head to head
vs
Age of Empires IVvsWarhammer 40,000: Dawn of War
Age of Empires IV leans Optimization (Grand Arena); Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War leans Reads (Grand Arena).
Age of Empires IVWarhammer 40,000: Dawn of War
Axis by axis
Execution7 vs 6
Age of Empires IV leans harder on execution: APM and micro matter, lower than SC2
Reads7 vs 7
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance2 vs 3
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War leans harder on variance: Relic capture variance and squad reinforcement timing add uncertainty
Optimization8 vs 7
Age of Empires IV leans harder on optimization: civ build orders well solved
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.