head to head
vs
The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earthvsWarcraft III: Reign of Chaos
The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth leans Optimization (Mind & Math); Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos leans Optimization (Grand Arena).
The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earthWarcraft III: Reign of Chaos
Axis by axis
Execution5 vs 7
Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos leans harder on execution: Micro of heroes and units decides fights
Reads6 vs 7
Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos leans harder on reads: Scouting and out-guessing a human opponent's tech
Variance3 vs 3
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization7 vs 8
Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos leans harder on optimization: Build orders, creeping routes, and matchup theory run deep
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.