head to head
vs
Rise of NationsvsThe Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth
Rise of Nations leans Optimization (Mind & Math); The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth leans Optimization (Mind & Math).
Rise of NationsThe Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth
Axis by axis
Execution5 vs 5
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads7 vs 6
Rise of Nations leans harder on reads: Opponent nation pick and age-rush timing must be predicted
Variance3 vs 3
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization8 vs 7
Rise of Nations leans harder on optimization: Territory cap optimization and age-advancement sequencing are deeply 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.