I would suggest an alternate way of allocating emotes to affiliates.... Give affiliates some milestones they can graduate to similar to how partners unlock emotes by number of subs - Let an affiliate have up to 4 Tier1 emotes instead of just one. If emote slots on the site are a limited resource, then give more of them to Affiliates with community to justify it and allocate fewer emotes to new startup affiliates --- this would also discourage people making affiliate accounts just to make a set of 3 personal "vanity" emotes: its more beneficial that those slots go to the affiliates who have some viewers and subscribers.

For example, possibility would be:

To unlock first Tier1 emote - Reach 15 sub points.
Clawback: Affiliates with currently no subs other than themself who never reached 15 lose existing emotes.

To unlock a second Tier1 emote - Reach Level2 affiliate status.
To unlock a third Tier1 emote - Reach Level3 affiliate status.
To unlock fourth and final Tier1 emote - Reach Level4 affiliate status.
To unlock one Tier2 emote - Be a Level2 affiliate, Reach 30 total sub points and at least 5 Tier2 subscribers
Clawback: Affiliates with currently no tier2 subs lose their existing emote slot.

To unlock first Tier3 emote - Reach Level3 affiliate status and at least 1 Tier3 sub.
Clawback: Affiliates with currently no Tier3 subs lose their existing emote slot.

Tier1 Affiliate - Base level
Viewers can only gift or subscribe at Tier1 until after "level2 affiliate" is earned

Tier2 Affiliate- Maintain 30 or more unique subscribers for 60 consecutive days and 20/more avg. concurrent viewers over 60 days.

Viewers can only subscribe/gift at Tier1 or Tier2 until after "level3 affiliate" is earned
Tier3 Affiliate- 90 Subs for 60 days and 40/more avg concurrent viewers over 60 days.

Tier4 Affiliate- 200 or more subs for 60 days and 60/more avg concurrent viewers over 60 days.

You got my vote, this is a great idea for an affiliate and I agree with your thought process

Wow, I just asked the support, if there's a way to get that and they told me to share my opinion here. And so I found this thread. I hope, there will be more ppl supporting this!