Charge counters usually go on artifacts; but other than that, seems legit. Rather good, too.

This is exactly the kind of design we need a better way to ddo for - the concept is easy and grokkable, but look at the amount of text you need to basically say:

> "This has either first strike or lifelink."

The task of the designer is to come up with a card face/text box that takes away all the book keeping of counters and having to remember whether it has lifelink with or without the counter.

The idea is trivial, but the solution should look more like flip cards or DFCs - maybe level up.

I would make it a flip card, but I don't want this set to have only 1 flip card. I can deal with this format, until WotC can finagle a better format for it.

But the real thing you could do - considering how many +1/+1 counters you have floating around - is to have the choice between a +1/+1 counter and one of the two abilities rather than between two keyword abilities.

First strike and lifelink aren't so far apart from each other, power-wise. If it was round two, and I had no information, I would probably always choose the option that came with a +1/+1 counter, irregardless.

Now if the option was between '+1/+1 counter and lifelink' or 'doublestrike' we might be on to something. Costs and p/t would need to be adjusted, of course.

Oh, also, with +1/+1 counters involved, you don't technically need two keywords. A choice between a +1/+1 counter or first strike is interesting, as far as I'm concerned. Just food for thought.

Another, another aside: This mechanic pops up in my set New Mirrodin as well. I made use of 'colored counters' in that set to do the work. It's also a bunch of words for questionable gain, but I like the cards just the same. See also Ionized Beebles.

I think an 'un' solution would be "When ~ ETBs you may put a card named ~ from outside the game into play instead"

The text could be shortened a bit if the functionality is removed from having the counter and instead it's strictly limited to being a reminder.

Ie.

> You may have ~ enter the battlefield with a charge counter on it. If you do, it gains first strike. Otherwise, it gains lifelink. (This effect lasts indefinitely.)

Sure, you could use something like Medicine Runner to remove the counter, but that's the players' fault really if they want to try to induce memory issues on purpose.

Alternative stupid idea:

> You may have ~ enter the battlefield with a charge counter with "This creature has first strike and loses lifelink."
> Lifelink