I have Vex Cheerless in combat vs a unit with deflect. If I target the deflect unit with Frigid Touch, what is the total cost I have to pay to cast it?

Question

Accepted Answer

To determine the total cost to play *Frigid Touch* while *Vex, Cheerless* is in combat and targeting a unit with *Deflect*, we follow the standard cost-finalization process (FEPR).

Assuming the unit has *Deflect 1* (the default value if not specified):

### 1. Start with Base Cost
*   **Base Cost:** 2 Energy.

### 2. Apply Additional Costs
*   **Deflect:** *Deflect* is a mandatory additional cost. Targeting a unit with *Deflect 1* adds 1 Power to the cost.
*   **Current Total:** 2 Energy + 1 Power.

### 3. Apply Discounts
*   **Vex, Cheerless:** Her ability reduces the cost of friendly spells by 1 Energy and 1 Power (to a minimum of 1 Energy).
*   **Application:** According to Rule 356.4 and the clarification in the 2026-03-30 Patch Notes, discounts are applied to the total cost.
*   **Calculation:**
    *   (2 Energy + 1 Power) - (1 Energy + 1 Power) = 1 Energy + 0 Power.

### Final Cost
The total cost to play *Frigid Touch* is **1 Energy**.

***

**Important Nuances:**
*   **Minimum Cost:** Per *RiftJudge FAQ #8596*, Vex's discount reduces the total cost, but the spell's base Energy cost has a minimum of 1 Energy. Since your final cost is 1 Energy, this requirement is satisfied.
*   **Deflect:** As established in *RiftJudge FAQ #8596*, *Deflect* is a mandatory additional cost that must be included before applying discounts. Vex's discount is then applied to the total cost, effectively offsetting the *Deflect* cost.
*   **Repeat:** If you choose to pay the *Repeat* cost for *Frigid Touch*, that is a separate optional additional cost. If you choose to repeat the spell and target the same unit with *Deflect* again, you would have to pay the *Deflect* cost a second time for that second targeting instance (Rule 735.1.c / *RiftJudge FAQ #9189*).