It offsets the loss from your previously played card dying and eventually pays for the Haruspex itself
It was a colorless land with Channel 2UU: Counter target spell. This made it a mostly uncounterable four-cost Counterspell that could also be played as an untapped land at very little opportunity cost
When this artifact has twenty or more charge counters on it, you win the game
Once in play, spending a single mana gives it flying, allowing sneaky evasive damage
Since Gladiator is a singleton format that grants less oppor-tunities to use any individual card, you really want cards that are some combination of self sufficient, game winning, and flexible
This deck is not obsessed on always attacking turn two, or even turn three or four