head to head
vs
Act of War: Direct ActionvsThe Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II
Act of War: Direct Action leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery); The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery).
Act of War: Direct ActionThe Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II
Axis by axis
Execution5 vs 5
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads5 vs 5
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance3 vs 2
Act of War: Direct Action leans harder on variance: Fog of war conceals enemy composition
Optimization7 vs 7
Even - both lean on optimization about the same.
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.