head to head
vs
Stronghold: WarlordsvsThe Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth
Stronghold: Warlords leans Optimization (Mind & Math); The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth leans Optimization (Mind & Math).
Stronghold: WarlordsThe 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: Warlords leans harder on variance: Warlord favor costs and troop reinforcement timing add uncertainty
Optimization7 vs 7
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.