In this game, each player would represent a faction with special powers. Each player would have a unique hand of Combat Cards. These cards would have a strength number from 1-6. Each player would also start the game with some Influence Tokens, say 5 per player.
When one faction attacks another, both players would pick a Combat Card to play. Then each player adds how many Influence Tokens he has, and the player with the higher total wins (attacker wins ties). The winner, however, now gives one Influence Token to the loser.
Once you play a card you can't use it again until you've used all your cards, similar to LOTR:Confrontation, A Game Of Thrones, etc.
As an example: let's say the Atreides have their 3, 4, and 5 cards remaining and have 5 influence. They attack the Harkonnen who only have their 3 and 4 cards, and have 6 influence. Atreides picks 4 (total strength 9), Harkonnen picks 3 (total strength 9). As the attacker, Atreides win the tie. He also cedes 1 influence token to Harkonnen, who now has 7. This is bad news for the Fremen, who have a mere 4 influence, and against whom Harkonnen unleashes several successful attacks on his turn.
So your just making the leader tokens from dune into a hand of cards, and the units into influence.
Are the combat cards public? Knowing only on half of the information would introduce a "mind games" element
Btw: nice name...
Well the winner is rewarded by taking territory from the loser, and scoring territories is how you win the game... But territories have different values, so each player has to think, "Is this territory worth using one of my best cards, or I should I use a throwaway card?"
Like LOTR:The Confrontation, everyone's cards would be public (until the two dueling players secretly select their cards) so there is an element of tactics there as well.