head to head
vs
Age of WondersvsHearts of Iron IV
Age of Wonders leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Hearts of Iron IV leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Age of WondersHearts of Iron IV
Axis by axis
Execution1 vs 2
Hearts of Iron IV leans harder on execution: pausable, micromanagement-heavy
Reads3 vs 4
Hearts of Iron IV leans harder on reads: PvP partly, mostly scripted AI
Variance3 vs 3
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization9 vs 9
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.