8 mana is rough, but this is a cast trigger, not ETB, so it cannot be traditionally countered with Counterspell and friends
Though obviously beyond embarrassing by 2024 EDH standards, this was the first Bant creature ever printed, and it even led to a beloved remaster in Arcades, the Strategist
However, in some languages, these original sets never came out (as the decision to translate for those languages was made after their release)
Task Search Checklists Fallout Commander Decks The Fallout (set code PIP) Universes Beyond cards were spearheaded by a collection of four different preconstructed Commander decks
This type of play can be dangerous against many decks so beware of that tendency
You should not expect to see this in any other formats, and its something the PFP [Pauper Format Panel] is specifically interested in and thinks Pauper can handle given the accessibility of building decks and the predominance of online play, PFP member and Magic principle game designer Gavin Verhey said in the accompanying blog post explaining the decision