head to head
vs
Age of EmpiresvsCompany of Heroes
Age of Empires leans Optimization (Mind & Math); Company of Heroes leans Execution (Grand Arena).
Age of EmpiresCompany of Heroes
Axis by axis
Execution5 vs 7
Company of Heroes leans harder on execution: Infantry cover micro and suppression-break timing are precise demands
Reads6 vs 7
Company of Heroes leans harder on reads: Opponent sector pushes and doctrine choices must be predicted
Variance4 vs 4
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization8 vs 7
Age of Empires leans harder on optimization: Build orders and eco timing dominate
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.