head to head
vs
Stronghold: CrusadervsThe Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth
Stronghold: Crusader leans Optimization (Mind & Math); The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth leans Optimization (Mind & Math).
Stronghold: CrusaderThe 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
Stronghold: Crusader leans harder on variance: Goods market prices and siege equipment availability fluctuate
Optimization8 vs 7
Stronghold: Crusader leans harder on optimization: Castle layout and goods production chains are deeply optimizable
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.