head to head
vs
Rise of NationsvsWarhammer 40,000: Dawn of War
Rise of Nations leans Optimization (Mind & Math); Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War leans Reads (Grand Arena).
Rise of NationsWarhammer 40,000: Dawn of War
Axis by axis
Execution5 vs 6
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War leans harder on execution: Squad retreat timing and builder unit micro require practiced hands
Reads7 vs 7
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
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.