Can we clear one thing up?
By top 3 or top 2, do you mean standard top 3s for match fishing up to 12/14s elastic or the power top 2 for heavier carp, but go through the next one down as well making it 3?
Whatever, it all depends on the size of fish you're going to catch. I'm not blowing my trumpet here, but that of an excellent match angler who caught carp to 16lbs on many waters and some from close up against the reeds. Yet, he never used an elastic stronger than a 10.
His trick, like I've said many times on here, as soon as you hook the fish, pull the tip away from the reed/weed, but keep it under the water. The fish will just follow the tip most of the time. It's not bullying them either, you can't on a 10s elastic, but they do seem to behave better with the tip below the surface.
So why bother with going through a power 2 + one more section? Just use the power 2, no more, I do. The match kits will probably handle it even, I landed a 12lber after foul hooking it through the tail and that was on a 12s elastic in a match kit.
However, if your carp are bigger than that, it could be a different matter....