head to head
vs
Earth 2160vsHearts of Iron IV
Earth 2160 leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Hearts of Iron IV leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Earth 2160Hearts of Iron IV
Axis by axis
Execution3 vs 2
Earth 2160 leans harder on execution: Unit micro matters but pacing is RTS-deliberate
Reads4 vs 4
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance3 vs 3
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization8 vs 9
Hearts of Iron IV leans harder on optimization: division templates and production 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.