Ashe

**Ashe** is a Damage hero in *Overwatch*. Released on 13 November 2018, she is the 29th hero added to the game.

## Overview

**Ashe** is a hero of *Overwatch*. She is the leader of the Deadlock Gang and a rebellious gunslinger who's not afraid to get her hands dirty.

Ashe quickly fires her rifle from the hip or uses her weapon’s aim-down sights to line up a high damage shot at the cost of fire-rate. She blasts enemies by throwing dynamite, and her coach gun packs enough punch to put some distance between her and her foes, or gain some air to leap to hard to reach places or for an aerial shot. And Ashe is not alone, as she can call on her omnic ally B.O.B. to join the fray when the need arises.

## Abilities

The Viper**Type**Weapon (Hip Fire)**Effect Type** Hitscan *Semi-automatic rifle.* **Damage**: 40 – 12**Falloff range**: 20 – 40 meters**Headshot**: ✓**Rate of fire**: ~0.266 second recovery
(3.75 shots per second)**Ammo**: 12**Reload time**: 0.5 seconds (initial animation)
+0.2 seconds per bullet
2.9 seconds (full reload animation)**Spread angle**: Max: 1.85 degrees *Ashe's semi-automatic rifle fires quick shots.* * Details

**Ability details:**
* Damage per second: ~150 while firing (71.64 overall w/reload)
* Ashe reloads The Viper one bullet at a time in rapid succession, instead of all at once.
	+ The more bullets used in the magazine, the longer it takes to fully reload.
	+ If the reload is cancelled before completion, some ammo is still replenished based on how many bullets loaded into the gun, instead of none at all.
* Unlike most weapons, The Viper is semi-automatic instead of fully automatic.
* Spread resets after 1.5 seconds since the last unscoped shot. Spread starts on the 3rd shot and reaches its maximum upon the 6th shot.

* Each shot raises the Ashe camera (changes the facing angle) by 1 unit.
* If after the shot you turn on the zoom and try to shoot, it will take at least 0.240 seconds.

The Viper (ADS)**Type**Weapon (ADS)**Effect Type** Hitscan *Hold to zoom in, increasing damage and accuracy but slowing rate of fire.* **Damage**: 75 – 22.5**Falloff range**: 30 – 50 meters**Headshot**: ✓**Rate of fire**: 0.65 second recovery**Ammo**: 12**Reload time**: 0.5 seconds (initial animation)
+0.2 seconds per bullet
2.9 seconds (full reload animation)**Cast time**: 0.192 seconds scoping in
0.160 seconds for scope out**Spread angle**: Pinpoint**Move. speed**: -25% penalty *Ashe can use her aim-down sights for a more damaging, precise shot.* * Details

**Ability details:**
* Damage per second: ~115 while firing (79.15 overall w/reload)
* Ashe can jump while aiming down sights.
* After the shot, the game raises the Ashe camera (changes the facing angle) by 1 unit, after which it starts lowering the Ashe camera to its previous value. Unlike Cassidy, Ashe will not be able to shoot once the camera is back in position and will have to wait ~0.096 seconds.

DynamiteE12 seconds**Type**Ability**Effect Type** Arcing projectile
 Area of effect**!****!****!** *Throw an explosive that detonates after a short delay or immediately when shot.* **Damage**: Explosion: 20 - 50
Burn: 100
Self: 50%**Cast time**: 0.16 seconds for throw + 0.4 s. recovery
2 seconds for explode after landing**Duration**: 5 seconds (burn)**Area of effect**: 5 meter radius**Projectile speed**: 25 meters per second *Ashe throws an explosive that detonates after a short delay or immediately when shot. The explosion from Dynamite also lights enemies on fire, dealing damage over time.* * Details

**Ability details:**
* Damages self, but the damage is halved.
* Can be shot at with  The Viper or  Coach Gun to detonate immediately.
* The burn also affects barriers and turrets.
* The burn is removed immediately by  Protection Suzu,  Personal/Projected Barrier or upon taking a Health Pack.
	+ Life Grip does not remove the burn effect, but prevents the target from being damaged by it for the duration of the pull.
	+ There is a bug in the game due to which you can receive 3,84 damage after taking a health pack.
* If the ability is interrupted before cast time ends, the ability's cooldown will not trigger.
* The projectile can be destroyed while in air by  Defense Matrix,  Kinetic Grasp and  Javelin Spin and reflected by  Deflect, but the explosion is unaffected.
* Amplification Matrix affects all damage dealt, if the projectile passes through it. Explosion damage alone or player with DoT going through is not amplified.

Coach GunLSHIFT10 seconds**Type**Ability**Effect Type** Shotgun (hitscan) *Blast enemies in front of you and knock yourself backwards.* **Damage**: 6 per pellet
90 per shot**Headshot**: ✕**Bullets per shot**: 15**Cast time**: 0.16 seconds for cast + 0.4 s. recovery**Max. range**: 9.4 meters (self-knock back)**Move. speed**: 18 meters per second (max. vertical)
16 meters per second (max. horizontal) *Ashe blasts enemies in front of her, knocking them away and propelling herself backward for added mobility.* * Details

**Ability details:**
* During cast time, you can change the future flight path.
* The bullets do not need to hit anything in order to apply the knock back to Ashe.
* Can be used while rooted or hindered, as it counts as a self-knockback instead of a movement ability.
	+ Hindered does not interrupt or prevent the knockback either. Being rooted, however, will still prevent any movement.

