head to head
vs
Age of Empires IIIvsThe Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth
Age of Empires III leans Optimization (Mind & Math); The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth leans Optimization (Mind & Math).
Age of Empires IIIThe Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth
Axis by axis
Execution5 vs 5
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads6 vs 6
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance4 vs 3
Age of Empires III leans harder on variance: Map spawns and shipment ordering unknowns
Optimization8 vs 7
Age of Empires III leans harder on optimization: Home-city decks are a build-crafting layer
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.