A Thematically Better Ashe Rework
DISCLAIMER This is PURELY for fun and speculation. I know Riot isn't ever going to do anything so drastic. It is for fun, because as a former Ashe play I am so damn disappointed that our Frost Archer Ice Legolas girl is just a slow moving machine gun with a slow.
This is only how I would rework her if I was in charge of Riot. I am in no way saying it is what should actually be done.
Passive: Freljord's Sting Ashe's first attack against an enemy champion deals a bonus 10-50(based on level) damage plus an additional 1% for every 1% of critical strike chance and critical strike damage. The enemy is also slowed by 10-50%(based on level) for 1.5 seconds.
This effect has a cooldown of 15-10 seconds based on level.
While on cooldown, basic attacks will still do bonus damage based on her crit chance and damage but will not receive the bonus base damage and will not slow.
Ashe cannot critically strike
Reasoning: No more annoying permaslow, but still a slow on a CD. More damage for your first attack in a fight, like old Ashe, but still decent power in her basic attacks afterwards to compensate no crit. Even the slow duration was reduced to compensate her ability to reset it and her Q.
Q: Ranger's Swiftness | Cooldown 14/13/12/11/10 | Mana Cost 50/60/70/80/90 Passively Ashe gains 6/7/8/9/10% movement speed when an enemy champion or tower strikes her. This speed lasts for 1 second and has a 3 second cooldown.
On activation Ashe will dive a short distance in the targeted direction. Her next basic attack for 1.5 seconds afterwards will deal Freljord's Sting regardless of her passive's cooldown, and will not affect its cooldown in any way.
Reasoning: A way to have more control over her passive. Aside from that, she is a ranger, she should be mobile.
W: Volley | Cooldown 17/16/15/14/13 | Mana Cost 60/70/80/90/100 Ashe fires a volley of 9 arrows that deal 20/35/50/65/80+100%AD as physical damage. These arrows slow struck units by 6/7/8/9/10% for 1.5 seconds per arrow that hits. If 7 or more arrows hit the target is rooted instead. Additional arrows do not increase the damage dealt.
Reasoning: Cooldown nerfed along with max range slow. But provides her a tool to deal with hard melee engages, especially with the changes being done to her ult.
E: Hawk Shot | Recharge Time 90/80/70/60/50 | Charges 2 | Range Global On activation Ashe fires a spirit hawk across the map that reveals along it's path then provides brief, lingering vision in the targeted area.
Reasoning: Unchanged
R: Enchanted Crystal Arrow | Cooldown 100/90/80 | Mana Cost 100 Ashe channels ice around herself for a brief moment then unleashes a fast moving magical arrow imbued with frost. This arrow will travel until it hits an enemy champion or flies off the map. It deals 200/400/600+100%AP as magic damage and stuns the target for 1-3 seconds based on the distance traveled. Enemies near the target that was hit, will be slowed by 30/40/50% for the duration instead and receive 50% of the total damage.
The arrow is narrow and has a brief cast time but moves overall faster and accelerates the further it travels, picking up speed and stun duration.
Reasoning: The arrow is now narrower and more magical looking, it also has a brief cast time while she does a badass focus and channel thing. Then unleashes her arrow with some badass one liner. This makes it easier to dodge at point blank range when she uses it for OP initiations bot lane early game. However it is faster and it rapidly picks up speed as it travels, making it still just as good, if not a tiny bit better at long range snipes. Damage also restored to it from the nerf, since this Ashe is drastically different.
Summary: No more frustrating permaslow that is annoying to play against and honestly holds Ashe's design back, but she still keeps slows in her kit so she can be... Ashe. She now has a more ranger feeling, with her movement speed buff and diving ability on her Q that will let her dodge skillshots, jump into combat range or out of an assassin's face. But in exchange she lost her massive DPS Q she currently has. Her hawk shot is fine. Her W was nerfed further on CD but is great for it's massive potential slow as the game wears on. Adds some skill based mechanics to Ashe with her new Q and her reward for hitting multiple arrows on W(rather than punishing her for hitting somebody with multiple arrows). Her new ult won't have a wonky, massive animation and hitbox, and has less OP initiation in bot lane due to thinner projectile and cast time. But it now accelerates as it travels to keep sniper power and keep it possible to hit at more decent range.
Thematically this seems more fitting and badass of a design. But I understand, and you should understand, Riot would never change Ashe this much. This is just for fun, she will forever be shoved into the role of a stun bot machine gun that moves super slow. This is just my fantasy for what I wish Ashe was or what she could be. Some sort of badass Ice Ranger who is swift and powerful. With actual mechanics in her kit beyond aiming her R.
Any ideas of your own? Thoughts? Comment below. If you found this to be a fun or interesting read, upvote!
