head to head
vs
Icewind Dale IIvsMedieval II: Total War
Icewind Dale II leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Medieval II: Total War leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Icewind Dale IIMedieval II: Total War
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.
Variance4 vs 3
Icewind Dale II leans harder on variance: 3E feat combinations and hidden enemy resistances create unknown-information layers
Optimization9 vs 9
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.