head to head
vs
Cossacks 3vsHearts of Iron IV
Cossacks 3 leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Hearts of Iron IV leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Cossacks 3Hearts of Iron IV
Axis by axis
Execution3 vs 2
Cossacks 3 leans harder on execution: unit micromanagement under real-time pressure
Reads6 vs 4
Cossacks 3 leans harder on reads: human opponents bluff builds and attacks
Variance2 vs 3
Hearts of Iron IV leans harder on variance: focus tree branches, events
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.