B.O.B.Q2240 points**Type**Ultimate Ability**Effect Type** Melee (charge)
 Movement (charge)
 Hitscan (arm cannon)**!****!****!****!****!** *Deploy Bob. He charges forward and knocks enemies into the air, then attacks with his arm cannons.* **Damage**: Charge: 120
Arm cannon: 112 per second, 14 per bullet, 1092 overall**Rate of fire**: 8 bullets per second**Health**: 1000**Cast time**: 0.5 seconds animation**Duration**: 10 seconds (after bob collision)**Max. range**: 70 meters (charge)
40 meters (arm cannons)**Move. speed**: 15 meters per second *Ashe summons her trusted omnic sidekick, B.O.B., who charges forward and knocks enemies into the air, then lays down suppressing fire with his arm cannons.* * Details

**Ability details:**
* Ashe passively generates 1% Ult Charge every 4.48 seconds.
* B.O.B. appears slightly to the right of Ashe and lands 5 meters in front of her, then charges in the direction Ashe is looking at. Once B.O.B. bumps into an enemy or a wall, or travels 65 meters, B.O.B. halts and begins shooting nearby enemies like a turret.
	+ If B.O.B. bumps into an enemy (or enemies), B.O.B. inflicts 120 damage to them and flings them into the air.
	+ If a charging B.O.B. collides with  Charge,  Rocket Punch,  Shield Bash, or another charging  B.O.B., both participants get knocked down for 2 seconds.
	+ B.O.B. automatically uses Symmetra's  Teleporter if it's in his path.
* B.O.B. prefers to target enemies that Ashe damages with her rifle.
* B.O.B. is treated as an additional player for most effects, such as contesting/capturing objectives or Wrecking Ball's  Adaptive Shield.
	+ B.O.B. can be healed, buffed (e.g.  Nano Boost), and debuffed (e.g.  Hack).
		- If B.O.B. is hacked, B.O.B. becomes inactive for 5 seconds.
	+ Damaging or healing B.O.B. does not give ultimate charge, but damage boosting as Mercy does.
* B.O.B.'s charge cannot be blocked by barriers,  Defense Matrix,  Kinetic Grasp,  Javelin Spin and  Deflect or boosted by  Amplification Matrix, but the shots fired by him interact normally with all of the mentioned.
* B.O.B.'s charge counts as a movement ability, and is interrupted by rooted and hindered.
* Damage amplification buffs on Ashe do not affect B.O.B., but he can be directly boosted by them.

## Hero-specific options

 Off
 **Toggle zoom** | Off (default)
 On
 **Relative aim sensitivity while zoomed** | 0% ... 100% (default: 60%)

## Strategy

Strengths
Ashe is a hero who requires good mechanical skill to be played effectively. Her weapon, the Viper, is quite powerful at long mid-range, particularly when the player uses her ADS (aim-down-sight) alternate fire. Dynamite is a dangerous, versatile ability that can be used to threaten space (such as narrow hallways and chokepoints) and deal decent damage in its radius, as well as inflicting a damage over time debuff. Uniquely, Dynamite can be detonated early by shooting it any time between when it's thrown and when its fuse runs out. Her Coach Gun serves as both a defensive "get-off-me" tool (like Lucio's Soundwave) and a potent mobility option (like Pharah's Concussive Blast). Finally, her Ultimate ability calls out her omnic sidekick B.O.B., who rushes in, knocks enemies in the air, and then grounds himself to shoot enemies, much like a turret.

Weaknesses
Though dominant in midrange, Ashe suffers in close combat. Her primary fire, while quite fast, deals only mild damage, and Coach Gun is on a lengthy cooldown. Most of her abilities require good follow-ups, such as detonating Dynamite and making quick shots after jumping with Coach Gun. Dynamite can be rather tricky. While it deals impressive damage over time, it will also damage Ashe if she's too close to the blast. Overall, Ashe is best played close to her teammates, so she can have backup available if she is being harassed. B.O.B., though incredibly strong, can easily be countered by the enemy team, as he can be hacked, slept, and stunned in the same way he can be boosted by a friendly team.

### Weapons & Abilities

* **The Viper:** Ashe's primary weapon. It has two firing modes: a primary fire that shoots rapidly from the hip at reduced damage, and an ADS (aim-down-sight) secondary fire that deals potent damage at a much lower fire rate.
	+ Despite its power, an ADS headshot is not enough to one-shot 200 HP enemies, dealing only 150 damage.
	+ The Viper has a unique reloading mechanic. Rather than doing a whole clip like most of the cast, Ashe reloads one bullet at a time (at roughly the same rate as her hip-fire). Try to reload often, as you don't want to be caught in a fight where you can't afford as many shots.
	+ Its primary fire is rather weak, best suited to finishing blows and harassing enemies who step out of position.
* **Dynamite:** Ashe throws a bundle of lit dynamite in front of her in a shallow arc. When detonated, it will explode and burn enemies. Uniquely, it can be detonated before its five-second fuse by shooting it with either the Viper or the Coach Gun.
	+ Dynamite is designed so that it will automatically fall on the player's crosshair the moment they can act. Provided you don't move the crosshair (or move backwards; forward is fine), you could throw dynamite and immediately hold primary fire to instantly detonate it in front of you.
	+ The arc it travels at is unusually floaty, which makes it quite easy to predict where it will end up. Positioning your crosshair where the dynamite will land rather than trying to track it may be easier for long-range Dynamite shots.
	+ Its blast radius is rather small, but the burst damage and debuff are quite powerful. Throwing it into or slightly above a cluster of enemies and detonating it will usually get the most value out of Dynamite.
	+ Dynamite will bounce off of shields (like Reinhardt's Barrier Field).
	+ Dynamite tends to get stuck on slopes (like the rooftops on Eichenwalde), so it is best to not rely on geometry to get it where you want it.
	+ Dynamite can be deflected by Genji, and this will switch its "ownership" to him, causing it to inflict full damage on you.
* **Coach Gun:** Ashe whips out a shotgun for a strong, close-range blast. Additionally, it deals impressive knockback to enemies and propels Ashe away from the blast.
	+ The knockback from Coach Gun is consistent across its hitbox, but the damage lessens the further away from Ashe an enemy is.
	+ Coach Gun is best used for burst mobility and disengagement, not direct damage. That said, it can still serve as a good final blow if you have no other options.
	+ Its burst mobility is very versatile, as it can allow Ashe to cross gaps she wouldn't normally be able to jump (by blasting horizontally) or reach high ground in a similar fashion (by blasting towards the ground).
	+ The Coach Gun, despite shooting individual pellets, cannot deal headshots.
	+ If the shot is deflected by Genji, it will knock you back twice as far. This can throw you off the map if you're not careful.
* **B.O.B.:** Ashe's ultimate ability calls her omnic butler, B.O.B. into the fight. He has three stages: a charge forward, an uppercut that throws enemies up into the air, and a stationary "turret" mode, where he shoots at enemies within his line of sight.
	+ B.O.B. can almost be considered another player, as he can be healed, buffed, and debuffed in any way a player could be. Be mindful of this when using B.O.B. during a fight.
		- A common, powerful tactic is to use Ana's Nano Boost on B.O.B.
		- By the same token, an enemy Ana can neutralize B.O.B with Sleep Dart.
	+ B.O.B.'s uppercut is the perfect opportunity for Ashe and her team to line up shots on enemies in the air.
		- Any hero with 200 HP can be immediately killed with an ADS head shot after they are flung into the air. A body shot will leave them with 5 HP.
		- It is also a good setup for a dynamite detonation.
	+ B.O.B. can contest — and capture — objectives as well as move payloads.

