head to head
vs
Fire Emblem: AwakeningvsGears Tactics
Fire Emblem: Awakening leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Gears Tactics leans Optimization (Systems & Chaos).
Fire Emblem: AwakeningGears Tactics
Axis by axis
Execution2 vs 2
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads1 vs 1
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance5 vs 6
Gears Tactics leans harder on variance: Boss gear drops, ability trees unlocked per run, and overwatch procs add RNG
Optimization8 vs 8
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.