Really random idea - but would something like this work within the rules? (taking some language from battlemages)
~ 2
Artifact - Equipment
If ~ was equipped with its 1 equip cost, [put a charge counter on ~, and] equipped creature has "0: add W to your mana pool. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery and only once each turn."
If ~ was equipped with its 3W equip cost, equipped creature has "X"
[If ~ would become unequiped from a creature remove all charge counters from it]
Equip 1 or 3W
Bracketed language to deal with memory issues needed? Edit 2 to deal with the fact that you didn't want the creature to tap. . . and . . . i've made it too complex haven't I? Final edit - this I think allows for infinite targeting combos, unfortunately . . .
Now, as was recognized in that thread - the above was way too complex and messy for common. But if we fool about with the abilities what about an uncommon cycle of the following skeleton:
~ [CMC]
Artifact - Equipment (U)
If ~ was equipped with its [X] equip cost, put a charge counter on ~, equipped creature has "X"
If ~ was equipped with its [Y] equip cost, equipped creature has "Y"
If ~ would become unattached from a creature remove all charge counters from it
Equip [X] or [Y]
Here is a simple cycle as a test:
~ 2
Artifact - Equipment (U)
If ~ was equipped with its 1W equip cost, put a charge counter on ~, equipped creature gets +1/+1 and has vigilance
If ~ was equipped with its 1U equip cost, equipped creature gets +1/+1 and has flying
If ~ would become unattached from a creature remove all charge counters from it
Equip 1W or 1U
~ 2
Artifact - Equipment (U)
If ~ was equipped with its 1U equip cost, put a charge counter on ~, equipped creature gets +1/+1 and has flying
If ~ was equipped with its 1B equip cost, equipped creature gets +1/+1 and has Deathtouch.
If ~ would become unattached from a creature remove all charge counters from it
Equip 1U or 1B
~ 2
Artifact - Equipment (U)
If ~ was equipped with its 1B equip cost, put a charge counter on ~, equipped creature gets +1/+1 and has deathtouch
If ~ was equipped with its 1R equip cost, equipped creature gets +1/+1 and has first strike
If ~ would become unattached from a creature remove all charge counters from it
Equip 1B or 1R
~ 2
Artifact - Equipment (U)
If ~ was equipped with its 1R equip cost, put a charge counter on ~, equipped creature gets +1/+1 and has firststrike
If ~ was equipped with its 1G equip cost, equipped creature gets +1/+1 and has trample
If ~ would become unattached from a creature remove all charge counters from it
Equip 1R or 1G
~ 2
Artifact - Equipment (U)
If ~ was equipped with its 1G equip cost, put a charge counter on ~, equipped creature gets +1/+1 and has trample
If ~ was equipped with its 1W equip cost, equipped creature gets +1/+1 and has vigilance
If ~ would become unattached from a creature remove all charge counters from it
Equip 1G or 1W
Looks messy and confusing. What's the flavor even supposed to be? I'd go with two activated abilities that each use a different color of mana. Though if all the card's functionality is going to be locked behind colors, you might as well make it a colored artifact.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
MTGS Wikia Article about "New World Order"
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
PSA to everyone who keeps forgetting about the Reserved List:
You're on a website dedicated to talking about MtG. You're only a few keystrokes away from finding out what cards are on the Reserved List. You're also only a few keystrokes away from finding out why some cards on the Reserved List got foil printings in FtV, as Judge promos, or whatnot, as well as why that won't happen again. Stop doing this.
You have the right idea with one mode having a counter and the other not, but you are cluttering the card with a lot of extra text. A quick address on the Flavor, I imagine them at first as normal gear that when infused with mana(charge counter) activates their 'true' purpose.
Shield Wings2
Artifact - Equipment
As long as ~ has a charge counter on it, equipped creature gets +1/+1 and has flying. Otherwise equipped creature gets +0/+2 and has vigilance. 1U:Put a charge counter on ~. Attach it to target creature you control
Equip--1W, Remove all charge counters from ~.
I went with attach and equip so its more obvious that they are different. While there are no cards with different equip costs other than the one with actually different equip abilities; cards like crystal shard make it clear how that would look but I didn't think it would look good on a card.
Shield Wings2
Artifact - Equipment
As long as ~ has a charge counter on it, equipped creature gets +1/+1 and has flying. Otherwise equipped creature gets +0/+2 and has vigilance.
Equip--1W, Remove all charge counters from ~. or 1U, Put a charge counter on ~.
Now, as was recognized in that thread - the above was way too complex and messy for common. But if we fool about with the abilities what about an uncommon cycle of the following skeleton:
~ [CMC]
Artifact - Equipment (U)
If ~ was equipped with its [X] equip cost, put a charge counter on ~, equipped creature has "X"
If ~ was equipped with its [Y] equip cost, equipped creature has "Y"
If ~ would become unattached from a creature remove all charge counters from it
Equip [X] or [Y]
Here is a simple cycle as a test:
~ 2
Artifact - Equipment (U)
If ~ was equipped with its 1W equip cost, put a charge counter on ~, equipped creature gets +1/+1 and has vigilance
If ~ was equipped with its 1U equip cost, equipped creature gets +1/+1 and has flying
If ~ would become unattached from a creature remove all charge counters from it
Equip 1W or 1U
~ 2
Artifact - Equipment (U)
If ~ was equipped with its 1U equip cost, put a charge counter on ~, equipped creature gets +1/+1 and has flying
If ~ was equipped with its 1B equip cost, equipped creature gets +1/+1 and has Deathtouch.
If ~ would become unattached from a creature remove all charge counters from it
Equip 1U or 1B
~ 2
Artifact - Equipment (U)
If ~ was equipped with its 1B equip cost, put a charge counter on ~, equipped creature gets +1/+1 and has deathtouch
If ~ was equipped with its 1R equip cost, equipped creature gets +1/+1 and has first strike
If ~ would become unattached from a creature remove all charge counters from it
Equip 1B or 1R
~ 2
Artifact - Equipment (U)
If ~ was equipped with its 1R equip cost, put a charge counter on ~, equipped creature gets +1/+1 and has firststrike
If ~ was equipped with its 1G equip cost, equipped creature gets +1/+1 and has trample
If ~ would become unattached from a creature remove all charge counters from it
Equip 1R or 1G
~ 2
Artifact - Equipment (U)
If ~ was equipped with its 1G equip cost, put a charge counter on ~, equipped creature gets +1/+1 and has trample
If ~ was equipped with its 1W equip cost, equipped creature gets +1/+1 and has vigilance
If ~ would become unattached from a creature remove all charge counters from it
Equip 1G or 1W
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
Shield Wings 2
Artifact - Equipment
As long as ~ has a charge counter on it, equipped creature gets +1/+1 and has flying. Otherwise equipped creature gets +0/+2 and has vigilance.
1U:Put a charge counter on ~. Attach it to target creature you control
Equip--1W, Remove all charge counters from ~.
I went with attach and equip so its more obvious that they are different. While there are no cards with different equip costs other than the one with actually different equip abilities; cards like crystal shard make it clear how that would look but I didn't think it would look good on a card.
Shield Wings 2
Artifact - Equipment
As long as ~ has a charge counter on it, equipped creature gets +1/+1 and has flying. Otherwise equipped creature gets +0/+2 and has vigilance.
Equip--1W, Remove all charge counters from ~. or 1U, Put a charge counter on ~.