Taint | Improved Taint

[Pineapple]

NAME: Taint ELEMENT: Darkness COST: 2 TYPE: Spell ATK|HP: TEXT: Target creature gains +4/+0. Its controller loses 2 Max HP per turn.	NAME: Improved Taint ELEMENT: Darkness COST: 1 TYPE: Spell ATK|HP: TEXT: Target creature gains +4/+0. Its controller loses 2 Max HP per turn.

ART: pineapple (Source: Keys and finger 1, Shattered glass 3) IDEA: pineapple NOTES: Upon multiple uses both effects stack. Suggested implementation: a creature when afflicted with taint will gain Darkness counters equal to the maxHP lost each turn. It would make thematic sense for these counters to be removable via Purify. Each attack of Adrenaline will proc the upkeep once. SERIES:

[Keolino]

giving strength to single creatures isn't part of darkness. Besides, therer are many cards similar to this card already (blessing, rage potion, chaos power), so this card isn't needed that much.

[dragonsdemesne]

giving strength to single creatures isn't part of darkness.

Not yet, anyway... but then, I could have said before Dry Spell that damaging multiple creatures at once wasn't part of water, or said that protecting permanents wasn't part of gravity or aether, until the salvagers.

Actually, I really like this card.  Powerful offense, but with a drawback that could make things very difficult for you later.  It's also a drawback that prevents too much abuse with something like vampire.  (if it were just current hp instead of max hp, for instance, this on a vampire would be free)

[serprex]

Potential in Voodoo + SoV + Luciferin + Hope, where you use this on the opponent's creatures. But otherwise hard to use this on opponent's creatures, which means that it's mostly useful for rushes and seems balanced compared to SoW

On buffs not being in : Nightfall. Also, didn't have buffs before SoW

[timetock]

I know I would enjoy seeing  rushes
but, ow, 2 max HP reduction? what if you upgrade 3 creature that's 6 damage you take right off the bat

maybe "each time this creature attacks, the controller loses 2 max HP" because nobody likes basilisk blood

oh and can you use taint multiple times on a single creature? would that stack?

[furkannnO]

This shouldnt be playable on any creature with "vampire" skill, would be +2 heal total so that's kinda OP for

[skyironsword]

You don't really have a reason to use this over 's SoW as it is now, so maybe you want that synergy to exist.

[Higurashi]

Actually, it works quite well against your opponent with Antimatter (Purple Nymphs) and more SoV's.

[Pineapple]

There seems to be a good variety of posts on whether it's powerful or weak. I'd like to think that means it's arguably balanced, or more importantly, balance-able in some form.

Now for some clarifications:

Yes. Both the attack boost and the upkeep stack.
Let's just say that the upkeep can be removed with Purify.
While we're at it, let's say just say that the upkeep procs during each individual attack (e.g. under Adrenaline).

Alternatives:
Upkeep is signified by a status or active ability (replaces old active).
Upkeep only procs during first and last Adrenaline attack (like Venomous or Devourer).

Updated with art and the above clarifications.