head to head
vs
Halo WarsvsStar Wars: Empire at War
Halo Wars leans Optimization (Mind & Math); Star Wars: Empire at War leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Halo WarsStar Wars: Empire at War
Axis by axis
Execution3 vs 3
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads5 vs 5
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance3 vs 2
Halo Wars leans harder on variance: Scouting hides enemy composition early
Optimization7 vs 8
Star Wars: Empire at War leans harder on optimization: Economy, tech order and counter-unit composition decide campaigns
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.