### General Strategies

Use B.O.B Smartly! Don’t just throw him into the enemy team: line B.O.B up for his cannon to do damage and delay them, as the enemy team can counter your B.O.B quite easily. The line of sight you are facing when calling out B.O.B is very important, as it can lead to B.O.B running clean off the map or into a unfavorable position.

## Story

Ashe is the ambitious and calculating leader of the Deadlock Gang and a respected figure in the criminal underworld.

A tough talker, Ashe has an organized mindset. This affects her ideas of how her organization should be run, to how relationships should work. Her relationship with Cole Cassidy is "way more complicated" than a simple label, though could be described as a "love-hate" type of relationship.

As the daughter of socialites, Ashe feels just as comfortable at charity balls as she does on a motorcycle. She is a good shot with a rifle, believing that accuracy is key, and that all one should need is a single shot.

### Background

Elizabeth Caledonia Ashe grew up in Texas at Lead Rose Manor; a large estate located outside the town of Bellerae. Born into a wealthy family who came from "old money," Ashe grew up surrounded by privilege. Her parents were highly sought-after business consultants and coaches for powerful CEOs around the world. Though her parents paid little attention to her (mostly leaving her in the care of the family’s omnic butler, B.O.B.), they ensured that Ashe had every opportunity to succeed. B.O.B. was at Ashe's side for as long as she could remember. Her parents would often travel out of Texas, but never took her with them. Her parents would host many parties at their manor, trying to curry favor with influential persons from Bellerae. Ashe kept to the fringes of these events, resenting when her parents dragged her forward for a few minutes of small talk.

Because of their absence, Ashe grew to have a contentious childhood, getting into trouble at the academy where she attended school, and spending her time shooting bottles on the family estate with her slingshot. She found the academy "soul-sucking," and was at odds with Headmaster Wallach. Her misdemenors included trying to convince the academy's "resident hacker" to change all her grades to As, and closing the school for decontamination after showing off with her slingshot in the science lab. A loner, Ashe spent a lot of time talking to B.O.B. (even if he was apparently incapable of talking back). For her every birthday, B.O.B. would make Ashe her favorite cake (triple-layer chocolate cake, with chocolate frosting, and an extra generous drizzle of chocolate glaze). While it was part of his programming, Ashe appreciated the gesture, and looked forward to it every year.

Due to her status as heiress to Arbalest Arms, most of her fellow students kept their distance from her.

As a teen/young adult, her demeanors led to being temporarily incarcerated. She and Sheriff Carson became 'aquainted,' but every time, her parents' money was enough to bail her out every time.

When motorcycles with lev rims were released, Ashe broke into her parents' study and used their finances to buy herself one. When her parents returned home, they found their daughter buzzing around the grounds on her new bike, much to their bemusement. Ashe told them that it had been sent as a gift by a business associate, but she'd lost the card. Her parents believed her, though detested the thing, considering it "dangerous" and "unladylike." They didn't shed any tears when Ashe crashed it.

#### The Omnic Crisis

Ashe and her family went through the Omnic Crisis relatively unscathed, though B.O.B. did disappear during the war. As the years passed, Ashe believed that she'd never see her butler again, and was surprised about how much she'd missed him. However, one day after the war, B.O.B. returned to Lead Rose, now sentient, and...different, in ways that Ashe couldn't quite grasp. But he was still the companion she remembered, and remained at her side.

### Disinheritance

#### Graduation Day

For her 17th birthday, Ashe's mother gifted her with a golden bracelet. Months later, her mother borrowed it, and never returned it. At around about the same time, Ashe's condition at school had become worse—an Arbalest factory had shut down, leading to a number of her classmates' parents losing their jobs. Casual avoidance of the Arbalest heiress morphed into active dislike, leading to a number of schoolyard scraps.

Three months before her eighteenth birthday, Ashe was set to graduate. However, despite her parents' promises, they weren't present, as they'd left to deal with a business merger, and had simply left her a note that they hadn't even bothered to sign. Their absence, while not new, hurt her deeply, since they'd seemed genuinely invested in her graduation, if only to show off to Bellerae that their daughter could be more than a troublemaker. Fuming, Ashe walked to school alone, distracting B.O.B. in also to do so (in that he'd always driven her there himself).

As Ashe walked down the road, she was confronted by Jodie and Jimmy Bonney; two fellow classmates whose parents had lost their jobs when the factory shut down. Already frustrated, Ashe rose to the bait, and a fight broke out. She held her own initially, but when Jodie drew a knife, Ashe realized how serious things had become. Nevertheless, she managed to disarm him and take the knife herself, which was when officers from the Bellerae Police Department arrived, finding a knife in her hands, and two bloodied boys (each a year younger than she was) lying on the ground below.

Ashe was brought in for questioning by Carson. He didn't accept her claim that she'd acted in self-defense, as the brothers said that she'd attacked them, and furthermore, his officers had found her holding the knife. Fed up with her constant lawbreaking, he put her in a cell; she was underage, and her parents were overseas, so they couldn't bail her out this time. He'd get round to calling B.O.B. though...eventually.

#### Meeting McCree

Ashe found that she had a companion in the cellblock, namely Jesse McCree. While she was wary at first, she began to open up as they discussed firearms, with Ashe preferring rifles while McCree preferred revolvers. She found herself envying him, because while McCree was a drifter with nary a penny to his name, he clearly had the freedom to make his own decisions. A freedom that she didn't have. He told her about his life outside Bellerae. They hit it off, but the reverie was cut short by Carson, who let her out of the cell, as her parents had bailed her out. *Again.* She bid McCree a quick goodbye and headed out of the station, to where B.O.B. was waiting for her in one of the family cars.

