deflection question

[strife27]

I am using this card in my deck, and want to make sure that I am using it properly. I want to verify a ruling on this card.

Deflection (cost) 2
Plot Twist
Exhaust any number of characters you control. Target defender gets +X def this attack, where X is the number of characters you exhausted.

now, my question. Say I have 3 drop Hourman, and I have this in my resource row, with 3 drop Terrific and 1 drop Terrific hidden. Can I exhaust Hourman for the number of characters exhausted, and then target him with the +X for the defense boost?

any clarification to this would be helpful, and thanks in advance.

 

[Digital Jedi]

The effect says to exhaust "any" number of characters you control, then calculate the DEF boost based on the number of characters you exhausted. It says nothing that would indicate you cannot exhaust the defending character as part of that effect. As long as Hourman is the defender this attack, he can be exhausted and targeted by the effect.

So presuming all effects are properly activated/applied, Houman would end up becoming 10/11, not counting any other characters you've exhausted for Deflection.