head to head
vs
Gears Pop!vsThe Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth
Gears Pop! leans Reads (Mind & Math); The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth leans Optimization (Mind & Math).
Gears Pop!The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth
Axis by axis
Execution2 vs 5
The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth leans harder on execution: Micro and multitasking under real-time pressure
Reads6 vs 6
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance4 vs 3
Gears Pop! leans harder on variance: Card draw order and matchmaking shape each match
Optimization6 vs 7
The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth leans harder on optimization: Build orders and counter units are largely solvable
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.