She was given no time to reflect on recent events, as inside the car, the holoscreen activated, displaying her irate parents. They weren't interested in listening to her side of the story, and showed her an article from the *Bellerae Daily Pioneer*, which listed Ashe as being arrested for armed assault, the article's picture framed in such a manner that it made her look like the aggressor against the Bonney brothers. While Ashe had felt some genuine remorse in letting her parents down, now she realized what it was really about—not so much about her, but rather her being in the news and embarrassing her parents. To add insult to injury, her parents laid out what was going to happen. In three months time, Ashe would turn 18, and when that happened, she'd be cut off from her family and its finances. Until then, she could live in Lead Rose, and would be given a small allowance, but nothing more.

### The Deadlock Gang

#### Partner in Crime

Picking up a rifle, Ashe shot through numerous antiques her parents owned inside Lead Rose, but her revenge was short-lived, and did little to alleviate her anguish. She considered selling the goods at Lead Rose, but the market for such luxury items was limited, and three months wasn't enough time to arrange the sales. However, she had access to Arbalest goods, that could be sold on the black market more readily. However, even with her parents' credentials at her disposal, it wouldn't be as simple as ordering the goods for herself. No. She needed to steal them. And to do that, she needed a partner.

Ashe had B.O.B. drive her to the Ace Valentine megafarm where McCree had said that he'd worked, arriving in time to find him be given the boot. She took him back to Lead Rose, and led him to a hill by the estate, where she handed him a revolver. He proved that he was as good a shot as he said that he was, and Ashe laid out her situation, and her plan to spend the next three months fleecing Arbelest for all she could, before leaving with enough money to go wherever and do whatever she wanted. All she needed was some help, in exchange for a cut of the profits. McCree agreed, negotiating his cut to 20%, unaware that Ashe would have gone as high as 30.

#### The First Heist

Ashe's first target was Arbalest Fulfillment Center Beta-3. Ashe had access to the schematics, and they entered a shed outside the facility proper, which in fact led to an underground tunnel. McCree reminded her that if they did this, there was no going back, and maybe all Ashe needed to do was wait for her parents to cool off. Ashe considered the possibility, but refused to back down, wanting to chart her own path. They left B.O.B. outside the building and entered the facility.

In the storehouse, Ashe used a tablet and stolen codes to use a warehouse drone to pick up a case of Seraphim rifles—armament for which they could continue to rob Arbelest. However, as they took the cargo elevator to the surface, an explosive failsafe kicked in, as the crates had gone outside their storage location proximity. Ashe tried to use the tablet, but couldn't find any way to access the crates' systems to shut down the failsafe. Taking a rifle each, they managed to climb to the top of the shaft, escaping the blast with the aid of B.O.B. Unfortunately, they'd caught the attention of the facility's security drones.

Ashe had B.O.B. hide, as the drones would identify him immediately. In the meantime, she and McCree made a break for it in the truck they'd commandeered, with McCree driving and Ashe shooting. They managed to escape.

#### Cutthroat Trout's

Back at Lead Rose, Ashe altered Beta-3's logs to have it be reported that a retrieval drone's programming had gone wrong, taking the rifles down the wrong tunnel by accident, and had caused an explosion, after which the security drones had pursued a pair of trespassers unrelated to the incident. Come morning, she'd finished the job, but all she and McCree had to show for it was a pair of rifles. McCree considered backing out, but Ashe was undeterred, reasoning that they needed a hacker, and someone familiar with munitions. Ashe gave McCree the opportunity to take one of the rifles and sell it, but warned him that it would give him only a few months' worth of earnings. But what would ten rifles bring him? Power cells? Sniper scopes? If he walked away now, he was missing out on the opportunity of a lifetime.

McCree relented, and for demolitions, suggested Julian; a fellow farmhand who had experience with demolitions. Ashe agreed, and in her search for a hacker, found "Frankie" via a custom web search, but there was no way to contact her...at least not directly. She got to work on that, while McCree set up a meeting with Julian at Cutthroat Trout's; a seedy hangout located outside Bellerae.

B.O.B. took McCree and Ashe to the hangout, though they had to walk the last mile. They entered the hangout and met Julian, after which Frankie showed up. Ashe laid out her plan to carry out a series of heists over the next three months. Frankie was suspicious, as to why Elizabeth Ashe (she'd already worked out her client's identity) would need money. Truth was, she'd already put it together from the newspaper article, but was still skeptical, given the limited equipment available to Ashe. Julian, however, was far more enthusiastic, and headed off into the crowd to arrange something.

Frankie agreed to help Ashe, at which point Julian returned, telling Ashe that he'd made a wager. If one of them won against Dezba on the Trout's hovercycle track, she'd give them four hovercycles. If they lost, however, Dezba would get B.O.B. Ashe was enraged, and the only thing that stopped her from striking Julian was McCree holding her back. McCree pointed out that it was illegal to wager omnics these days, but as Julian said, the people here didn't much care for following the law, and furthermore, if they backed out, Dezba would win B.O.B. via right of forfeit. Ashe said that they were leaving, but Frankie pointed out that that wouldn't work either, as the people who frequented the Trout cared about honoring wagers.

Ashe resigned herself to the fact that she'd have to race. Julian provided her with a house hoverbike, and while not as good as Dezba's, Frankie said that she could hack Dezba's to ensure Ashe won. Cheating, yes, but people only cared about that here if you were caught. She gave Ashe a small ear drone through which they could communicate. All Ashe had to do was simply stay on course, and Frankie would handle the race. Meeting with Dezba herself, Ashe quickly realized that her opponent was the better rider, and had every intention of selling B.O.B. once she won him.

For the Trout's records, Ashe had to give her name. Thinking of her hovercycle crash from years prior, she gave Alyssa the name "Calamity." The race began, and Frankie helped guide Ashe through the obstacles and other riders, so that by the final lap, only Ashe and Dezba were in contention to win. However, Frankie was unable to hack Dezba's bike, as it was more 'analog' than she'd expected. Despite this, Ashe was able to win the race, though with significant injury, and the wreckage of the bike she'd been leant.

