Hehe, decide whether you want a Warrior or a Caster.

He correctly chose his Defense and Attack skills.

I think it's good that he didn't have Leadership.

You don't know what a Necropolis hero with Leadership is capable of, especially on the Islands of Terra.

And an Orc with the Lion set (Empathy) is just insane.

It's okay, I also played against one such player. He was also heavily buffed and always participated in tournaments. But I still won, and not just once. So you have a very real chance. If you can't beat him right away, buy time, build up your army. Or just agree with him on a certain period, without any tricks or nonsense.