head to head
vs
R.U.S.E.vsThe Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth
R.U.S.E. leans Reads (Mind & Math); The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth leans Optimization (Mind & Math).
R.U.S.E.The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth
Axis by axis
Execution4 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.
Variance5 vs 3
R.U.S.E. leans harder on variance: Ruses hide intel; you act on incomplete information
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.