The crowd roared in applause, and Ashe's team rushed over. She made it clear with Julian that he was never to do any wagers like this again, that she was the leader of the crew. Dezba grudgingly congratulated Ashe for her win, and arranged to have the four hovercycles delivered to them. Furthermore, Alyssa allowed Ashe to take the hovercycle that she'd crashed, as the Trout already had plenty of other bikes.

#### Fort Starr

After treating her team to proper food at the Trout, Ashe led them back to an old barn that lay on the edge of Lead Rose's grounds. She planned to use it as their base of operations, since it was far from any prying eyes. Ashe announced that she had plans for her next heist—in three days time, an automated Arbelest transport convoy would be passing through, transporting plans to a factory (the plans were being transported physically in order to avoid online piracy). As the convoy was only transporting plans, it wouldn't be expecting any trouble, hence why it was bereft of any protection bar drones. She planned to hit the convoy before it got too close to Bellerae.

To prepare for the heist, Ashe took the team to Fort Starr, in order to purchase ammunition and other goods. While Julian handled the former, Frankie introduced Ashe to Metal Mary, where they could purchase gear for their hovercycles. After they left however, they were confronted by the Diamondbacks, led by Benito Sanchez-Bez. Bad blood lingered between the Diamondbacks and Frankie, given that she'd used to work with them. Furthermore, Ashe discovered that news of her win at the Trout as "Calamity" had spread, and she once again used the name to cover her real identity. Still, the Diamondbacks left without incident.

Back at Lead Rose, the team began preparing for the heist. McCree joked that Ashe should ditch the ruined chopper that Alyssa had given her, but Ashe refused, declaring that she was going to fix the bike and make it the envy of Bellerae. Still, much as she wanted to get to work on it, she and her team had to prepare for the heist.

#### The Brisco Incident

In what would become known as the Brisco Incident, Ashe and her gang made their move against the Arbelest shipment. The plan was that once Frankie hacked the main transport, she and McCree would engage the drones from their hovercycles. Julian would then used his demolition skills to seal the Brisco Tunnel, covering their retreat once the plans were stolen. B.O.B. was left behind, as the heist didn't require muscle, and bringing him along raised the risk of identification.

The plan went awry as soon as it began, as while Frankie had no problem hacking the transports, she didn't know which one was the lead one. She ordered Frankie to find out by hacking each of them in turn, while she and McCree engaged the drones. The plan was a success, and plans for the H-29 scope were obtained. Later, Frankie sold the plans, and the gang received their first payday, with Ashe confirming that Arbelest had failed to identify the bikers who'd attacked the convoy.

The gang celebrated their victory, though Ashe became aware of the rift that existed between her and the others, given how Frankie and Julian had both suffered during the Omnic Crisis, and McCree, while mute about his past, clearly hadn't had an easy life. They discussed their plans as to what they'd do with the money once the three month window they had was up. Ashe realized that she didn't really have a plan beyond her eighteenth birthday. Even after a night at Cutthroat Trout's, she still remained haunted by the question. With her funds, she could travel anywhere, even to Numbani (where B.O.B. would be welcome), but even so...

#### Showdown at The Hopper

Over the next two months, Ashe and her gang carried out nearly a dozen nearly flawless heists; mostly against Arbelest, but also a few other companies, in order to obscure the fact that Arbelest was their main target. However, the Arbelest targets were where the big bucks were coming from. Ashe continued to use her "Calamity" moniker, and to cover her tracks, Frankie scrubbed images of Ashe's arrest from the *Daily Pioneer* archives. Over the months, Ashe noted that the mood of her gang had improved, though despite McCree's various suggestions, refused to give it a name, reasoning that they wouldn't be operating together for long. They also continued to work on the hovercycle that Ashe had picked up from the Trout.

Things went awry however at The Hopper, where they met with Liu in what was meant to be a simple exchange. However, Liu had double-crossed them, and the gang found themselves surrounded by the Diamondbacks. Bez and Marco walked up, and laid out his terms. This was Diamondback territory, and Ashe's gang had gotten too greedy. So they were going to cease all their activity, or else...well, there were a lot of holes where people could be buried in the desert.

Ashe had no intention of backing down, but outnumbered and outgunned, knew there was no way they could fight their way out of the situation. Even when Julian was decked, she held McCree back. Believing that they had an agreement, Marco led the Diamondbacks away, at which point Ashe revealed to her gang that they weren't going to stop their activities, much to Frankie's shock. However, Ashe pointed out that their deadline was approaching, and that they could fit in a few more well-paying jobs. Namely, a big score that she'd been planning for quite some time.

#### Siren

The gang carried out a heist on an Arbelest train shipment, carrying a weapon known only as "Siren." The train had yet to depart when they infiltrated the train yard. McCree found the cargo crate holding the weapon, but Julian triggered a motion sensor, which alerted the yard's security drones to their location. They managed to escape, but upon opening the crate, found only standard-issue rifles. Ashe realized that she'd made a mistake.

#### Birthday Girl

Ashe's 18th birthday arrived, and she found that turning 18 didn't change anything for her emotionally. She was still frustrated over the failed Siren heist, though McCree pointed out that they still had more money than they'd ever had because of their heists (barring Ashe herself). McCree gave her a birthday gift—a keychain with her name emblazoned on it, for the key to her refurbished hovercycle. Ashe, deeply moved, commented that it was the nicest thing anyone had ever given her.

McCree told her that they were going to take her to Cutthroat Trout's for her birthday, but instead lead her back to the manor, where she found a surprise party for her. McCree told her that the dozens of people attending still thought that she was "Calamity," and that they thought they were simply gate-crashing. As fun as the event was, however, it came to a head as Ashe was confronted by the Diamondbacks, with Marco calling her by her real name. Since she'd refused to stop the heists, he was going to end them for her. A small standoff ensued, but Ashe pointed to B.O.B., daring Marco to make a move.

