In Overwatch 2, Ashe is famous both on and off the battlefield. A disgraced member of her bloodline, a notorious criminal, and a fighter who packs one of the bloodiest punches with the ultimate BOB, it’s fair to say she’s a useful hero to deal with – and a whole lot of fun to play.
At first glance, Ash might seem like a pretty uninspired hero. She takes many of her skills from standard-beating game heroes like Cassidy, Soldier 76, and Even I am. Her rifle doubles as a sniper rifle that can shoot enemies while it instead transforms into a semi-automatic rifle, giving her 12 rounds of ammunition that she can fire from the hip.
In Overwatch 2, Ashe has a lot to offer, from her dynamic attacking abilities to her all-around companion BOB Once you get a feel for this hero, you can do some real damage on the playfield.
Overwatch 2 Ashe
Overwatch 2 Ashe: Story and Background
Since Ash was added so late to Overwatch, we didn’t get to learn much about her until the release of Overwatch 2.
Ash started life as the daughter of an incredibly wealthy family, but unfortunately her parents cared more about their wealth than their own child. Hence, she abandoned her family home to try to make a name for herself elsewhere.
This was how the Deadlock Gang was formed. Ash decides to unite all the gangs in the Southwest, gaining infamy and returning fame to the Wild West.
If the Deadlock Gang looks familiar, that’s because it was also the favorite organization of our favorite ‘tootin’ cowboy, Cassidy. These two heroes have a rather complicated relationship, as he was also one of the founding members of this criminal gang, but later abandoned his criminal roots to join Overwatch.
Overwatch 2 Ashe: Abilities
Primary Fire: Snake
Describe: Assault rifle that can double as a semi-automatic and scoped sniper rifle.
This semi-automatic rifle can quickly convert to a scoped rifle with the right trigger. This change of focus will help you increase your damage and accuracy, but it’s not all sunbeams and rainbows.
The first thing you’ll notice when using the scope on The Viper is how slow its rate of fire is. Reloading on this weapon alone is reason to avoid more aggressive heroes like Reaper or Winston.
Some tips and tricks to note about this gun:
- There is a time and place for the field or semi-automatic. If the enemy team has airborne heroes, then scope will be your best friend, but semi-automatic heroes can scare away from up close with an overstretch of enemy heroes.
- Map selection will also affect your choice of primary fire; Defending on point maps can give you an opportunity for a ranged sniper game. However, using your semi-auto shotgun to attack payload maps will provide much-needed consistent damage.
Secondary fire: Coach’s rifle
Describe: A small gun that can push you away from enemies or in the air.
The Coach Gun is a gun that can blast enemies in front of it while moving backwards. Due to its mobile nature, this rifle is not used aggressively. Often Ash can use it as a quick escape tactic.
We’ve already established that in Overwatch 2, Ashe has an exceptionally long reload time, so this exit strategy will save your skin on more than one occasion.
This ability also makes Ashe a good fit in diving combinations. The diving company is a team of heroes who move vertically as well as in terms of speed. So you should be able to scale buildings and remove yourself from battles quickly.
Some tips and tricks to note about this gun:
- This gun can also propel you horizontally at 16 meters per second, so it will give you good height to scout enemy heroes and possibly get a headshot.
- The Coach Gun also works very well with Ashe’s Dynamite ability. It can ignite the explosive and give you some distance between the fiery chaos.
Ability: dynamite
Describe: A bundle of dynamite that extends tick damage to enemies.
Dynamite deals 1 kick to deal attack damage to Ash. Although The Viper is an easy-to-use basic firearm, there isn’t much to set it apart from the other heroes.
This is where dynamite comes in. This ability allows Ash to inflict much needed tick damage on her enemies.
You can either throw this time bomb into a crowd and wait impatiently for it to go off or speed up the process by shooting it.
Explosion can do 20-50 damage, depending on how close the heroes are to it, while Burning can do up to 100 damage. This means that unless you have eagle-eyed healers or a health pack nearby, you will most likely die covered in flames.
Some tips and tricks to note about this ability:
- Unfortunately, dynamite can also cause damage to the user if you are too close to them. Damage taken is 50% less than normal. But make sure you’re out of shooting range; Otherwise, it could lead to a very embarrassing death.
Final: Bob
Describe: BOB is the target of a giant artificial intelligence.
In Overwatch 2, Ashe’s ultimate is known for being bigger and more aggressive than the southern gangster he deploys.
Once you fire BOB, he will be sent forward, stopping only once he hits something. This may be an inanimate object or a player who will also send it to the sky.
When BOB is put off, he turns into any player’s worst nightmare, a highly efficient AI with a purpose. His machine guns unleash a hellish fire of bullets, dealing 112 damage per second. For the squishy heroes out there, like many props, this could mean a quick death.
While deadly to enemies, BOB is truly a team player. This aimbot AI counts as an extra hero for your team. So, if you need to make one last attempt to capture a point, BOB can be put on target to compete or capture.
Some tips and tricks to note about this ability:
- BOB can heal and boost damage just like any other player, so if your team’s Ana has a Nano Boost, it can lead to fatal duets.
- Ashe’s ultimate can work with any other ultimate in the game. But if you want everyone in one place, Zarya’s Graviton Surge will kill any chance of a killer storm escaping.
- For those here spying on enemy secrets, rest assured there are ways to combat this absurdly all-encompassing AI. Ana Sleep Dart can ignore BOB’s attack with one hit. While the best way to stop the Omnic from impugning this point is by throwing yourself in front of him; BOB stops moving as soon as he hits anything, so for this kamikaze event being a meat armor really works.
Overwatch 2 Ashe: gameplay breakdown
As the DPS (Damage Per Second) champion in Overwatch 2, Ashe’s priority is sustained damage. Whether that consists of diving into the tank that’s low on health or bracing the backline, you always need to be on the lookout for your next kill with this hero.
However, thanks to updates in Overwatch 2, Ashe’s role has changed. With only one tank to deal with now, Ashe can go for the only tank without fear of a second landing on her somewhat squishy head. This means that players can be more confident when using their skills.
In Overwatch 2, Ashe also has an additional function because she is a hit hero – her bullets have no travel time, and she has the advantage of using range. The add-on you may find yourself attached to is where Ashe takes down enemy airborne characters. This may be a Pharah with a pocket of mercy or a lone bird Echo. Airborne characters are hard to hit and can be intimidating for your backline props, and they’re squishy and immobile compared to these birds of prey, so it’s really important to deal with them as quickly as possible.