Draft rules Hero v Villain card game

You're talking about a few things all at once.

Sure, a stat system can be interesting. What does it add to the game?

If you measure Speed as you describe, then there's no decision being made. A system that has variable speeds for attacks sounds more interesting to me (which is why I suggested the even-odd attack speed system above).

What you may want to consider for any stat you wish to include as a factor in combat would be a bonus system. In other words, some characters have a bonus to initiative, a bonus to damage, a bonus to defense, etc.

For example, you can have a normal character, with no bonus to speed. But maybe a "fast" character has a +2 or +4, or even a +6 to their Attack order number (in my even-odd example, I would make sure all bonuses were even numbers so there's still no chance of a tie). If the higher-number attack goes first, then this "fast" hero has an advantage but they may not go first all the time, because of the particular attack being used. Additionally, you won't have to break ties with a flip of the coin, which is completely random - and rather dissatisfying to many when it's a win-or-lose situation.

Also, I suggest you avoid using penalties (like your -100 you suggested above) because that means that a character is doubly-penalized whenever up against another character's bonus, and also it frequently leaves the player with a negative feeling about a particular aspect of the game (in this case, the character card in question). It's also easier in most cases to balance during playtesting when all numbers "are moving in the same direction," so to speak.

Instead of adding penalties to some characters, consider adding more bonuses to other characters, and the character won't need a penalty.

In my example from above, the Attack cards have even or odd numbers on them, not the Stats.

Speed was the example I mentioned above, and would be indicated for 'fast' characters with a +2, +4, etc. The Speed Stat bonus would be added to the number shown on the Attack card used when that fast character was active and in the field. It was an example of how a Speed Stat could be used to influence battles but provide more of a decision point than just a flat number that's compared to the opponent's active character.

It's all part of the process. :)

Just make sure you jump into testing sooner rather than later. It's best to learn what's working and what needs improvement as soon as possible, so you can finesse your ideas into an even better game. So go for it...!

The core of LOS's even/odd idea was that if the turn order somehow depends on player actions, that there be no possibility of a tie. With that restriction to speed up gameplay, there are still a number of options.

For example, suppose characters decide their actions (i.e., reveal their action cards) in order from highest character energy to lowest. If a character can do something from the bench, he/she does it when their energy "turn" comes up. This ordering gives lower-powered characters a chance to react to higher-powered ones. It could be based on current remaining energy or on original energy printed on the card, whichever playtests better.

Then, the actions resolve from lowest-energy to highest-energy. If you get knocked out before your action resolves, too bad it doesn't happen. This requires a small change in that the current zero-energy actions need either small costs or the added complexity of a tie-breaker system.

Speedster/clairvoyant characters can have special abilities that break these rules, but the basic mechanics need to be simple and allow for strategy. Once that is in place, you can have a telepathic character with the ability to delay playing an action card until all others have made their decisions (with a possible exception for some robot whose mind can't be read). A speedster might be able to resolve an action earlier than normal (maybe as if it was half or one-quarter the cost).

Any ties resulting from rule-breaking abilities ought to be resolved with the standard rules. The less-powerful telepath gets to decide after the more powerful one, and in the event of a speedster's action tying with anyone else's, the action with the lower original cost goes first. It might be possible to design around any possible ties with speedsters, but if decisions are based on current remaining energy then ties might still happen. And you never know what might happen with future expansions.