I’m in the camp of removing the 3rd ring and setting the high lock to the middle. I have two bikes in which I’ve done that without issue. As for the rear, a tall 10 speed cassette and either a b screw or the derailleur link to fit the taller gears is all that I need on any bike. The cost is vastly cheaper than a 1×12 setup and it works well.
I’ve done the conversion on every bike I’ve owned and I’ve never purchased a 2x or 1x crankset. I just use what I have. Total cost for a 2x conversion with a tall cassette comes in well under 100 bucks for me.