Why not the reverse? It's kinda nice when you kill someone with their own beefed up creature?

Yes, CasualR, but then you have to give them back that creature sometimes. It's a bit unfun.

­Mark of Mutiny was pretty cool. This (in the reversed order) is a tweak that'll sometimes let you keep the +1/+1 counter afterwards, at the cost of sometimes putting it on something less useful.

I think this should be reversed so the bolster happens after the Threaten.

Funny thing. If the order is reversed, the casting cost is probably fair at (because sometimes it hurts you.) I would think some Spikes would like a potentially better (if not situational) Act of Treason, even if some Timmies don't.

I suppose the real question is "Does Timmy even like the 'Bolster first' version"? Because if Timmy would rather just play with Act of Treason than to monkey with a random counter, then the card is being designed for 'nobody'. He might, though. I'm no Timmy, so I can't say. Hey, Vitenka! You out there poking around?

I my Timmy would like "act of treason, it gains +1/+1 UEOT". Or better, +2/+2 or +3/+3 :)

It would feel more natural as a card if it bolsters afterwards, like the two halves have something to do with each other. And that seems an ok card -- if you're act-of-treasoning you're hopefully attacking with other stuff you can bolster too (and hopefully you stole something big). But it is a bit feel-bad when you give the counter to your opponent.