't ran very often. Mox Diamond is ran more often and it has it's own downsides. In some cases, a deck may be better off without them. Getting a deck that may be better in quite a few situations without
>wastelands
>gold bordered cards
Is kinda an example where it makes a card like wasteland more affordable. Heavily played original wasteland is about $17-$20 per cards. Whereas some of the gold-bordered options can be gotten for $6-7 dollars. Another option is the white bordered mystery cards which are legal in all formats, are $9-10 near mint. An alternative like dust bowl which is superior in certain decks can be gotten for $0.10 to $0.15 if you get the thunder junction breaking news one where as the original is $8 damaged. Again, premodern rules allow for ALL LEGAL PRINTINGS including such reprints.
>a shitton of your tournaments also demand print specific
They don't. This is false. Also pic related.