How to Back Dat Ashe up: tips for supporting your garbage Ashe
As an avid Ashe fan, I occasionally break her out in ranked play. This always comes with the tune of "Noooo! NOT Ashe, she is garbage!", to which I say fooey. A lot of the issues with Ashe at the lower levels of ranked play have more to do with support players not understanding or flat out refusing to adjust their own tendancies to meet her needs. This post is dedicated to discussing the finer points of backing dat Ashe up. I have had many horrible games with Ashe when my support refused to treat me like the queen of kite, and instead continued to play like i was Lucian or Ez. I have also had some fantastic games when once in a blue moon I get a support who understands how Ashe works and gives me the support I need, when and where I need it. So without any more ado, let's get this started...
Early Game (pre level 6) Ashe is anti aggro with few exceptions in the early gameh. We don't have the burst or mobility of other ADCs to pull off being aggressive and putting ourselves in compromised positions. To that end Ashe players tend to focus on safe farm with occasional poke from their W. They have a hard time engaging enemies deep in their back line and will not venture far from their own. They will however punish supports and ADC that dive them, using their slow to keep melee threats like Leona or ADC like Graves who dash in taking damage as they retreat.
Positioning...stick to your ashe like glue. Even if this means you miss out on some poke. Every time you as the support over extends and dies because your ashe didn't follow up properly...it's on you. Ashe cannot follow up properly pre 6 if she is farming at her back lines and you dive theirs. Not possible. I can't tell you how many times I tell my support to play passive only to get bitched at because I didn't follow up. Learn to play with ADCs other than Lucian. There is no follow up without burning flash if you are not in the right proximity to your Ashe. However, land a bubble with Nami or a cage with Morgana when you are next to your ashe and bam follow up with W and autos is on the way.
Farm...it's important to understand that in order for Ashe to get her power spike, she requires a fair amount of early farm. If you help your Ashe break even in farm in the early game she will get an decent power spike mid game when her bonus gold allows her to finish a core item sooner than her opponent. Don't mess with her farm if at all possible. She needs it more than any other ADC to put out a strong effort mid game. If she is constantry missing it because you are playing aggro, it will gimp your mid game.
Mid game (post 6)
Once you survive the boring farm fest that is ashe pre 6, you finally hit her stride, assuming you didn't tank her by playing aggro and getting her killed. At level 6 she is a junglers wet dream. Especially when paired with the likes of Leona or Sona. The double stun combo almost guarantees successful ganks when coordinated. Always try to communicate that you as support will open the gank with a stun followed by any cc by jungler, and an ashe arrow last. Her stun is one of the longer ranged ones in the game and is perfect for chasing down a victim who flashed away.
Poke...at this point ashe has more points in her W which dramatically reduces the cooldown. She can poke with a bit more frequency, and has a few items to boost her output. She also has her ultimate which when off CD, acts like a gap closer or get away card if you are ganked. When it's up feel free to be a bit more aggro, and when it's down hunker down amd help her farm safely. The longer and better her farm the stronger her late game will be.
Late game (post 15)
By now towers have fallen, dragons have been downed, barons are being scouted with frequency, and the game is winding down. What does an Ashe bring to the table if she had a good early and mid game? What you would expect from an ADC. Lots of sustainaed damage, as long as you keep her clean and peel.
The best part about Ashe late game is how she will punish any and all champions who are out of position. That Garen tanking their front lines gets too cheeky, he will be perma slowed and whittled to within an inch of his life. Their ADC just moved to the front line to poke...bam Arrow to the face and your whole team jumps on them.
Even now, ashe has to play from the back line and take whatever target the enemy presents her, but she will destroy every target with the right items, from tanks to squishies. Her gold advantage leverages it's peak about now, and she is great at seiging as well with her poke from her W and the ever present threat of her arrow which can set up a tower dive or help her team disengage if need be. Controlled aggro is the name of the game. Patience and patience and patience and WHAM...ARROW, LOCKED DOWN WITH SLOW, DEAD.
Bodyguard...if an Ashe starts getting fat amd sassy you can be assured the enemy team will begun to suicide bomb her with assassin's and tanks early in a fight. She will generally only have 1 escape, flash. That means if the Enemy burns their gap closer you as the support, must must must protect dat Ashe! She cannot successful engage their back line with a jungler in her face. You must deal with enemies in order of position. Given the chance she will melt the enemy in you lines, but you must peel so she can utilize her lock down slow and sustained damage. Once the primary threat is dealt with her arrow provides the chance to then rengage a prime target, but not if she had to burn it cuz her team left her to fight alone in her back line. If the enemy team is desperate to kill her...make them pay for bad positions. Make them pay for diving. And once you have a numbers advantage ashe can follow up with her ultimate and keep the fight going in your favor.
Ok, I'm tired of typing g on my phone for now. I may add more and edit typos later.
Please provide your own comments and advice if you are an avid ashe player like me and want your support to have some tips...or if you are a support who understands how to have success with that garbage ashe that just locked in.
Good luck and see you on the fields,
M4nTiCoR3
