Does equipping a gear count as choosing for Irelia's ability (cost reduction for spells that choose/target)?

Question

Accepted Answer

If equipping a gear requires you to choose a unit (i.e., the play or ability text tells you to “choose” a unit to attach it to), that is a choice/target and counts for effects that care about spells or abilities that choose/target. If the equip is applied programmatically (no choice by the player because only one valid option exists), it is not a player choice/target and therefore does not count. [355.5] [355.10.d]

Equipping counts only when the equip action explicitly requires the player to choose a unit (or otherwise create a player choice); it does not count when the game determines the destination automatically (no choice).

Determine the exact text of the equip action: does the gear/spell say "Choose a unit" or otherwise request the player to pick a unit? If yes, that choice is made during finalization per [355.1] and [355.5]. If the player makes that choice, it is a player choice/target and counts as a "choose/target" for abilities that care about that language (so Irelia's reduction would apply to that spell/ability). If the equip action has no player choice because the game programmatically selects the destination (only one legal unit or the instruction references "your legend" with only one legend), then under the exception in [355.10.d] it is not a player choice/target and does not count for Irelia's ability. When paying costs, choices that are part of playing the card are made and finalized before resolution, so the determination whether the play 'chooses' a target happens before resolution and cost checks [355.1] [357.1].

If a gear's play text contains optional language (e.g., "You may choose a unit to attach to"), whether the spell counts depends on whether the player actually chose to attach during finalization—if they place the choice on the chain and choose a target, it's a choose/target; if they decline, it isn't. If the gear's instruction is part of a triggered ability or replacement effect that modifies 'play' into multiple events, use the usual triggered/replacement timing rules to see whether a player choice is required at finalization [359.3.e.12] [355.1].

The Core Rules treat a requirement that a player "choose" a specific Game Object as a player choice/target; those choices are made during finalization when the card is played or the ability is placed on the chain [355.1] [355.5]. Therefore, if the text for equipping a gear explicitly instructs the player to "Choose a unit" (or otherwise requires the player's selection of a unit to attach the gear to), that is a choice/target and will satisfy wording that cares about spells/abilities that "choose" or "target" (so Irelia's cost reduction would apply). Conversely, if the equip is applied programmatically — the game determines the destination without the player choosing because there is only one legal option — then it falls under the programmatic-selection exception and is not a player choice/target [355.10.d]. When you play the gear/spell, make the relevant choices during finalization and pay costs as normal [355.1] [357.1]. If a target later changes zones or becomes illegal during resolution that can affect checks and calculations per [359.3.e.12], but that does not change whether the equip was originally a player choice at finalization. Because the exact text of Irelia and the specific gear are not provided, I applied the general rule above: explicit player-choice wording = counts; programmatic/no-choice = does not count.