When opponent casts Icathian Rain, should you wait for all 6 damage instances to be designated before playing Unyielding Spirit, or does timing not matter?

Ruling: Unyielding Spirit blocks the damage regardless of whether you play it before or after the triggers are created. However, it's optimal to play it after all 6 targets are chosen but before the first trigger resolves, to force the opponent to pay deflect costs.

Sequence:

• Opponent casts Icathian Rain, creating 6 triggers simultaneously
• All 6 targets must be chosen together before either player can chain on top
• Play Unyielding Spirit after targets are chosen but before first trigger resolves
• This forces opponent to pay deflect costs

Nuances:

• If you play Unyielding Spirit before targets are chosen, opponent could gain advantage by killing their own units with Deathknell
• The damage is blocked either way, but timing affects deflect cost payment