head to head
vs
Madden NFL 21vsThe Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth
Madden NFL 21 leans Reads (Mind & Math); The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth leans Optimization (Mind & Math).
Madden NFL 21The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth
Axis by axis
Execution5 vs 5
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads6 vs 6
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance4 vs 3
Madden NFL 21 leans harder on variance: Catch and tackle dice rolls swing key downs
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.