Hey all, I'm new to Arkham LCG, I'm just on my second play through of the core set campaign. I think I have a decent understanding of most of the rules, however, I don't understand when to exhaust an enemy. Can someone please explain this as I don't find the Rules Reference clear.

Welcome! Other than explicit rules text on a card, there are two occasions when an enemy exhausts.

1. When an investigator Evades an enemy, that enemy is exhausted and disengaged from the investigator if the Evade attempt is successful. This can either be through taking the Evade action or by using player cards, such as the ability on Stray Cat or the event card Cunning Distraction (both of these cards guarantee success).
2. During the Enemy Phase, an enemy exhausts after it attacks. This is detailed in Appendix II of the Rules Reference, under step 3.3. Since enemies ready again during the upkeep phase (step 4.3), this is usually just a way of reminding you which enemies have attacked and has no actual effect on the game. However, in scenarios outside of the Core Set, there will occasionally be free triggered abilities which a player can only use on an exhausted enemy. These can be used on an enemy which is exhausted after attacking, before it readies during upkeep.

I hope that helps!

15 minutes ago, Assussanni said:

Welcome! Other than explicit rules text on a card, there are two occasions when an enemy exhausts.

1. When an investigator Evades an enemy, that enemy is exhausted and disengaged from the investigator if the Evade attempt is successful. This can either be through taking the Evade action or by using player cards, such as the ability on Stray Cat or the event card Cunning Distraction (both of these cards guarantee success).
2. During the Enemy Phase, an enemy exhausts after it attacks. This is detailed in Appendix II of the Rules Reference, under step 3.3. Since enemies ready again during the upkeep phase (step 4.3), this is usually just a way of reminding you which enemies have attacked and has no actual effect on the game. However, in scenarios outside of the Core Set, there will occasionally be free triggered abilities which a player can only use on an exhausted enemy. These can be used on an enemy which is exhausted after attacking, before it readies during upkeep.

I hope that helps!

Thanks for that. That should help, I'll find out tomorrow when I play The Devourer Below.

11 hours ago, gh0std0g_ said:

Thanks for that. That should help, I'll find out tomorrow when I play The Devourer Below.

Evade is your friend. Don't discount the value it can bring in defeating or escaping from enemies. It's an action that many new players overlook but if your investigator is successful at evading it can make a huge difference to their survival chances. Oh, and pack some meaty weapons...that devourer is a little peckish.

1 hour ago, Dr Dee said:

Evade is your friend. Don't discount the value it can bring in defeating or escaping from enemies. It's an action that many new players overlook but if your investigator is successful at evading it can make a huge difference to their survival chances. Oh, and pack some meaty weapons...that devourer is a little peckish.

Can I change my deck between chapters of a campaign or only purchase upgrades with my XP?

It costs 1 xp to swap one card for a new level 0 card (unless you have the Rogue card Adaptable from the Dunwich cycle). That said, if you're still learning the game, feel free to rearrange your deck if things aren't working out. That surcharge is mainly there to keep experience players from tailoring their decks for each specific scenario.