Round table

I have a numerical advantage, could it really just be about who attacks first?

Here's the deal.
Both have an "Expert Tactics" skill, which means neither has any tactics.
That's point one. Second:
The monster's level has no bearing on determining turn order. With equal speed, in the first round, the attacker goes first, and those units closer to the first slot go earlier.

Are these such "subtleties" that not everyone knows yet?