While annoyed, Marco stated that they weren't here for a fight. Only that Ashe's fun was over, that they'd got everything they needed, and that he wanted her to know that he was the one who ended it. With that, he left. Concerned, Ashe talked to Frankie and Julian, before flaming bottles were lobbed into the mansion. In the chaos, Ashe realized that McCree had disappeared, realizing moments later, in light of Marco's claiming that they'd got what they'd needed, that the Diamondbacks had kidnapped McCree.

The guests scattered at the sound of approaching police sirens, and Ashe told Frankie and Julian to hide, before being confronted by her irate parents, along with Sheriff Carson. Her parents were aghast, not only at what had happened to Lead Rose, but her mother revealed that they'd discovered that Ashe herself was responsible for the heists over the last few months. Furthermore, her parents claimed that they weren't really going to disown her, that they just wanted to teach her a lesson. Ashe wasn't sure if she believed them or not, but decided it didn't matter. She wasn't the complacent daughter that her parents wanted her to be, and never would be.

Her mother, reaching the end of her rope, ordered Carson to arrest Ashe. She was eighteen, and therefore, responsible for her own actions. Thus, she was taken into custody. Ashe was aghast, knowing that the Diamondbacks had McCree, but refused to make ammends with her parents as the police took her in.

#### Early Release

Inside her cell, Ashe had plenty of time to reflect. It was clear that Marco was the one who'd told the police and her parents about the party, but why take McCree? And how had Marco found out who she was in the first place?

She tried to get Carson's attention, and after an hour of yelling, he came to her cell. She pointed out that there technically wasn't any proof that she'd comitted the crimes she had, but Carson said that it didn't matter. With her parents' resources, they'd be able to get the charges to stick. Ashe, changing tactics, said that she had to get out of here and find McCree. The court had set her bail, after all, and if she could use money from her (admittedly illegally filled) account...

Carson was having none of it. But Ashe pointed out that Carson had detested her parents for ages. If he let her pay bail, nothing would make them angrier. And given that she was eighteen, and therefore an adult, they had no legal course to stop her. Of course, she couldn't promise she'd turn up for her court hearing, but...

An hour later, Ashe was on bail. It took the entirety of the gang's shared account to cover the cost, but she was free, such as it was. In a sense, she was back to being destitute, but it didn't matter. She had a new family now. Exiting the police station, she found B.O.B. waiting for her. Hugging him, she told him to contact Frankie and Julian, to meet her at the barn outside Lead Rose. They were going to save McCree.

#### The Plan

Ashe snuck into Lead Rose to retrieve some items. This included the Viper rifle. She met Frankie and Julian in the barn, who were aghast that Ashe had spent almost the entire gang's account on her bail. Frankie told Ashe that the Diamondbacks would have taken McCree to their hideout at Deadlock Gorge, but there was little chance of saving McCree and getting out alive. Ashe persisted, but neither Julian nor Frankie were onboard with a suicide mission. Ashe accused them of abandoning McCree, but Frankie accused her in turn of caring about nothing but money. She'd used their account without their permission, and from the beginning, Ashe had always been the one with the least to lose.

Ashe, fuming, turned to Julian, who said that he'd stick with her. Along with B.O.B., they stocked up on all the weapons they could find and set off for Deadlock Gorge.

#### The Rescue

Ashe and Julian arrived at the gorge, where they spied the Diamondbacks' hideout. The plan was that Julian would use his dynamite to get the Diamondbacks to come out to inspect the blasts, which would allow Ashe to sneak inside and find McCree. Ashe climbed down from their position and waited for the detonations, but none came. She tried contacting Julian, but received no response. It was at this point that she was accousted by Marco and other Diamondbacks, incapacitating her.

Waking up, Ashe found herself inside the Diamondbacks' lair, with a grinning Marco in front of her. He revealed that they knew she'd been coming, and she concluded that Frankie was the mole. In truth, however, Julian was responsible, stepping into view. He revealed that he'd got himself into debt due to his activities at Cutthroat Trout's. The Diamondbacks bailed him out, in exchange for him informing them about Ashe, and that McCree had been kidnapped after he'd refused to take part.

Marco revealed his plan to ransom Ashe to her parents. Ashe pointed out that they'd disowned her, but Marco wasn't convinced—they had a reputation to maintain, and if it came to light that their daughter had been kidnapped, their reputations demanded that they pay for her release.

Ashe was given a lifeline as one of Frankie's microdrones latched onto her, allowing Frankie to whisper to Ashe via radio. The hacker simulated the sounds of a police siren and speaker, making it seem that the police had surrounded the hideout. The Diamondbacks scattered, but Ashe managed to trip Julian up, at which point, B.O.B. and Frankie arrived on scene. They made up (to an extent) over their earlier altercation, and agreed to escape, but not before finding McCree. Julian said that he knew where he was.

As they headed through the tunnels of the lair, they came across Bez, who offered to help them. Marco had become unhinged, and he was sick of it. He led them to McCree. They headed out, and parted ways with Bez. Arriving in the warehouse section of the lair, however, they were ambushed by Marco and the Diamondbacks, having figured out Frankie's ruse. A gunfight erupted, and both Ashe and McCree were hit. Outnumbered and outgunned, Ashe offered herself to Marco, in exchange for letting the others go free. Both parties agreed, but Ashe attacked Julian, and stole the detonator to the dynamite. If she detonated it, the entire lair would be buried.

Ashe played her hand, offering the Diamondbacks a place in her own gang. That they'd be treated with respect and be given equal shares. Bez was the first to cross the floor, and the majority of the Diamondbacks followed him. Marco and Julian were tied up and put in a shipping crate, and Ashe took command of her new gang. She ordered Bez to contact McCree and B.O.B., while ordering the others to do an inventory.

#### Deadlock For Life

Ashe sent the shipping crate to Sheriff Carson as a way of settling accounts. Over the following period, more and more gangs began looking to join Ashe's new gang—the Deadlock Rebels. A name decided by her and McCree, named in reference to their new lair at Deadlock Gorge (taken over from the Diamondbacks). They declared their new 'family' inside the Panorama Diner, before heading off for another heist.

### Criminal Enterprise

The experience had opened Ashe's eyes to her new calling. Not only had she found something she enjoyed, she'd found something she was good at. As a criminal, the idea of making a name for herself appealed to her.

