As you said, difference is in the details. I passed my old guide jacket down to my son, and upgraded to the Axis. After owning both, not sure there is a reason for the guide jacket anymore. Guide is a pure softshell. Only good for a slight chill in the air, as wind penetrates it and and the guide jacket will eventually leak at the seams during a downpour.
Axis seems to do better in the wind (close the pockets!), and with the taped seams on the upper body it means I probably don't need to carry a rain jacket (hardshell) for late season hunts when wet weather (snow) is expected. I only got to wear mine a couple of times last year before it got too warm, but it did great in a couple of storms I wore it in, and seemed to breath very well while hiking around in it shed hunting. In my mind it fixes a couple of problems that kept me from wearing my guide jacket in inclement weather, blocking moisture and wind, while still being very breathable.
