Surrounded by wraiths and Gondor wraiths

[Thorondir]

Hi, guys. My friends and I had a little talk about the effects of SbW against a Gondor wraith deck.

It says the FPs must either exhaust the companion or pay its twilight cost again. But what if the companion is Dead Man of Dunharrow? He already comes in game exhausted.

We agreed on the fact the FPs could exhaust him because of SbW and yet play it properly, since the text reads "When you play..." and not "To play...".

Are we right?

[Ringbearer]

You can exhaust a character multiple times. Exhaust is defined (if I recall correctly) as exerting till the companion has 1 vitality left. Thats means you can exert 0 times to get this effect.

[Thorondir]

I'm not sure if I followed you, Ringbearer. I tought exhausted companions could not be exerted.

[bibfortuna25]

Well, what SbW says is "that companion is exhausted unless the FP pays its twilight cost again." FP can simply elect not to pay the cost again.