Blizzard Entertainment first launched Overwatch back in 2016, a team-based first-person shooter that quickly rose in popularity. The studio initially wanted to launch a different game known as Project Titan, but this fell through and got canceled. Blizzard decided to use some of the assets from the canceled game into Overwatch instead, making it the online multiplayer we know and love today.
It’s an action-packed fast-paced game, with its developers wanting to bring back the feel of playing classic old-school shooters like Doom and Quake. For Overwatch, though, Blizzard went with a more vibrant and cartoon-ish art style, unlike the gritty titles it was inspired by.
Overwatch is also comprised of several unique heroes, and each one has their own abilities that they can utilize in combat outside of the usual weapons like guns. As such, this makes matches fun and unpredictable, as you can do so much more than just shooting at enemies. Throughout the years, Blizzard Entertainment has been adding a variety of playable heroes to its roster. At the moment, there are about 32 heroes in Overwatch, but the character we’re going to dive into today is Ashe.
Ashe, one of the past gang mates of McCree, was initially introduced to Overwatch some time back in 2018. She’s the kind of character who wields a lethal bolt-action rifle, which is capable of inflicting incredible damage to enemies even at a distance. Ashe has something up her sleeve when fighting in close combat, too—she has a sawed off shotgun that has the potential to deal serious damage.
There’s one thing we need to get out of the way before we proceed. Ashe is not an easy hero to play as. For one thing, she doesn’t really have freedom when it comes to mobility. Not only that, using her requires a fair amount of skill and precision that not every player has, especially those who are new to the game.
As such, we highly recommend that you warm up in Overwatch’s training range first and practice your aim before diving into an actual match with real players. In fact, even some long-time players who have mastered Widowmaker or McCree still tend to have a little bit of trouble when playing Ashe.
That being said, this doesn’t mean that she’s impossible to master. If you make an effort to practice using Ashe constantly and familiarize yourself with her abilities, you’ll end up having no trouble at all when it comes to controlling one of the strongest heroes in Overwatch. You’ll find that she’s great for dealing massive damage during teamfights, especially with her B.O.B ultimate.
If you’re thinking about using Ashe as your main, or you simply want to learn more about her, keep reading this Overwatch Ashe guide to find out everything you need to know about this kickass hero.
Ashe’s Abilities and Ultimate
Similar to the other heroes, Ashe has three abilities and one Ultimate, namely Dynamite, Coach Gun, The Viper, and B.O.B. From the first ability alone, Ashe is already capable of dealing massive amounts of damage to enemies, which is incredible.
Dynamite
Ashe’s Dynamite is an ability that’s good for more than just one purpose. For this ability, Ashe tosses a dynamite that explodes only after a couple of seconds. If it gets shot at, however, it detonates immediately. Enemies who get caught in the explosion will get hurt over time because of a burn effect, as Dynamite causes enemies to catch on fire.
Of course, Dynamite can do so much more than just explode and deal damage. As a matter of fact, you can use it as a way to disperse enemy players who are huddled close together, or simply as a way to move enemies out of their hiding places.
For instance, if the enemy team is finding solace behind the safety of a shield, then Ashe can throw a dynamite at their direction so that the enemy team will quickly separate and scatter. This means that they’ll be more vulnerable and expose themselves to your teammates, who are waiting for their chance to strike.
Overwatch fans who are familiar with just how strong Ashe is will already start scrambling in fear just by the sound of her “Fire in the hole!” Other than that, this ability of hers also works well against armored enemies. As mentioned, Dynamite deals burn damage. Similar to Torbjorn’s Molten Core, this ability of hers can deal incredible damage towards heroes who utilize tough armor because of this burn damage.
As such, if your enemy team has a Reinhardt or a Brigitte and you come across them during a match, don’t be afraid to toss a Dynamite to cause some impressive damage.
Coach Gun
Another one of Ashe’s abilities is the Coach Gun, which is a kind of shotgun that can deal damage to enemy players when used while sending Ashe backwards at the same time. Because Ashe is a long-range character, she’s very vulnerable during close combat. Fortunately, she has the Coach Gun to help her during such a time.
Using the Coach Gun ensures that Ashe is able to get out of close combat encounters with heroes like Brigitte, and instead, turn the tables around. If you’re able to hit an enemy with the Coach Gun, then that’s great because this ability deals a lot of damage. However, its primary function is to give Ashe the mobility she lacks, especially when she needs to get away from close combat.
Before you decide to charge the enemy team, always make sure that the Coach Gun is not cooling down and is ready to use at any time. After all, you wouldn’t want to find yourself trapped in a situation where you’re the most vulnerable, as Ashe would be close to useless at that point.
