Can you decline to pay Deflect costs for reflexive triggered abilities like Icathian Rain, and how does this work with targeting multiple units?

Ruling: You can decline to pay Deflect costs for triggered abilities (including reflexive ones like Icathian Rain), which causes those specific triggers to fail to finalize and be removed from the chain. You choose targets for each trigger individually and can decline payment for any that target enemy units with Deflect.

Sequence:

• Cast the spell (e.g., Icathian Rain)
• Players can react
• Spell resolves, creating reflexive triggers
• Pick target for each trigger individually
• For each trigger targeting an enemy unit with Deflect, you may decline to pay the cost (trigger fails to finalize)
• Players can react after all triggers are placed
• Triggers resolve in reverse order

Nuances:

• Deflect costs only apply to spells/abilities controlled by opponents, so friendly units with Deflect don't increase costs
• For reflexive triggers (like Icathian Rain), units can gain Deflect after the spell is cast but before triggers target, and Deflect will apply
• For non-reflexive spells that target (like Singularity), targets are locked in when the spell finalizes to the chain; if a unit gains Deflect afterward, it's too late to apply
• You can target a unit with Deflect even if other non-Deflect targets are available, and still decline to pay the cost
• If a trigger's target becomes illegal (e.g., through Retreat), you don't get to reassign it; the trigger does nothing and you lose that trigger