Third time trigger is to prevent infinite combos.

Yeah, that was an oversight on Elbow Grease.

There are only sixteen golems with colors in Magic. "Colorless" just felt like the most-flavorful way to exclude Changeling, although I acknowledge that is not an all-encompassing.

It is so weird how colored Golems are kinda nerfed for being colored while overall affinity for colorless Golems and elbow grease on Golems do about the same.

Removing the first ability and "colorless" from the second would go a long way.

Alternatively do the " or one mana of one of this creature's colors" wording from convoke and scrap the affinity-granting ability.

There is a lot of ability-engineering in this card for a set where Nirk the Awakener so far is the only Golem.

Considering the basic lands that exist... Is there a reason for the complex wording of that land tutor ability?

Weirdly elbow grease isn't a mana ability so cannot be used as easily as simply writing ":" into the reminder text.

Also there is something wrong with the words in the second ability.

Leviathans are getting smaller and smaller.

you don't need to specify the cost when saying you can cast the card from the graveyard. Just say "you may cast ~ from your graveyard this turn." And the first ability can be "~ has flying as long as it entered this turn." for simplicity

The first abilities activation costs should be in the other order, for example ­Abzan Banner

The second ability can be shortened to "Support Mode - 1, discard a card: Draw a card.", having the discard part as part of the cost to activate the ability.

1. small issue: The first ability is worded incorrectly. It should be "~ enters with X +1/+1 counters ON IT".
2. the second ability doesn't work as I assume you think it does at all. Ward is a triggered ability that triggers when an opponent casts the spell targeting the creature. If you want this to work, simply reword it to "Remove a +1/+1 counter from ~: Counter target spell or ability that targets ~ unless it's controller pays .