Hero Mastery

Underlord

A teamfight anchor: Firestorm + Pit of Malice lock enemies in a kill zone, Atrophy Aura turns every death into more of your damage.

Mastery parameters

Your GPM, last hits and damage per game against other Underlord players — average vs Top 20%.

Members only

Learning journey

1 Know the kit
2 Win the lane
3 Timing & rotations
4 Win the fights
5 Master

5 stages, each with one target from your own games and one short quiz. Make Underlord your mastery hero to start — progress shows on Home and Arcana.

Phase by phase

Laning: pressure their carry, don't feed

You 50%Team 50%

Skills in lane — Pro cores max Firestorm (Q) first — 99% of 389 games since patch 7.41, then Pit of Malice (W). First talent at level 11.
Level-4 Firestorm — lane control — Firestorm is cheap and low-cooldown: use it to shove waves, farm camps, and zone enemies off XP.

Skills 1–7

Starting items

Gauntlets of Strength32%
Iron Branch31%
Tango9%
Magic Stick7%
Faerie Fire5%
Circlet of Nobility4%

Pros buy this phase

Power Treads49%
Phase Boots45%
Arcane Boots6%

The Offlaner's job this phase

Your goal isn't perfect farm — it's making sure THEIR carry doesn't farm. Contest every last hit.
Secure range creeps with a spell if needed; XP matters more than gold for you.
If the 1v2 is rough, hug your tower and ask the soft support to help zone.

Counters & weaknesses

Tank (big HP & armor)

The items that shut Underlord down, 3 heroes that trouble it, and your answer when you play it.

Members only

Why this way? How OpenAI Five learned

One hero, one role first
OpenAI's first bot played only Shadow Fiend, only mid, until it mastered it. Stay on Underlord in one role before moving on.
Small, measurable rewards
OpenAI Five was rewarded for last hits and staying alive long before it understood winning. That's why each journey stage has one number to hit.
From yourself to the team
Its 'team spirit' rose over the game: early on, look after yourself; late, play for the team. Each phase's meter shows the split.
Use proven builds
OpenAI Five's builds were hand-written, not trial and error. Start from the pro build, then experiment.

Phase items: what pros buy on this hero (OpenDota). Parameters: percentiles of players on this hero (OpenDota). Item effects checked against Valve's own item data.