My wife and I purchased the game about three weeks or so ago. We played eight (nine?) times since then.

We've won three times. Once by gate closing, once by gate sealing and then last night I pulled out the first scenario from the first league, 'Tide of Serpents'

The game was going REALLY poorly. Bad rolls, bad card pulls. Just all around bad luck. And then, Yig woke up. At that point we had two gate trophies between us and only four monster trophies. [the nun had more than the gangster to give you an idea]. I figured we were screwed, but the luck turned around and we actually kicked the sucker back to sleep.

Here's the question: I interpreted the way the combat works that if you cast a spell like Wither that you have to recast it after every combat cycle with the Ancient One. It seems to make sense. Otherwise, you would cast it once and then it would be in effect until you are devoured or the AO is defeated. Any thoughts?

Yeah, you have to recast it every time. Otherwise Dread Curse of Azathoth (or double Shrivel) would be unstoppable against the ancient one.

This is an extraction from the text in the Wither spell card:

"Any Phase: Cast and exhaust to gain +3 to Combat checks until the end of this combat. "

The effect is only applicable to the combat rolls you do with the current moster. Even if you use the spell with two monsters in your location, the spell will only be usefull against one of them.

And you can only recast it the next turn, because it becomes exhausted.

Rafalas said:

It was actually that phrase that gave us a little 'wait a minute'. Since technically there is only the one monster. But, I completely agree that it would unfairly nerf the game to have spells just hang out without the cost and possibility of failure every turn.

Thanks for the replies.

Next, we start folding in Innsmouth Horror elements...