diff --git a/forge-ai/src/main/java/forge/ai/AiController.java b/forge-ai/src/main/java/forge/ai/AiController.java
index f5a7ff663af..b8d7cc6e80c 100644
--- a/forge-ai/src/main/java/forge/ai/AiController.java
+++ b/forge-ai/src/main/java/forge/ai/AiController.java
@@ -791,7 +791,7 @@ public class AiController {
         }
 
         int oldCMC = -1;
-        boolean xCost = sa.costHasX() || host.hasKeyword(Keyword.STRIVE);
+        boolean xCost = sa.costHasX() || host.hasKeyword(Keyword.STRIVE) || sa.getApi() == ApiType.Charm;
         if (!xCost) {
             if (!ComputerUtilCost.canPayCost(sa, player, sa.isTrigger())) {
                 // for most costs, it's OK to check if they can be paid early in order to avoid running a heavy API check
@@ -820,7 +820,7 @@ public class AiController {
                     if (tgt.hasKeyword(Keyword.WARD) && tgt.isInPlay() && tgt.getController().isOpponentOf(host.getController())) {
                         Cost wardCost = ComputerUtilCard.getTotalWardCost(tgt);
                         if (wardCost.hasManaCost()) {
-                            xCost = wardCost.getTotalMana().getCMC() > 0;
+                            xCost |= wardCost.getTotalMana().getCMC() > 0;
                         }
                         SpellAbilityAi topAI = new SpellAbilityAi() {};
                         if (!topAI.willPayCosts(player, sa, wardCost, host)) {
diff --git a/forge-ai/src/main/java/forge/ai/PlayerControllerAi.java b/forge-ai/src/main/java/forge/ai/PlayerControllerAi.java
index 723669d51de..5eeefb0243b 100644
--- a/forge-ai/src/main/java/forge/ai/PlayerControllerAi.java
+++ b/forge-ai/src/main/java/forge/ai/PlayerControllerAi.java
@@ -966,8 +966,7 @@ public class PlayerControllerAi extends PlayerController {
      * forge.game.player.PlayerController.BinaryChoiceType, java.util.Map)
      */
     @Override
-    public boolean chooseBinary(SpellAbility sa, String question, BinaryChoiceType kindOfChoice,
-            Map<String, Object> params) {
+    public boolean chooseBinary(SpellAbility sa, String question, BinaryChoiceType kindOfChoice, Map<String, Object> params) {
         ApiType api = sa.getApi();
         if (null == api) {
             throw new InvalidParameterException("SA is not api-based, this is not supported yet");
diff --git a/forge-ai/src/main/java/forge/ai/ability/CharmAi.java b/forge-ai/src/main/java/forge/ai/ability/CharmAi.java
index 7a642b7a831..90057c6b3be 100644
--- a/forge-ai/src/main/java/forge/ai/ability/CharmAi.java
+++ b/forge-ai/src/main/java/forge/ai/ability/CharmAi.java
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ import forge.ai.SpellAbilityAi;
 import forge.game.ability.AbilityUtils;
 import forge.game.ability.effects.CharmEffect;
 import forge.game.card.Card;
-import forge.game.keyword.Keyword;
 import forge.game.player.Player;
 import forge.game.spellability.AbilitySub;
 import forge.game.spellability.SpellAbility;
@@ -41,6 +40,7 @@ public class CharmAi extends SpellAbilityAi {
 
         // Reset the chosen list otherwise it will be locked in forever by earlier calls
         sa.setChosenList(null);
+        sa.setSubAbility(null);
         List<AbilitySub> chosenList;
         
         if (!ai.equals(sa.getActivatingPlayer())) {
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ public class CharmAi extends SpellAbilityAi {
             chosenList = chooseTriskaidekaphobia(choices, ai);
         } else {
             // only randomize if not all possible together
-            if (num < choices.size() || source.hasKeyword(Keyword.ESCALATE)) {
+            if (num < choices.size()) {
                 Collections.shuffle(choices);
             }
 
@@ -80,7 +80,13 @@ public class CharmAi extends SpellAbilityAi {
                 return false;
             }
         }
+
+        // store the choices so they'll get reused
         sa.setChosenList(chosenList);
+        if (sa.isSpell()) {
+            // prebuild chain to improve cost calculation accuracy
+            CharmEffect.chainAbilities(sa, chosenList);
+        }
 
         // prevent run-away activations - first time will always return true
         return MyRandom.getRandom().nextFloat() <= Math.pow(.6667, sa.getActivationsThisTurn());
diff --git a/forge-game/src/main/java/forge/game/ability/effects/CharmEffect.java b/forge-game/src/main/java/forge/game/ability/effects/CharmEffect.java
index 6a9798bbee3..2ec60ba0491 100644
--- a/forge-game/src/main/java/forge/game/ability/effects/CharmEffect.java
+++ b/forge-game/src/main/java/forge/game/ability/effects/CharmEffect.java
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ public class CharmEffect extends SpellAbilityEffect {
         return true;
     }
 
-    private static void chainAbilities(SpellAbility sa, List<AbilitySub> chosen) {
+    public static void chainAbilities(SpellAbility sa, List<AbilitySub> chosen) {
         if (chosen == null) {
             return;
         }