Have you read this thread yet?

Most of what you are thinking is in line with the intended use of creating opportunities and applying consequences. But the hero attacks should be something THEY suggest to you and spend a raise to create. A consequence should f being knocked down could be avoided by spending a raise or the hero hits the ground and is limited in what they can do until they get up again (which normally would be free but will need some sort of limit implied). Opportunities and consequences are the hard part of the new learning curve, it just takes some practice.

If the villain is a Duelist, giving up one of yours may avoid a big attack so that is not the worst deal. Teaching opportunities is tough, I would recommend letting their descriptions fuel the options. If a player describes an action you think could become one, offer it as an option. Your polearm example may prevent the target from attacking that character for the round. Also push the players to use teamwork. Opportunities should be created to let another player spend the action to gain from it. Maybe the player hit by that table can create an opportunity once he is down for another player to be catapulted off it up to a balcony. If the fate witch grapples, the villain needs to spend an action to get loose but maybe it is also am opportunity to give her ally a bonus wound if he can stab him before he gets loose.

Salamanca pretty much hit the nail on the head.

To borrow a line from Rodney Thompson in regards to WotC's Star Wars Saga Edition, the game is less about what your equipment can do and more about what your character can do (the line being said in response to the long-standing criticism of D&D that your character is only as good as their magic items).

The GM should encourage the players to get creative with what skills are used in their Approach, as well as how those raises can be spent during an Action sequence.  Let them get creative in how they spend their raises to deal with Brute Squads; just because the character isn't actively attacking the brutes with a sword doesn't mean they can't use their other skills to reduce a Brute Squad's strength value.  For instance, using Intimidate to scare off a bunch of brutes, or Convince to get some of the brutes to leave the scene ("I hate working for these guys, they're really weird" *mook scampers off*), or Perform to use a series of flips, cartwheels, tumbles, and pirohuettes that leaves the brutes tangled up in each other (and effectively out of the fight).

In terms of a Villain, don't overlook the value of Pressure.  If nothing else, it'll require the Villain to burn through their raises that much quicker, and could be all the difference between a high Strength Villain Duelist curb-stomping the party and the Heroes managing to score a victory against such a fearsome foe even of said foe isn't lying in a pool of their own blood at the party's feet.

Well timed Pressure can stop an action scene cold. I may need to alter when it can be applied for balance.

Opening chase scene turns into a fight. Heroes roll their typical raises but my dice hate me and the villain rolls a single raise. Hero one acts to pressure a surrender. The rest of the group can pile on damage and bash but he is not acting this turn. (Even to flee which was the plan). Truth be told, a hero or villain can Pressure at the one raise remaining point and pretty much remove those actions from play as well as reducing what happens the next round. I am not sure that balances well.

Yeah, that can work. But so does just restricting it to use before the point of 2 raises (because it turns out players hate Hero Points frivolously)