Ashe Build & Rune Guide

If you are thinking of picking up the ADC role, there are few Champions as helpful as Ashe. The interesting thing about this Champion is that she is a popular pick among Iron and pro players as well. This shows how simple her playstyle is to learn, but the amount of skill expression that goes into making a Challenger Ashe player. Utilizing movement speed debuffs plus attack speed buffs, chasing an Ashe can seem like a very steep hill to climb.

What Is Ashe’s Playstyle?

Like most basic attack-focused ADCs, Ashe relies heavily on her auto attacks rather than abilities. With each basic attack applying a small slow, she likes to keep her distance while picking apart the enemy bot lane. If she can’t get in range for an auto attack, she can poke others with her W.

Stack up your Q charges to gain an insane amount of attack speed. Make sure to help your team with vision by using strategic Es followed by a well-timed R to secure an assist from across the map. She is also one of the few Champions that is viable as both an ADC and support.

What Do Ashe’s Abilities Do?

Ashe has an amazing global presence. With her E and R, she can make an impact over the map while not leaving her lane. This does not mean she isn’t a nuisance in the lane. Constantly poking her opponent using W, Ashe can excel at extended fights, especially with engaged support by her side. How exactly this champ makes it work in the lane with just 2 abilities is what we’ll be talking about.

Frost Shot (Passive)

Unlike most Champions, Ashe’s passive is a defining part of her effectiveness. This is because, with Frost Shot, Ashe can slow down enemies by up to 60%. Frost Shot applies a slow to all of Ashe’s basic attacks and abilities, slowing enemies for 20-30% (based on level). Basic attacks do 115% increased damage against enemies who already have Frost applied.

Critical strikes from basic attacks or abilities don’t do additional damage; rather, they double the slow, making it go to 40-60% (based on level).

Ranger’s Focus (Q)

Ashe needs to land 4 auto attacks to unlock this ability, but once she does, it can slow down enemies to a halt. Ranger’s Focus requires 4 stacks of Focus on Ashe which she gains through basic attacking.

Once unlocked, Ashe can activate this ability to gain a burst of attack speed and empower her auto attacks. Her empowered auto attacks deal more damage and have increased life steal, helping her sustain in lane.

Volley (W)

Volley is Ashe’s favorite ability in the lane, especially against ADCs who out-range her. Firing out a volley of arrows in a cone-shaped area, Ashe can apply her passive to all enemies hit. These arrows do physical damage, and enemy Champions hit suffer from Critical slow instead of normal slow from her passive.

Hawkshot (E)

Ashe has a unique ability that lets her grant her team vision in any part of the map. Essential in tracking the enemy jungler or knowing support rotations, a good Hawkshot can foul any play your enemies were thinking of making. Using Hawkshot, Ashe sends a hawk in a straight line, granting vision in its path. At its destination, it grants vision for 5 seconds.

Enchanted Crystal Arrow (R)

Enchanted Crystal Arrow is a great ability to initiate team fights. Ashe sends a giant arrow in the targeted direction, granting vision over the path it flies. The arrow deals magic damage and stuns the first enemy hit for 1-3.5s based on travel time. Nearby enemies are dealt 50% of the damage and suffer from Frost Shot.

Ashe’s AP Build Path (Items + Runes)

Ashe is one of those Champions that can play both AP and AD items. Since both builds are totally viable, we will be mentioning both, along with their respective runes and item build paths. Remember that AD Ashe is preferred for the ADC role, while AP Ashe is better at the support role.

Items - AP

• Starting Item: Tear of the Goddess is the ideal starter item for AP Ashe. It helps her manage her mana bar while also dealing decent damage to enemy Champions. Plus, it builds into a core item for her, Manamune.
• Core Items: On AP Ashe, you need to build to your Manamune before your mythic since you may run into mana problems. Also, Manamune gives you some additional AD, so that is helpful in the early game. After this, rush Liandry’s Anguish for some poke damage to keep your enemies away.
• Situational Items: The core items are really the only important items on AP Ashe. After that, you can either build full AP with Rabadon’s Deathcap and Morellonomicon, or go AD with Runaan’s Hurricane. Runaan’s Hurricane helps you apply Frost Shot to multiple targets. Axiom Arc is also a great pickup, as it reduces your ultimate’s cooldown on Champion takedowns.
• Boots: Ionian Boots of Lucidity are the way to go. You will be spamming your W a lot as your main source of damage so increased ability haste is beneficial.

Runes - AP

• Primary: Arcane Comet is the best rune for consistent poke builds. Follow this with either Nullifying Orb or Manaflow Band, Transcendence, and Scorch. Nullifying Orb can keep you alive against AP damage threats, while Transcendence reduces cooldowns. Scorch with Comet plus Liandry’s Anguish does tons of poke damage.
• Secondary: For secondary runes, you can take Cheap Shot and Ultimate Hunter. Ashe has a lot of CC to proc Cheap Shot, and Ultimate Hunter allows you to fire off your ultimate quicker.

Ashe’s AD Build Path (Items + Runes)

Here is Ashe’s AD build guide that you use for the ADC role to help dominate and carry your games:

Items - AD

This is the more common Ashe build that you will see going around. It is more focused on basic attacking and stacking attack speed buffs.

• Starting Item: Doran’s Blade is your item of choice. It offers minimal lifesteal and additional damage to minions, so you can farm easily.
• Core Items: Your core items will consist of either Kraken Slayer or Immortal Shieldbow. Kraken Slayer is better with an engage support that can peel for you and take damage while you dish out a flurry of arrows. Immortal Shieldbow can work more effectively if you have an enchanter support. They can buff and heal you while you sustain some damage with their lifesteal and shielding ability.
  Follow up with Phantom Dancer and Infinity Edge. Infinity Edge is crucial for Ashe as it helps her increase the slowing effect from her passive. Phantom Dancer helps you kite around enemies as Ashe does not have burst potential; rather, she needs long, drawn-out fights to excel.
• Situational Pickups: Runaan’s Hurricane is a great item for ADC Ashe as you can slow multiple enemies at once.
• Boots: For boots, you will want to go with Berserker’s Greaves for the added attack speed.

Runes - AD

• Primary: Lethal Tempo will be your primary rune, as you need to stack up on attack speed buffs. Take Presence of Mind, Legend: Alacrity, and Cut Down afterward. Presence of Mind will allow you to spam your Ranger’s Focus and Volley during lane. Legend: Alacrity is for scaling attack speed, and cut down helps shred through beefy tanks like Nautilus or Leona.
• Secondary: For your secondary runes, take Magical Footwear and Approach Velocity. Magical Footwear will give you boots as the game progresses. This saves you gold. Approach Velocity helps follow up on your ultimate, Enchanted Crystal Arrow.

Final Thoughts

Ashe is a pretty fun champ to play and does not need a lot of expertise. All you should know is if you out-range your matchup and how to play into bad matchups. Other than that, just make sure to keep your enemies perma-slowed, and victory will surely be yours.