@garbageaggro
I think this and Endless one are different enough that the comparison isn't too diagnostic of this card's playability. They serve different needs.
That said, I'm with you in that I wouldn't make a bold prediction about this card being widely played, format defining, etc. This is a hostile metagame for artifacts that enter the battlefield with no immediate benefit.
However, I do think it offers some unique benefits to Shops decks and merits exploration on those grounds.
For example, prison style lists are often too slow to close the game quickly enough due to the restrictions of Thorn, Lodestone, and Chalice. In those decks, increasing the offensive potency comes at the big cost of sacrificing the lockpieces (i.e., to close out the game, you need more creatures and end up cutting Wires/Rods etc.). This incentivizes going for a few big creatures creatures that can shoulder the offensive burden alone. But with Spheres and Rods, casting that Steel Hellkite is tough. This card can be both big enough to close out a game and can be cast for much less if needed (reminds me of Trike versus Ballista). Granted, I don't think this style of list is playable right now, but I will always try.
I'll be testing it in some older style Shops lists. Like most things I test with Shops, it probably won't work out.
last edited by Zias