I think I've come up with a good Ashe Passive

EpicSmurfAccount·Mar 10, 2014·7 votes·1,216 views

Focus

While out of combat, Ashe gains stacks of Focus. When Ashe has 100 stacks of Focus her next basic attack will critically strike.

My Thoughts

As an AD Carry, you should have the frame of mind that whenever you are at an appropriate range to Auto-Attack an enemy safely, you should be doing so. However, Ashe's current passive encourages the player to do the exact opposite - it encourages the player to stay out of combat, which is counter-intuitive.

My Proposed Changes

For each second in combat, Ashe gains focus. For each stack of Focus, Ashe gains a % Critical Strike Chance (based on level) up to a maximum of 5 stacks. (Bonus Critical Strike Chance at Level 16 is 25%). % Critical Strike per second increases by 1.25 per rank at levels 1/6/11/16. [(1.25/2.5/3.75/5% per second)(6.25/12.5/18.75/25% @5 seconds)]

What this Changes

In the early game, you should be focused on maintaining a balance between last-hitting minions, and poking with Volley and Auto-Attacks. What this means is, that around every 15 Auto-Attacks -meaning you crit as often as you do currently-, you should get a Critical Strike which you can follow up with a Volley and potentially hard engage with your ultimate.

Later in the game, this passive becomes more of a factor where instead of Critically Striking on 5/10 Auto-Attacks, you would be doing so for 6-8/10.

13 Comments

Sire HippingtonMar 10, 20141 votes

I think building up stacks in-combat rather than out of combat is the right way, but i prefer the seperate focus stacks that give u 1 save crit at max stack over critchance increase.

The stacking critchance will mean ur dmg is rather unreliable in the early, makeing trades pretty luckbased, and 25% crit chance in the late is extremly huge and probably to strong.

Having the current focus system, but stacking up in fight would be better imo.

EpicSmurfAccountMar 10, 20141 votes

It's not at all luck-based in the early game. You build up your Focus to bump your Critical Strike chance up to 6.25% on minions, then you get in range for an Auto-Attack (on Ashe you can usually get 2 in with your Q Frost Shot Slow) then follow up with Volley. Do the math there: 6.25% + 6.25% (2 Auto-Attacks at 6.25% Critical Strike Chance Each) = 12.5%. This means that roughly every 10 trades, you have the potential to do a good chunk of extra damage.

As for the late game, may I point out that Ashe is the ONLY AD Carry in the game without a damage steroid. With these changes, it's not even a guaranteed steroid, but it will bring her damage output up to that of some of the other AD Carries that currently outclass her.

AD Carries with Damage steroids: Caitlyn Passive, Corki Passive, Draven Q, Ezreal Passive, Graves E, Jinx Q, Kog'Maw W, Lucian Passive, Miss Fortune W, Quinn Passive and W, Sivir W, Tristana Q, Twitch Q, Varus W, Vayne W.

The only other Marksman without a Damage Steroid is Urgot who is Subclass: Tank and has a massive Attack Damage debuff that he can apply with his Auto-Attacks. Corki's Gatling Gun (E) also shreds Armor which therefore amplifies his Auto-Attack damage that much more.

Tyliear DeprawMar 10, 20141 votes

she doesn't have a damage steroid because she has a permaslow, you know the thing that got skarner reworked, but the ranged adc gets to keep it.

MandaariMar 10, 20142 votes

That's not how probability works.

P(crit OR crit)
= Not (P(Not crit and not crit)
=1-(1-P(crit)^2) [Assuming independence, which the events are]
= 12.1%

After 5 trades you have roughly a 53% chance to have not crit.
After 10 trades you have roughly a 28% chance to have not crit.

But that aside, you're right that she has no damage steroid. But that's not her only problem. Without her ult Ashe has terrible dueling potential. Her range and AS are her only strong stats. On top of that, her level 2 is really weak because she gains no combat prowess with a second ability.

DragonPoetMar 10, 20141 votes

I like that it would bring focus stacks while in combat, while I'm assuming you'll lose focus when out of combat. So going off the numbers you have, since you can gain up to 25% critical strike, with item 3031 and item 3087 you'll have up to 70% crit chance, and with and item 3046 you'll have up to 80% crit chance at level 16 with max stacks.

Ideally those would be two core items for Ashe, let alone common buys for Marksmans/ADCs. On average it improves that you'll be doing crit damage 3/4 to 4/5 times compared to 1/2 to 3/5 times (theoretically). Clearly not as strong as Yasuo's passive, but can seem potent late game. I think this idea can help Ashe in the right direction.

EpicSmurfAccountMar 11, 20141 votes

PBE is there for a reason ;)

Riot really need to get into the habit of testing good ideas before dismissing them. If they're saying "theoretically x/y/z could be an issue" and not testing it on that premise, then they're potentially overlooking the perfect change.

DragonPoetMar 11, 20141 votes

I don't remember where I saw this but I do remember them mentioning they also have internal testing before going on to the PBE. Always and Alpha before a Beta and it wasn't working out in a base format during Alpha then it won't make it to Beta until later or is scrapped.

More than likely there is some internal testing and planning on similar or potential changes that just have not reached the Beta stage.

TJanikMar 10, 20141 votes

This changes will make her early game weak, however late game monster

rastarogueMar 10, 20141 votes

Actually I think this will do nothing for her late game. Most ADC's already have a fair amount of crit due to it being on most of the AS items. Late game as Ashe, i'm already critting almost every AA. So, really it seems to me like it's mostly just nerfing her early game.

CupcakeTrapMar 10, 20141 votes

I am a terrible, terrible ADC, so take this with a grain of salt.

My understanding is that Ashe is supposed to have a "sniper" feel: she lurks around and then BAM! right between the eyes.

I agree that the current passive sends weird mixed messages. I'm concerned, though, that the passive you propose would be too much of a Graves passive, encouraging her to be "in combat" as long as possible.

What if Ashe's first autoattack against an enemy Champion automatically crit? It could then apply a 10s "buff" to the target; if Ashe doesn't attack them again within 10s, the auto-crit returns.

Or maybe she needs a more radical change.

MandaariMar 10, 20141 votes

I think you nailed what people don't like about the current passive, but I think your solution is a little too RNG early game. Ashe seriously lacks dueling potential in early lane, and depending entirely on RNG is risky. The annoying thing with probabilities is that the expected output is a probability. It's not guaranteed to occur. You might crit once every 10 AAs, you might crit once, you might not crit at all, or you might crit all 10. Small sample sizes, which lane trades are, are a poor example of the expected value.

If you look at her current passive it has zero randomness to it. You are guaranteed a crit at 100 stacks, and you're guaranteed to have your normal crit chance without 100 stacks.

After 10 trades with 2 AAs each there's a 72% chance to crit at least once.

Emphasis on the at least though. In those 10 trades there's also a 3.85% chance to crit 2 times in the same trade. Critting twice with a volley in 1 trade is pretty much a lane winner. I'm too lazy to calculate what the probability to crit any 2 of the 20 autos are, but you get the idea.

abthedieselMar 11, 20141 votes

i think that might be too strong. how about instead, stacks increase after each AA at the rate you mentioned above until you land a critical strike, then after a short time out of combat (2-5seconds) it resets.

RobnhoneyMar 11, 20141 votes

I think they should change her ult to deal ad damage and get aoe damage (get the aoe slow from q like her volley) and take off the stun it gives. The idea for the passive change is good too I think that instead of a crit however it should be armor pen stacking throughout combat THAT would be nice and would work well in conjunction with her slows that she offers.