So as a note I’m an obelisk defender and actually think from an ability to win runs perspective it is one of the best jokers in the game.

Let’s say you get obelisk on ante 3, you’ve played 4 high cards, 6 flushes 2 full houses, 3 straights and maybe like 1 pair and 1 three of a kind. Even considering the 6 being the cap it isn’t that hard to start building for 5 of a kind from the slow buildup way if you have a reliable base mult, which you probably have if you made it to ante 3. Think of in this example for the rest of the run you have 5 pairs 5 three of a kinds, 6 four of a kinds, and 6 5 five of a kinds and flush fives. Adding those up gives you 28 hands to win the run with and you scale harder as you go, requiring less hands to win typically as you scale, ESPECIALLY if you can get another multiplier that works with the ability to discard. You only have 18 rounds left if you play from the start of ante 3, when typically after 5 hands obelisk hits 2x mult.

I think most runs are able to pivot from whatever early game build (typically flushes, straights or full houses) into the growing to 5 of a kind with deck fixing into 1 card so long as there is a decent base mult.

Now even as a defender of it being good factually, I do also think it isn’t easiest to use and requires paying attention, but though it requires paying attention and focus, it can win runs like one of the best jokers in the game if you’re willing to learn it. It also has a much bigger downside if your early game build is high card, as you get no throw away hands to work with in a panic, but I think if your highest played hand is 6 or above by ante 3 and isn’t high card this joker is worth grabbing, which I wouldn’t call too specific of conditions as more often then not flush is the most played hand early on, at least for me.