This seems like an odd way to go about things and doesn't even seem to solve the problem you are trying to solve for. For example, my Karador list is currently at $5000+ so well above what the rest of your example tiers are at. But, if we break it down with the rules you have provided we get to ignore Bazaar of Baghdad and Diamond Valley because they don't produce mana so now we are down to $2000 (roughly) so not too bad in terms of your example. And, of course, we get to ignore the next $1300 since those are duals so they are also counted as $0.
Now, I went through and counted fetches as $5 and other lands as $0 based on your criteria. I did count Urborg as $0 because, technically, it falls into the same category as not having an activated ability that taps for mana; it eventually gives itself one but not during deckbuilding. A little bit of a cheat I am sure, but I went with it. I did leave Dryad Arbor at $3 because the spirit (if not the letter) of the rule says it shouldn't be $0.
So, with all of that, my list comes down to $730. Obviously on the high side but since your idea is that this amount is far more indicative of power level than a number, I would be curious to know what you feel $700+ actually means? And whether the exclusion of Bazaar from the price but still being in the deck would change your opinion.
As another example, Ephara is $1700+. Taking out Tundra and the lands (perhaps fudging a bit again with Mystic Gate since it does technically produce 2 mana but only nets 1 since it costs mana) I get that down to just under $1100. So, a fair bit higher than Karador. I don't really know what your "tiers" are meant to be but a $400 difference, in your mind anyway, seems to suggest a pretty substantial difference in power level.
I would of course disagree with that solely because I build all my decks with a set power level in mind. They aren't going to be the same obviously but I don't mean for them to be drastically different. So, again, I would be curious as to what you feel is the main difference between these two decks in terms of power level based on the cost alone?
As a final note, just because I was curious more than anything, doing the same above got me at $547 with Varina and this was mostly due to Mana Crypt and Mana Drain which together are $170. But still, nearly $600. Would you consider Zombie tribal to be close to being on par with Karador? I would since I built them that way but there is a clear limitation of this sort of deck and I think most people wouldn't consider them to be the same. But the assessment puts them pretty close. So, I have a $550 deck, a $730 deck, and a $1100 deck that you know nothing about except for these dollar amounts. Perhaps for you this is plenty to gauge their power level but I don't think that would be good enough for me. Someone throwing in a Mana Drain or even a Mana Crypt into their deck doesn't automatically mean it is high powered. But because it is expensive, it is assumed to be. It makes the deck *more* powerful (to some degree) but doesn't automatically, and objectively, make it "powerful" in its own right.
Now, I went through and counted fetches as $5 and other lands as $0 based on your criteria. I did count Urborg as $0 because, technically, it falls into the same category as not having an activated ability that taps for mana; it eventually gives itself one but not during deckbuilding. A little bit of a cheat I am sure, but I went with it. I did leave Dryad Arbor at $3 because the spirit (if not the letter) of the rule says it shouldn't be $0.
So, with all of that, my list comes down to $730. Obviously on the high side but since your idea is that this amount is far more indicative of power level than a number, I would be curious to know what you feel $700+ actually means? And whether the exclusion of Bazaar from the price but still being in the deck would change your opinion.
As another example, Ephara is $1700+. Taking out Tundra and the lands (perhaps fudging a bit again with Mystic Gate since it does technically produce 2 mana but only nets 1 since it costs mana) I get that down to just under $1100. So, a fair bit higher than Karador. I don't really know what your "tiers" are meant to be but a $400 difference, in your mind anyway, seems to suggest a pretty substantial difference in power level.
I would of course disagree with that solely because I build all my decks with a set power level in mind. They aren't going to be the same obviously but I don't mean for them to be drastically different. So, again, I would be curious as to what you feel is the main difference between these two decks in terms of power level based on the cost alone?
As a final note, just because I was curious more than anything, doing the same above got me at $547 with Varina and this was mostly due to Mana Crypt and Mana Drain which together are $170. But still, nearly $600. Would you consider Zombie tribal to be close to being on par with Karador? I would since I built them that way but there is a clear limitation of this sort of deck and I think most people wouldn't consider them to be the same. But the assessment puts them pretty close. So, I have a $550 deck, a $730 deck, and a $1100 deck that you know nothing about except for these dollar amounts. Perhaps for you this is plenty to gauge their power level but I don't think that would be good enough for me. Someone throwing in a Mana Drain or even a Mana Crypt into their deck doesn't automatically mean it is high powered. But because it is expensive, it is assumed to be. It makes the deck *more* powerful (to some degree) but doesn't automatically, and objectively, make it "powerful" in its own right.