Drain Soul question

[DaveW]

I understand that you need to be able to place the Taints on a creature to gain the six life. I am curious whether you can place two Taints on a creature with only one to three life remaining... that is, such that only one Taint would kill the creature.

A follow-up question in case you can only place one Taint on such a creature: Do you gain zero, three, or six Life if you do this? I presume zero, since the new text says "if you do" (place two Taints).

[Sailor Vulcan]

Wow. This was a slightly difficult question for a moment. I assume you're asking because you were playing a multiplayer or team game? In all my time playing mage wars, I've never seen drain soul or drain life cast on a non-mage creature, even though it is possible to do so.

Those conditions aren't applied one after the other. They're applied at the same time. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but it says somewhere in the rulebook that if damage is either equal to OR greater than the life value then the creature dies.

Therefore you should still gain the 6 life.

[Kharhaz]

[mwcard=MWSTX1CKI01]Drain Soul[/mwcard]

You apply the taints. Then, regardless of the status of the target, gain Life +6.

Neat fact: Drain Soul is a vampiric subtype and not poison, but the taints are.

The spell can target poison immune creatures, like the necromancer, and you would still gain Life +6.

[DaveW]

[mwcard=MWSTX1CKI01]Drain Soul[/mwcard]

The spell can target poison immune creatures, like the necromancer, and you would still gain Life +6.

I believe that this is incorrect. While the spell can target poison immune creatures, the text was changed to require the placement of the Taints in order to get the Life +6... which can't happen in the case of a poison immune creature.

[JasonBourneZombie]

That is my understanding as well. Either you place 2 taint and gain 6 life because you targeted a valid creature or you gain 0 life because the target was invalid or can not be tainted. Text on the matter below:

Drain Soul (Conquest of Kumanjaro)
Current Text: “Place 2 Tainted condition markers on target creature. If you do, then caster gains Life +6.”
Note that the Life gain is conditional on placing the Tainted markers on the enemy. If the Tainted markers are unable to be placed somehow, such as if the creature has Poison Immunity, the Life is not gained. If placing the markers destroys the creature the caster will still gain the 6 Life.
This spell is not an attack. Placing the Tainted markers is not considered an attack, and is not considered dealing damage to the creature.

[DaveW]

I assume you're asking because you were playing a multiplayer or team game? In all my time playing mage wars, I've never seen drain soul or drain life cast on a non-mage creature, even though it is possible to do so.

Thanks for the feedback.

Actually, no, this is not for a multiplayer game. I have had this spell used against my creatures in the past, and have been considering packing one or two more in my Necro book for use against things like guards, creatures that I might like to Raise Dead on, and creatures that are temporarily out of the fight but might be healed soon (in zone with Renewing Spring, for example).

[Boocheck]

I too live in a world, when you gain +6 life and then place 2 tainted tokens. Those two actions were not related to each other. If i have Finite Life, i am unlucky but i still can place two tainted tokens on that target.

BUT

this is official text from rules suplement.

Current Text: “Place 2 Tainted condition markers on target creature. If you do, then caster gains Life +6.” Note that the Life gain is conditional on placing the Tainted markers on the enemy. If the Tainted markers are unable to be placed somehow, such as if the creature has Poison Immunity, the Life is not gained. If placing the markers destroys the creature the caster will still gain the 6 Life. This spell is not an attack. Placing the Tainted markers is not considered an attack, and is not considered dealing damage to the creature.

Thank god, i didnt use it in some tight game

[bigfatchef]

so just to understand it right:

- If a creature is poison immune the tainted can not be placed. The +6 life are not gained.
- if a creature has 6 or more life, 2 tainted are placed and +6 life are gained

- if a creature has 4 or 5 life, the second tainted would kill that creature. +6 life are gained?
- if a creature has 3 or less life, only 1 tainted marker could be placed. That creature is invalid vor gaining +6 life. no life is gained but creature still will be dead.

correct?

Anyway, I guess I will never find myself in that situation

[Kaarin]

Wow. This was a slightly difficult question for a moment. I assume you're asking because you were playing a multiplayer or team game? In all my time playing mage wars, I've never seen drain soul or drain life cast on a non-mage creature, even though it is possible to do so.

He could also have 1 life left and magebane on himself.

[JasonBourneZombie]

The taint is not placed sequentially. You can taint a creature twice even if it has 2 life left. Taint counts as damage and you can always do more damage to a creature than it has life. That's why vampiric has to specify the amount you heal from vs excess damage.

In this case, you will place 2 taint markers if any number can be placed, or place 0 because no amount can. You will correspondingly gain 6 or 0 life respectively.

[Laddinfance]

The creature's remaining life is unimportant. If you cast Drain Soul and place the taints on them you gain the life. It does not matter if having two taints will kill the creature. The important part is, Did you place the taints on the target? if you did gain the life.

[Kharhaz]

My mistake. I was reading the card at face value and didn't realize this situation was specifically addressed. I don't think any game would have been changed knowing this so no harm no foul right

[Laddinfance]

My mistake. I was reading the card at face value and didn't realize this situation was specifically addressed. I don't think any game would have been changed knowing this so no harm no foul right

It really only effects a somewhat obscure use for the card. Your interpretation was correct from the card as written, but sadly we noticed the mistake after it had gone to print. But we tried to quickly address it.