The Viper
The Viper is Ashe’s main weapon of choice. It’s a semi-automatic rifle that’s comes so fast that enemy players wouldn’t know what hit them. What’s so great about The Viper is the fact that it’s a mid-range weapon, which means that it’s just the right size for combat. It’s definitely longer when compare to Reaper’s shotguns, but it’s not as long as Widowmaker’s sniper.
You can use The Viper and Coach Gun as a combo as well. After being propelled backwards thanks to Coach Gun, you can quickly take out Ashe’s trusted Viper rifle in order to gun down enemies at a safe distance.
B.O.B
Last but not least, we have Ashe’s Ultimate ability called B.O.B. This Ultimate is one of the most unique ones out there in the world of Overwatch because it temporarily adds another member to your team. B.O.B (called “Bob” by Ashe) is a gigantic is a robot with a top hot, 1200 HP, and machine guns for fists.
B.O.B is great to use at the beginning of a team fight, as the enemy team can focus their attention—and bullets—on him instead of your team’s main tank. As a result, Ashe and the rest of her team can discreetly push with all their might while the enemies are busy with B.O.B.
If you and your team direct your shots and abilities on the targets B.O.B is focusing on, this allows you to quickly eliminate players who already have low HP. As a result, team fights can quickly shift in your favor, and it’s all thanks to B.O.B.
Strategies and Tips for Using Ashe
If you’ve made it this far, then you’re aware by now just how powerful Ashe can be when used correctly. This is important to keep in mind because no matter how strong a hero’s abilities may be, they would still be rendered useless if they’re not used right. The same thing goes for Ashe’s Viper—so, here are important tips you need to keep in mind when wielding this rifle.
The Viper actually has two different settings, which is similar to Baptiste’s and Mei’s guns. There’s the Aim-Down-Sight (ADS) and the hipfire. When playing as Ashe, you need to know when the best times are to use these two different settings. One thing to remember is that the ADS is significantly more accurate, which is why it’s great to use for long-range combat.
It’s also capable of dealing a huge amount of damage, especially if you’re confident in your ability to do some impressive headshots. On the other hand, her hipfire is also just as useful when you’re in a pinch. In case you find yourself in need of a way out, or you have no other alternative and you need to survive, hipfire allows Ashe to blast out shells towards close enemies.
In any case, no matter which setting you use, you have to keep in mind that Ashe has a 4.1 second reload time. As such, you need to keep track of how many bullets you’ve already used, and you need to be in a safe area if you do decide to reload.
Who Can Counter Her?
Even though Ashe may seem like a really strong, overpowered hero, there are still those characters who can counter her. Specifically, these heroes are the one who are capable of doing better when it comes to range, such as Widowmaker and Hanzo. Even though she’s capable of doing massive damage at long-range, there are others who are just more accurate than she is.
Not only that, they have long-range specialty that gives them greater damage output with every shot. With that in mind, you need to keep an eye out for snipers if you’re using Ashe during a match, especially since they’ll also be looking out for her too. Other than snipers, Ashe is also susceptible to a lot of damage when it comes to high-mobility heroes like Winston and D.Va. Remember: Ashe has incredibly low mobility, and this type of heroes can use that against her.
If you find yourself trapped against high-mobility enemies, then there’s a very low chance that you’ll be able to get out of it alive. Situations like this is exactly why Ashe has the Coach Gun ability in the first place, although there will always be moments when you just have to accept defeat.
Genji, Tracer, and Sombra—who are high-mobility DPS heroes—can also put Ashe in a tight spot if they push her into a reload animation, which is definitely not ideal. As such, always make sure that you’re not alone and separated from the rest of your time if you wish to play as Ashe in Overwatch.
Strategies to Keep in Mind
If you want to use Ashe to the best of her abilities, then you need to take control of the high ground. By using her Viper rifle, you will be able to land headshots easily, as it’s not too restrictive when it comes to its spread. However, you must always keep the above-mentioned counters in mind. You shouldn’t be so complacent, especially during team fights.
As much as possible, you have to be discreet and remain hidden so that more powerful heroes won’t be able to eliminate you from the match. Of course, if you feel that you’re ready to show yourself and join the battle in close combat, feel free to do so. But again, make sure that your Coach Gun is ready to use before dropping down and joining your teammates. Create the needed distance by using Coach Gun and then shoot down enemies with your rifle.
If B.O.B is ready to go, make sure that the rest of your teammates are aware and that your team actually has a plan so that your Ultimate doesn’t go to waste. As soon as B.O.B is activated, Ashe and the rest of the team can push aggressively behind him.
And there you have it, most if not all the information you need to know about Ashe. Remember to hit the training range first for warmups if you want to use Ashe, and keep our tips and strategies in mind to help you in a match. Of course, practice is always the best way to master any hero, so with just enough of that, you’ll surely master her in no time!
