Blizzard Entertainment has a knack for creating unique heroes by putting multiple abilities that synergize well together. Overwatch 2 is filled with different types of heroes that can perform in different circumstances, and you can use any of them to win the game if you're good enough.
If you're a fan of the cowboy culture and are looking for a mid to long-range character in the game, Ashe is perfect for you. With the right support and positioning, this character can destroy the enemy's back line without a hitch. There are also certain tricks with the character that can help you master her easily.
Ashe's Role In Overwatch 2
The developers of Overwatch 2 have balanced the game around three kinds of roles that are Tank, Support, and Damage. Unlike the first game, every team contains only one tank, two support, and two damage characters unless you're playing the Open Queue mode.
Ashe's role in the game is damage. This means that her job is to kill the enemy's support and damage characters when they're distracted. The characters in this role get a movement and reload speed boost whenever they defeat an enemy character.
Usually, the queues for the damage role are the longest in the game when you're playing either unranked or competitive. This means that you'd have to wait for a while if you're planning to main Ashe.
Luckily, this gives you the time to head in Deathmatch or Skirmish and get used to her abilities and play style.
Ashe's Abilities
The developers paid a lot of attention while building this character since all of her abilities synergize well with each other. This gives her an option to get out of every situation while doing her job as the damage dealer.
There are three types of abilities in Overwatch 2 involving weapons, active, and ultimate types. Some heroes also have a special passive ability, but Ashe isn't one of them. Here's everything you can expect from Ashe:
|
Ability Name |
Ability Type |
Description |
|---|---|---|
|
The Viper |
Primary Weapon Mode |
This is a semi-automatic rifle that can damage an enemy based on where you shoot them. Semi-Automatic means that you have to keep pressing the button for shooting the shots instead of just holding it. |
|
The Viper |
Secondary Weapon Mode |
The secondary mode allows you to aim the sights of the weapon and shoot more precisely. This increases the damage dealt by The Viper but reduces its fire rate. |
|
Coach Gun |
Active Ability |
Whenever an enemy gets close to you, you can press this ability to pull out this gun and shoot at them. This will knock both the enemy and Ashe back, allowing you to gain distance. |
|
Dynamite |
Active Ability |
As the name suggests, you can throw a Dynamite in the direction you're aiming that deals damage to the enemy and applies the burning effect for a few seconds. The Dynamite doesn't have a massive projectile, so you can't use it to hit enemies at super long range. |
|
B.O.B. |
Ultimate |
Ashe calls upon Bob to "do something". He charges forward in the direction you use the ultimate and knock the enemies in his way up. When he hits a wall, he will stop and start shooting at nearby enemies. |
Tips To Play As Ashe
Ashe has a high skill ceiling in Overwatch 2, and it takes quite a lot of effort and time to understand her mechanics and gameplay. Although, once you do understand how to play her, you'll be an unstoppable player. Here are a few tips that can make you get the hang of her gameplay faster:
Your Aim Has To Be Perfect
As mentioned above, Ashe has a secondary mechanic with her weapon that allows her to do higher damage. Furthermore, her weapon involves a hit scan mechanic. This means that your shot will connect as soon as you press the button, instead of it being based on the trajectory of the bullet.
It doesn't matter if you're fighting short-range or long-range with her, you'll need good aim for it. Furthermore, when you headshot an enemy, it triggers a critical hit that is symbolized by a red marker, and it deals even more damage.
Your aim becomes a priority when you're fighting a one-vs-one with an enemy hero because bad aim can be the reason for your death, and potentially losing the match as well.
Keep Your Cool
When the enemy notices that you're playing as Ashe, they'll most likely try to get close to you. This is because mid-range and long-range combats are her forte, but she suffers when an enemy gets too close. In these situations, it is important to keep yourself calm and composed.
While you'll need to use Coach Gun to get some distance between you and the enemy, you have to choose the perfect time for this. Here are a few scenarios where using this ability at the wrong time can go wrong:
- If you're in a small room or if there's a wall behind you, the ability will not knock you back at all, making it easy for the enemy to come close again. It can get even worse if the enemy doesn't have space to get knocked back either.
- If you're near an edge and use this ability, it can knock you back out of the edge and kill you instantly if you fall off the map.
You have to keep these scenarios in mind when you're planning an escape. It's better to wait for the right time and escape with low health than use the ability in the wrong way and get a ten-second cooldown because of death.
Sometimes, prevention is better than cure. If you have heroes like Tracer, Genji, Moira, or Reaper in the enemy team, don't give them a chance to get close to you at all. This is because you can't escape from these characters easily even with Coach Gun.
Take Precaution While Using Your Ultimate
B.O.B. can be a destructive or useless ultimate in the game depending on how you use it. The way you use this ability depends on the situation, but you'd get the most value from its second phase where Bob stands and shoots at the enemy for quite a lot of time.
When you activate this ability, Bob will stop moving as soon as he hits a wall. If you're escorting a payload, it will also count as a wall that will stop him. This can completely ruin his positioning, and you won't get any value out of the ultimate.
The big guy is great for sneaking kills on the enemy's back line without putting yourself in danger. With the high health and damage he has, the enemy either has to fall back or die if you correctly position him.
There are times when you see a bunch of enemies charging at you, and you don't have an escape. In these times, he can be used to knock them up giving you some time, but this should be your last resort.
It is also important to note that the rules of gravity apply to him as well. If you try to send him towards the enemies but there's a gap in between, he will fall down and instantly die.
Lookout For Enemy Snipers
Your main job in the team is to get rid of the enemy's sniping characters like Widowmaker, Hanzo, or Ana, and there are a couple of ways for you to do that:
- Firstly, you can simply ADS with your weapon and aim at their head. At long range, you can defeat any squishy enemy in two shots. If you hit them once, they'll either have to go back and get healed or give you a kill.
- Secondly, your Dynamite is also great for pushing enemies out of tight areas. It'll take some time for you to get used to the trajectory of this ability, but you'll find a lot of uses for it once you do.
Couch Gun Has Multiple Purposes
That's right, pushing enemies back and making some distance isn't the only way to use the tiny shotgun. Some cheeky tricks can give you an edge over other players with it as well:
- Ashe doesn't have a lot of mobility, but the Coach Gun can make up for some of it. When you're sure that there are no enemies nearby, you can aim in the opposite direction of where you want to go and use this ability on the ground. This will give you a small boost to cover up some distance.
- When Genji, Hanzo, Widowmaker, and Kiriko can climb walls then why shouldn't you? You can use this gun on the ground near a small building to knock yourself up in the air. This will let you get on top of them.