[Card Discussion] Thorn of Amethyst - The new sphere?

[Stamford]

Thorn of Amethyst 2
Artifact
Noncreature spells cost 1 more to play.
Rare

We all know the effects and how great turn 1 spheres are. However, with this, it means Stax can get out a turn 1 sphere (3-sphere, Resistance, Thorn) 85% of the time for 7 card hands.
1-(51/60+50/59...+44/53) x100% assuming you can easily reach 2-3 mana on turn 1 all the time.

Would this signifcantly modify Vintage? Stax would take the lead once again? Wizards' answer to Gush and the recent unrestrictions?

On a sidenote:
What would the price of this card be? Especially the foil ones?

Discuss.

[Will]

I think this card may make stax a little overpowered but the card I personally am looking to pick up is the new duress
Thoughtseize  B
Sorcery      Rare
Target Player reveals his or her hand, choose a nonland card from it, that player discards this card.  Lose 2 Life. 
In terms of type 1 goodlyness this card seems almost always better than duress in that it can get any card such as dryad or magus of the moon. 

[vroman]

neo-resistor certainly gives me glimmer of hope for stax. however, its strictly bad for stax vs fish.

[Implacable]

Dear God!  That card is amazing!  Given that Sphere is probably the best disruption piece against today's metagame, getting 4 more is just nuts.

[diopter]

I like its interaction in Slaver (who talks about Slaver anymore?) - you can play multiples of it to buy time against combo without making it nigh-impossible to play the Welder that will remove it when you need to.

[FlamingCloud]

Seems like this would be really nice in shop aggro.  A deck that should roll any build of fish game 1 with little/no effort,

Opens up a whole new deck space, fish/creature aggro with spheres and significantly helps shop aggro decks disrupt without disrupting themselves as much.  Not sure if regular 5c stax will want to play this as it often only plays 3 spheres etc.

[Jo84]

This card is great, but I doubt it´s that much better in Stax than SoR.
Except GAT, Flash and Tendrils Decks, you will be more affected than your opponent.
In Stax they may be Sphere #6-9.

But this card is incredible in Man-Prison and Aggro Workshop for sure. Also every aggro deck can use it as a sideboard answer to combo.

[Implacable]

This card is great, but I doubt it´s that much better in Stax than SoR.
Except GAT, Flash and Tendrils Decks, you will be more affected than your opponent.
In Stax they may be Sphere #6-9.

But this card is incredible in Man-Prison and Aggro Workshop for sure. Also every aggro deck can use it as a sideboard answer to combo.

Oh, I agree absolutely.  This card really isn't any better than Sphere.  However, the ability to have a Sphere in your opening hand 90% of the time radically changes Stax, considering that you can always cast it on Turn 1.  Pushing through two Spheres is just hell for a Gush-based deck.

[Troy_Costisick]

This card will definately see play in Vintage.  How much is yet to be determined.  Some decks might just trade out there Spheres of Resistance for them.  Some decks might up their "sphere" count to 6.  And others could run a full compliment of 9 spheres.  I could see someone teaming these up with Glowriders and making a go at white weanie.  We'll have to see.

Peace,

-Troy