Over time, Ashe started to make a name for herself with bigger and more extravagant heists. While the Deadlock Gang wasn't the first gang to plague the American Southwest, Ashe declared that the gang would be "bigger and better" than its rivals, that they would "write their legend." Ashe found that she excelled as a leader—not only was she good at organizing heists and being a career criminal, but years of watching her parents coach and run their businesses had imparted her lessons on how to run a criminal enterprise.

During their time in the Deadlock Gang, Ashe and McCree never dated; according to McCree, Ashe wasn't his type, as per her wealth. McCree knew how to "push her buttons" better than anyone else.

The gang's rapid rise to prominence put them at odds with the other criminal organizations in the American southwest; the encounters often became violent. After years of skirmishes and bloodshed, Ashe called the heads of the major groups together, seeing the potential to grow the influence of all. She used what she’d learned from her parents’ business to bring order to these groups. Her proposal was that the gangs could work together (or at least, not work against each other). Her principles: keep your word, don’t work with the law, respect each other’s territory, and always punish betrayal. No longer having to focus her energies on squabbles with the other gangs, Ashe began writing her name across the American Southwest with a string of audacious heists and operations that has placed her at the top of most-wanted lists and cemented her legacy as an outlaw legend.

McCree ended up being captured in an Overwatch sting operation, and ended up joining Overwatch. Following the news, Ashe kept a picture of McCree...on the dartboard of her hideout.

### Reunion

Years after McCree's departure, Ashe and the gang planned a heist of a hypertrain crossing above Route 66 at 11:55 AM, having received an anonymous tip that it was full of military ordnance. They destroyed the bridge, causing the train to plummet onto the road, giving them easy access to the cargo. While loading their hover dolly with the goods, however, the plan took an unexpected turn when McCree emerged from the dust. At Ashe's suspicion that his presence was not a coincidence, McCree confirmed that he had sent the tip about the train knowing that she couldn't resist, and all he wanted in return was a specific crate, telling Ashe that she could have everything else. However, he refused to elaborate on what it contained. Becoming interested in what was inside after opening the crate and taking a look, Ashe prepared to drive off the disappointed McCree, which led to a standoff, and subsequently at the stroke of noon, a gunfight. Despite being outnumbered, McCree was able to hold his own, though Ashe and her crew managed to pin him down with their gunfire. However, McCree got the upper hand with a pack of grenades that Zeke had dropped on the ground earlier in a panic, shooting them mid-air and incapacitating the gang.

Upon waking up, Ashe found herself and her gang bound on their hover dolly just as McCree was placing B.O.B's head onto it. McCree activated the dolly and sent it down Route 66, but because Ashe had turned down his deal, had removed all the loot they'd loaded onto it beforehand. Despite Ashe's yells, threatening to have B.O.B. rip off his other arm, McCree just ignored her. Further down the road, having had time to cool down, Ashe bitterly reflected that she should have just shot him the moment he turned up, conveniently ignoring the fact that her greed was responsible for their ending up with nothing. To add insult to injury, McCree zoomed past the dolly on Ashe's own hovercycle, ignoring (or not hearing) her as she shouted after him.

## Trivia

* Ashe is Hero 29 and the eighth new hero added to the game. She is the first Hero to have originated from related media rather than game development.
* Ashe was announced by Jeff Kaplan live from the opening ceremonies of Blizzcon 2018, alongside Echo, who Kaplan stated 'needed a little more time'.
* Ashe's nickname, Calamity, is possibly a reference to famed American frontiers-woman Calamity Jane.
* B.O.B. will wave back to Ashe if she waves at him in-game.
* Ashe appears to have a special connection with roses, as she has a rose shown on every skin: Default+Rare+Posh: tattoo on left arm | Thorn: roses all over | Gangster+Mobster: an actual rose on her hat | Jungle+Safari: a (wind)rose on her scarf and on BOB's back
* A Funko Pop Ashe figurine is available.
* One can earn a 'Lifesaver' highlight by saving BOB's life.
* Ashe's pre-Crisis history will be fleshed out in *Overwatch 2: Heroes Ascendant*.
* Ashe's Dynamite ability is potentially a reference to Julian, given his proficiency with explosives, dynamite included.

### Development

The origins of Ashe differ between sources. In *Forging Worlds: Stories Behind the Art of Blizzard Entertainment*, Ashe and the Deadlock Gang were created by senior artist Jungah Lee. According to a BlizzCon 2018 panel however, they were created by project director Jason Hill and storyboard artist Mio del Rosario. Lee has stated that in her creation of Ashe, she was inspired by the Route 66 map, and she sprinkled in backstory for Ashe. The picture of Ashe and McCree that is briefly seen in Ashe's hovercycle was created by Lee.

At the time, Ashe wasn't intended to be a playable hero, but rather one of the enemies for McCree to battle, conceived as a female member of the Deadlock Gang with long white hair wearing a duster, wide-brimmed hat, and wielding a lever-action rifle, who would be accompanied by a giant omnic bodyguard and other gang members. During the storyboarding process they found the character to be exceptionally compelling, often coming to the forefront of scenes; realizing that there was something special about her, they decided to further flesh out her character design and backstory. Senior concept artist Jungah Lee produced several iterations of the character in order to hone in on a unique silhouette and color palette that conveyed her youthful appearance and outlaw nature without overlapping with the likes of Reaper and McCree, settling on a final design that married the Western cowgirl and biker themes. Lastly, they shortened her hair by giving her a unique asymmetrical bob, both to sharpen her silhouette and to avoid having to simulate flowing hair.

At around the same time, Geoff Goodman and the game design team were interested in developing a new weapon-focused Damage hero, as the two other post-launch Damage heroes they released, Sombra and Doomfist, were both ability-focused. Upon seeing the early concept and storyboard art for the character, several designers independently came up with their own hero proposals, with the inclusion of B.O.B. being one of the only universally agreed upon ideas. Ashe's final kit revolved heavily around her lever-action rifle, deciding that, like McCree's similarly anachronistic revolver, it would be an extremely powerful, highly personalized weapon. To that end they gave it two firing modes, allowing her to rapidly fire from the hip for her primary fire, or to use iron sights with a reload between each shot for her secondary fire. Additionally, they gave the rifle a unique and satisfying reload mechanic, with Ashe reloading one bullet at a time in a dynamic loop that can be interrupted to resume firing. Her Coach Gun was designed mainly to create distance between her and her enemies, though it can also be used for mobility and trick shots. Ashe's Dynamite ability, originally conceived as a cluster bomb, was designed to be a versatile, high damage ability that is difficult to use.

