head to head
vs
Gems of WarvsThe Banner Saga
Gems of War leans Optimization (Systems & Chaos); The Banner Saga leans Optimization (Systems & Chaos).
Gems of WarThe Banner Saga
Axis by axis
Execution1 vs 2
The Banner Saga leans harder on execution: Turn-based; willpower spend timing is the sole execution nuance
Reads1 vs 1
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance6 vs 5
Gems of War leans harder on variance: Gem cascades and drop RNG swing every battle
Optimization7 vs 7
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.