diff --git a/forge-ai/src/main/java/forge/ai/ComputerUtil.java b/forge-ai/src/main/java/forge/ai/ComputerUtil.java
index ec6b6636151..c5c5720241d 100644
--- a/forge-ai/src/main/java/forge/ai/ComputerUtil.java
+++ b/forge-ai/src/main/java/forge/ai/ComputerUtil.java
@@ -337,27 +337,30 @@ public class ComputerUtil {
         return true;
     }
 
-    public static final void playNoStack(final Player ai, SpellAbility sa, final Game game, final boolean effect) {
+    public static final boolean playNoStack(final Player ai, SpellAbility sa, final Game game, final boolean effect) {
         sa.setActivatingPlayer(ai, true);
         // TODO: We should really restrict what doesn't use the Stack
-        if (ComputerUtilCost.canPayCost(sa, ai, effect)) {
-            final Card source = sa.getHostCard();
-            if (sa.isSpell() && !source.isCopiedSpell()) {
-                sa.setHostCard(game.getAction().moveToStack(source, sa));
-            }
-
-            sa = GameActionUtil.addExtraKeywordCost(sa);
-
-            final Cost cost = sa.getPayCosts();
-            if (cost == null) {
-                ComputerUtilMana.payManaCost(ai, sa, effect);
-            } else {
-                final CostPayment pay = new CostPayment(cost, sa);
-                pay.payComputerCosts(new AiCostDecision(ai, sa, effect));
-            }
-
-            AbilityUtils.resolve(sa);
+        if (!ComputerUtilCost.canPayCost(sa, ai, effect)) {
+            return false;
         }
+
+        final Card source = sa.getHostCard();
+        if (sa.isSpell() && !source.isCopiedSpell()) {
+            sa.setHostCard(game.getAction().moveToStack(source, sa));
+        }
+
+        sa = GameActionUtil.addExtraKeywordCost(sa);
+
+        final Cost cost = sa.getPayCosts();
+        if (cost == null) {
+            ComputerUtilMana.payManaCost(ai, sa, effect);
+        } else {
+            final CostPayment pay = new CostPayment(cost, sa);
+            pay.payComputerCosts(new AiCostDecision(ai, sa, effect));
+        }
+
+        AbilityUtils.resolve(sa);
+        return true;
     }
 
     public static Card getCardPreference(final Player ai, final Card activate, final String pref, final CardCollection typeList) {
diff --git a/forge-ai/src/main/java/forge/ai/PlayerControllerAi.java b/forge-ai/src/main/java/forge/ai/PlayerControllerAi.java
index f61c632b5c8..6e28cd69f83 100644
--- a/forge-ai/src/main/java/forge/ai/PlayerControllerAi.java
+++ b/forge-ai/src/main/java/forge/ai/PlayerControllerAi.java
@@ -707,8 +707,7 @@ public class PlayerControllerAi extends PlayerController {
         ability.setActivatingPlayer(c.getController(), true);
         ability.setCardState(sa.getCardState());
 
-        if (ComputerUtilCost.canPayCost(ability, c.getController(), true)) {
-            ComputerUtil.playNoStack(c.getController(), ability, getGame(), true);
+        if (ComputerUtil.playNoStack(c.getController(), ability, getGame(), true)) {
             // transfer this info for Balduvian Fallen
             sa.setPayingMana(ability.getPayingMana());
             return true;
@@ -1082,9 +1081,8 @@ public class PlayerControllerAi extends PlayerController {
         emptyAbility.setSVars(sa.getSVars());
         emptyAbility.setCardState(sa.getCardState());
         emptyAbility.setXManaCostPaid(sa.getRootAbility().getXManaCostPaid());
-        if (ComputerUtilCost.willPayUnlessCost(sa, player, cost, alreadyPaid, allPayers) && ComputerUtilCost.canPayCost(emptyAbility, player, true)) {
-            ComputerUtil.playNoStack(player, emptyAbility, getGame(), true); // AI needs something to resolve to pay that cost
-            return true;
+        if (ComputerUtilCost.willPayUnlessCost(sa, player, cost, alreadyPaid, allPayers)) {
+            return ComputerUtil.playNoStack(player, emptyAbility, getGame(), true); // AI needs something to resolve to pay that cost
         }
         return false;
     }
diff --git a/forge-game/src/main/java/forge/game/ability/AbilityUtils.java b/forge-game/src/main/java/forge/game/ability/AbilityUtils.java
index f3199e1f683..72d6b25dd39 100644
--- a/forge-game/src/main/java/forge/game/ability/AbilityUtils.java
+++ b/forge-game/src/main/java/forge/game/ability/AbilityUtils.java
@@ -421,8 +421,16 @@ public class AbilityUtils {
         // return empty strings and constants
         if (StringUtils.isBlank(amount)) { return 0; }
         if (card == null) { return 0; }
-        final Player player = card.getController();
-        final Game game = player == null ? card.getGame() : player.getGame();
+
+        Player player = null;
+        if (ability instanceof SpellAbility) {
+            player = ((SpellAbility)ability).getActivatingPlayer();
+        }
+        if (player == null) {
+            player = card.getController();
+        }
+
+        final Game game = card.getGame();
 
         // Strip and save sign for calculations
         final boolean startsWithPlus = amount.charAt(0) == '+';
@@ -519,12 +527,7 @@ public class AbilityUtils {
                 players.remove(game.getPhaseHandler().getPlayerTurn());
                 val = playerXCount(players, calcX[1], card, ability);
             } else if (hType.startsWith("PropertyYou")) {
-                if (ability instanceof SpellAbility) {
-                    // Hollow One
-                    players.add(((SpellAbility) ability).getActivatingPlayer());
-                } else {
-                    players.add(player);
-                }
+                players.add(player);
                 val = playerXCount(players, calcX[1], card, ability);
             } else if (hType.startsWith("Property")) {
                 String defined = hType.split("Property")[1];
@@ -3232,12 +3235,13 @@ public class AbilityUtils {
      * @return a int.
      */
     public static int playerXCount(final List<Player> players, final String s, final Card source, CardTraitBase ctb) {
-        if (players.size() == 0) {
+        if (players.isEmpty()) {
             return 0;
         }
 
         final String[] l = s.split("/");
         final String m = CardFactoryUtil.extractOperators(s);
+        final Player controller = ctb instanceof SpellAbility ? ((SpellAbility)ctb).getActivatingPlayer() : source.getController();
 
         int n = 0;
 
@@ -3318,7 +3322,7 @@ public class AbilityUtils {
             int totPlayer = 0;
             String property = sq[0].substring(11);
             for (Player p : players) {
-                if (p.hasProperty(property, source.getController(), source, ctb)) {
+                if (p.hasProperty(property, controller, source, ctb)) {
                     totPlayer++;
                 }
             }