head to head
vs
Star Wars: Empire at WarvsStronghold Crusader II
Star Wars: Empire at War leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Stronghold Crusader II leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Star Wars: Empire at WarStronghold Crusader II
Axis by axis
Execution3 vs 4
Stronghold Crusader II leans harder on execution: unit micro and siege management require dexterity
Reads5 vs 4
Star Wars: Empire at War leans harder on reads: Multiplayer galactic feints and fleet composition mind-games matter
Variance2 vs 2
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization8 vs 8
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.