I assumed the damage worked that way, but I only ever lost any exchange xD
The ability idk, it just felt like it did nothing. So if it did give a faint boost I didn't notice
I suppose more feedback to the player already goes a long way. Some kind of sound or visual effects to a boost apart from just the boost itself, some kind of health display for yourself and the opponents, something that lets the player understand what is actually happening from any given interaction