So I've tried having all actions reset at the beginning of the round. The problem that I run into is the combatant with the worst initiative can feint the combatant with the best initiative, still use his Slow action , and then have both actions immediately reset. This feels too powerful for a fast action that requires no skill roll. It might be better if Feint required a Manipulate vs Insight roll.
Instead, I'm going to try having combatants start with no actions until their first turn. This would solve the problem of using both actions before your first turn to dodge/parry and ending up with four actions. I'll let you know how that goes though.
And (again) the combatant with the highest init card (i.e. worst) will have to use one of his actions to feint. Some example:
Turn 1: A (init 1) - Attacks (slow)
: B (init 9) - Parries (reactive fast)
: A - Saves his fast actions just in case B will attack.
: B - Feints (fast)
A wastes his second actions but on the other hand he was not attacked so...
Turn 2: B (init 1) - Attacks (slow)
: A (init 9) - Parries (reactive fast)
: B - Saves his fast action just in case A will attack
: A - Feints (fast)
Nothing has changed. this is an example of a totally pointless feint. Feint is best used as part of a momentum.
Turn 1: A (init 1) - Attacks (slow)
: B - Don't uses his actions, he saves them to be used on his own turn.
: A - Knows that B will have both of his actions left on his turn. He could save his second (fast) action or use it to shove his opponent or disarm him. Lets save it.
: B (init 9) - Attacks (slow)
: A - Parries (reactive fast).
: B - Feint (fast).
Here B has gambled a little by not parrying. He gained a better init by doing so.
Turn 2 : B (init 1) - Attacks (slow)
: A (init 9) - Parries (reactive fast).
: B - Saves his fast action just in case A will attack
: A - He could feint or attack here.
There is nothing to be gain in these example.
Talents, number of allies can change this but that is what I call momentum. If you can parry for free for example, you will have a free action when it is your turn and you can feint without sacrificing an action. Not so strange, you are better than him (you have one more action than him). But then you have the better init and the only ones that can feint are your opponents. If you feint because of that you have more people on your side or you have combat oriented talents and he did not, then you should have the advantage. My examples was with a duel without talents, just to show that it is not that useful.