CardName: Swollen Ape
Cost: 1G
Type: Creature - Ape Beast
Pow/Tgh: 2/2
Rules Text: Bloat (This is dealt damage in the form of +1/+1 counters.
It can't attack or block with +1/+1 counters on. {T}: Remove
a +1/+1 counter from it.)
Flavour Text:
Set/Rarity: Multiverse Design Challenge None
: Remove a +1/+1 counter from it.)
See Challenge # 157.
This was originally going to be a "penitent" flavour for Zhir, but as a beast mechanic the flavour let me use +1/+1 counters instead of penitent counters. That synergises with more things and avoids the different types of counter confusion.
It may be too fiddly.
And you might have one or two "clever" uses, a creature which grants bloat to creatures it damages, or an instant which grants bloat, so you can occasionally use it to tap down an opposing large creature as well as recur your own creature.