Quick Summary
Ordulops007 became the first confirmed semifinalist of the Exodus and Outcast Invitational after defeating tv/slark123dota 2–0.
On July 24, he faces Gluhammer in a battle between two players who have not yet lost a single game in the tournament.
Ordulops007 approaches competitive Heroes methodically: he studies his opponents, prepares around their faction preferences and weaknesses, and confidently plays almost every faction in the game.
His philosophy is simple: “That is what Heroes is about: making the best of what you are given.”
Ordulops007 entered the Exodus and Outcast Invitational as one of 16 invited players - and quickly established himself as one of the tournament’s most serious contenders.
His originally scheduled opening opponent, DreamHunter, was unable to participate, giving Ordulops007 a direct path into the next round. But when his first match finally arrived, he made the opportunity count.
Facing tv/slark123dota - the winner of the tournament’s epic opening series—Ordulops007 delivered a clean 2–0 victory across Exodus and Outcast Tournament.
He won the first game with Khariseth and Hive, then completed the series with Tolketh and Schism. The result made him the first player to officially secure a place in the semifinals.
Now comes his biggest test.
Ordulops007 faces Gluhammer on July 24 for a place in the grand final. Gluhammer has won both of his tournament series 2–0, while Ordulops007 has also yet to drop a game.
The matchup brings together two of the tournament’s most efficient performers—but Ordulops007’s greatest strength may be what happens before the map even begins.
He prepares specifically for most opponents, studies their preferred factions and weaknesses, and describes himself as capable of playing all but one faction at a strong level.
In this Invitational Voices interview, Ordulops007 discusses his preparation process, why he prefers Outcast over Exodus, the current advantage of Magic heroes, and his expectation to personally reach the grand final.
You can follow Ordulops007 future games and streams on Twitch.
The answers have been lightly edited for grammar and clarity while preserving Ordulops007’s original meaning and style.
From Heroes II to Olden Era
Q1. How long have you been playing Heroes, and which faction did you play first?
I have probably been playing Heroes seriously for around six years.
I played some Heroes II when I was younger and really enjoyed playing the Wizards.
During the last six years, I have mostly played Heroes III. I also learned Heroes V and participated in a tournament after playing it for around a month.
Now I am playing Olden Era.
Q2. Which faction performance impressed you the most during the tournament, and which was the biggest disappointment?
No faction has really surprised me.
My faction tier list was already fairly set in stone before the tournament, and the games have represented it well.
temple appears to be the weakest faction because it does not have an easy way to clear the map compared with the others.
Q3. How did you like the Outcast Tournament template? Would you like to play more of it?
I really like Outcast and would definitely like to see more of it in the game.
Personally, I do not enjoy Exodus very much.
Q4. Did you prepare specifically for your opponents, or did you approach the matches like regular ladder games?
I prepare specifically for most of my opponents.
I look at what they are good at, what they are weak at, which factions they prepare and what their overall playstyle is.
I am very flexible and can play all but one faction fairly well.
Q5. Which tournament game or moment are you most satisfied with?
I am probably most satisfied with my Outcast game.
I think I played well and only noticed one more mediocre mistake that I should not have made.
Q6. Which player did you fear facing the most?
Easy2.
He seems capable of consistently producing very strong games with most factions.
Q7. Which player or game moment impressed you the most during the tournament?
I was most impressed by Easy2’s Grove game.
It was a great showcase of a control-spell specialist on a high-experience map.
I had never seen that much Spell Power before the first fight.
Q8. What is your prediction for the grand final?
My prediction is that I will face either Lexiav or Rito in the final.
It is difficult to tell which of them will win at the moment.
Q9. How much did GAMBA affect your games?
GAMBA affects the games a fair bit.
I would say I was handed a fairly poor Exodus game, but my hero luckily developed into a good skill tree, which compensated for it somewhat.
There were some upsides and some downsides—but that is what Heroes is about: making the best of what you are given.
Q10. Who is stronger in the current meta: Might or Magic heroes?
Overall, Magic heroes are better at the moment because of the Thaumaturgy and Sorcery buffs in the latest patch.
That does not mean specific Might heroes are unpickable, though.
Some of them can easily perform as well as the best Magic heroes.
Big Kudos to Ordulops007
Ordulops007 has backed up his confidence with one of the cleanest performances of the Invitational.
In his first played series, he defeated tv/slark123dota 2–0 and became the tournament’s first confirmed semifinalist.
The result was not only decisive. It demonstrated the qualities Ordulops007 describes throughout this interview: preparation, flexibility and the ability to make strong decisions across different factions and templates.
His tournament approach is among the most methodical in the field. He does not simply queue into a match and rely on familiar ladder habits. He studies what his opponents play, where they are vulnerable and how their preferred factions affect the draft.
That preparation now leads into an undefeated semifinal against Gluhammer.
Gluhammer has won four consecutive tournament games. Ordulops007 has won both games he has played. One of those records will end on July 24, and the winner will move one step closer to the $1,200 first-place prize.
Ordulops007 has already predicted himself to reach the grand final.
Now he has an opportunity to make the first half of that prediction come true.
Big kudos to Ordulops007 for earning his place among the Invitational’s top four, delivering a flawless opening series and bringing one of the tournament’s most analytical approaches to the semifinal stage.
More interviews with Invitational participants will be published throughout the playoffs as part of TownPortal’s Invitational Voices series.