Eh, I've seen this mechanic has pop up multiple times before.

I don't think this particular design justifies the mechanic. A cleaner version of this IMO would be a kicker variant that gives two +1/+1 counters and grants vigilance and first strike. Also, the "front side" is missing p/t though I think it's an 1/1. Obviously many mechanics are just a subset of kicker, but for DFCs I would expect something along the lines of planeswalkers in Magic Origins. This card doesn't feel interesting or "cool" enough to go over the trouble of distributing those DFC proxies around.

I haven't seen it, but it does seem like a pretty obvious idea. Your criticisms are on point. Is it really that much trouble "distributing" the DFC proxies? They just appear in the packs, right? I've never used one so I don't even think about them. A DFC has fewer memory issues than your kicker version, in exchange for more logistics issues.

I guess I stated that wrong. I mean, the trouble of just having a DFC proxies in your set and dealing with them in draft and so on.

If the kicker variant says "As long as ~ has a +1/+1 counter on it, it has first strike and vigilance" then there are no memory issues.

Hello, there, MDFCs.

Note on the DFC proxy drafting: I found it easiest to just draft placeholder cards that can be exchanged for set aside DFCs. In a way it is much easier than the way WotC has to handle things.

I agree that "Pouncing Kavu"-style upgrades are better solved with kicker or renown-style cards.

Technically you could have the same card for / as the faces of a MDFC, but hybrid is still the preferable tool. Same here.

I'm with Tahazzar, but I'd rather see ability counters with the +1/+1 counters than their suggested line of text (though ability word counters weren't official when this was made).