Her Ultimate, B.O.B., was very technically challenging to implement due to memory and performance restrictions, and almost resulted in Ashe being scrapped, as the team was adamant about B.O.B. being included as part of the hero. Unlike the AI-controlled turrets in the game, B.O.B. is treated more like an additional teammate, and can be healed, buffed, and debuffed accordingly, and can also capture or contest objectives. For a time the team experimented with having the game treat him as a full teammate, but ran into balance issues and bugs.

## Images

* Ashe Deadlock concept art
* Ashe Deadlock concept art
* Mobster Ashe concept art
* Safari Ashe concept art

## Balance Change Log

*For more information, see Patch Notes.*
* Overwatch 2 PvP
* Overwatch 1

**Overwatch 2 PvP**

Patch
Description

5 Sep 2023

Developer Comment: Ashe has the longest total reload time of all heroes to balance out the advantage of being able to shoot after a partial reload. However, we are shortening it slightly to make the full reload from empty less punishing.
 The Viper

* Reload time decreased from .25 to .2 seconds.

7 Mar 2023

Developer Comment: We want to enable Ashe and B.O.B. to easily assist one another more. B.O.B. now prioritizes targets damaged by Ashe's rifle, which may allow for more flexible Ultimate placement.
 B.O.B.

* B.O.B. now prefers to shoot at enemy targets that Ashe damages with her rifle

26 Apr 2022
(beta)

 B.O.B.

* BOB base health reduced from 1200 to 1000

**Overwatch 1**

Patch
Description

12 Jan 2021

 The Viper

* Aim-down-sights damage reduced from 80 to 75
* Aim-down-sights recovery time reduced from 0.7 to 0.65 seconds

*Developer Comment: Ashe being able to eliminate 200 health enemy heroes with one headshot while assisted by 30% damage boost became too dominant, especially when combined with the other improvements to her weapon. We are lowering the maximum damage but also the shot recovery time to keep her overall damage output relatively the same.*

24 Sep 2020

 Dynamite

* Explosion damage reduced from 75 to 50

*Developer Comment: Ashe is still a bit too powerful, but we'd like to keep her rifle feeling impactful so we're taking some power out of her Dynamite ability.*

31 Aug 2020

 The Viper

* Max ammo reduced from 15 to 12
* Aim-down sights damage reduced from 85 to 80

30 Jun 2020

 Dynamite

* Cooldown increased from 10 to 12 seconds

*Developer Comment: With recent improvements to Ashe's weapon her overall damage output has increased significantly. Toning Dynamite down will lower her overall damage while keeping her damage output focused on her rifle.*

19 May 2020

 The Viper

* Now reaches max zoom halfway through Ashe's aim down sights, instead of at its conclusion

6 Apr 2020

 The Viper

* Magazine size increased from 12 to 15
* Shots no longer queue up the next shot if pressed slightly before recovery has finished
* Unscoped shots to reach maximum spread increased from 4 to 6
* Unscoped shots can now be fired much more quickly after firing a scoped shot
* You can now start reloading much more quickly after firing a scoped shot

13 Aug 2019

 The Viper

* Reload time per round decreased from 0.3 to 0.25 seconds.

*Developer Comment: Ashe's full reload time felt overly restrictive. However, a long reload time is intended to balance out the power of her gun, so we want to be careful not to eliminate that completely.*

11 Dec 2018

 B.O.B.

* Bob will now have a golden tint when Ashe equips her golden weapon

*Developer Comment: Our final technical audit on Ashe’s character package allowed us to implement a feature we talked about several times during Bob’s production. Making him part of Ashe’s golden weapon is a great way to celebrate our favorite Big Omnic Butler and let players show off their hard-earned Competitive Points each time they summon him onto the battlefield*

13 Nov 2018

New Hero: Ashe (Damage)

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ashe, *PlayOverwatch*. Accessed on 2023-09-12
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Ashe (OW1), *Blizzard Entertainment*. Accessed on 2018-11-13
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 *Forging Worlds: Stories Behind the Art of Blizzard Entertainment*
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 2018-11-23, BlizzCon 2018 Overwatch: What’s Next Panel Transcript. *Blizzplanet*, accessed on 2018-11-25
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 2018-11-03 'Overwatch' Devs Discuss McCree and Ashe's Relationship, *Comicbook*. Accessed on 2018-11-04
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 *Ashe Quotes*
7. ↑ *Ashe Cosmetics*
8. ↑ 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 8.11 8.12 8.13 8.14 8.15 8.16 8.17 8.18 8.19 8.20 8.21 8.22 8.23 8.24 *Overwatch: Deadlock Rebels*
9. ↑ 2019-01-03, Michael Chu Twitter, *Twitter*. Accessed on 2019-01-03
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 *Ashe Origin Story*
11. ↑ 2020-10-08, The next Overwatch novel stars a young McCree and Ashe. *Polygon*, accessed on 2020-10-31
12. ↑ *Reunion*
13. ↑ 2018-11-03, Michael Chu Twitter, *Twitter*. Accessed on 2018-11-03
14. ↑ McCree, *Blizzard Entertainment*. Accessed on 2015-03-09
15. ↑ *Reunion*
16. ↑ 2018-11-04, Overwatch McCree Short "Reunion" post-credit scene. *YouTube*, accessed on 2018-12-19
17. ↑ 2018-11-02, BLIZZARD GEAR: PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE PANEL UNVEILS LOTS OF NEW GEAR. *Blizzpro*, accessed on 2018-11-16
18. ↑ Overwatch 2: Heroes Ascendant: An Overwatch Story Collection Hardcover – October 17, 2023, *Amazon.com*. Accessed on 2023-02-05
19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 2018-11-2, Blizzcon 2018 Overwatch: What's New Panel