Interesting Balance Mechanic

So I've been messing around with a game that has been on the back burner for awhile just to get a refresher with new ideas and concepts...

While doing so I developed a fun environment that could prove to create A LOT a strategic depth.

Stratego is a wonderful little game that has a sort of a cascading combat system (as I call it), where higher numbers kill lower numbers. But I always wished that there were more abilities.

So I created a system where you create a deck of two sets 10 different tiles/units (resulting in 20 cards with all 10 different units having two copies) all having abilities/hinderances a point value, mobility and Attack value (ranging from 1-10 similar to Stratego).

Here though is the interesting balance affect...

The only constraint on the construction of the deck would be you must have 1 unit of each attack value 1-10.

The object of the game is to get to 20 points by killing the enemy uniys and scoring by their point value marked on the card. Pretty simple.

But obviously the 10 damage unit is OP. But what I want to happen with thus system is that higher damage cards are actually going to start providing "hinderances" instead of abilities. Almost to the point of buffing enemy cards!

So you scale would go like this...

1 damage (cannot kill anything) = Super awesome ability with crazy sinergy!!!

10 damage (can kill everything) = Hinderance that gives your opponents insane buffs and advantages.

What makes this interesting is you are not just going to go guns a blazing with you high powered units you actually have to use them strategically and rely on low power high ability units to sinergize and gaun advantage.

Also, both players have the same damage type vs. Ability sinergy units meaning both players will have to deal with the same hinderances and abilities.

What are your thoughts?