head to head
vs
Age of EmpiresvsThe Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth
Age of Empires leans Optimization (Mind & Math); The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth leans Optimization (Mind & Math).
Age of EmpiresThe 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 leans harder on variance: Fog of war and map resources
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.