Is Ashe Support a Viable Pick in League of Legends?

The bottom lane in League of Legends is one of the most action-packed lanes in the early phase of the game since it involves four players trying to control the wave and get advantages. Most duos prefer to play aggressively and therefore side with poke-heavy champions to aid that playstyle. Ashe is one of the very few champions that can be flexed into both the role of a carry and a support in the bottom lane. Over the last couple of patches, Ashe’s pick rate as a support has really skyrocketed.

In LoL Patch 12.9, it was just 1.5% and now in LoL Patch 12.12, it is 7.9%. Ashe may not have shields or heals built into her kit, but she does offer plenty of poke damage thanks to her W - Volley. Notably, her E - Hawkshot also helps track the enemy jungler in their own jungle quadrants.

Notably, in the recent League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) series between Kwangdong Freecs (KDF) and T1, KDF’s carry player Park "Teddy" Jin-seong played Ashe support alongside a Seraphine carry and won the game, and the series.

Ashe support stats in LoL Patch 12.12

According to U.GG, Ashe support statistics are as follows:

• Pick Rate: 7.9%

• Win Rate: 49.23%

• Ban Rate: 4.4%

Ashe as a support champion works because she is extremely strong during the laning phase given her long-ranged poke and auto-attacks. It allows Ashe players to chip away at the enemy’s health while the attack damage carry (ADC) farms and collects gold and pushes the lane. Ashe’s auto attacks slow enemies and her R - Enchanted Crystal Arrow can help get isolated picks and initiate team fights.

Ashe’s biggest weakness is her immobility which means that one has to carefully position in the laning and the team fighting phases. Since this is Ashe support, players can afford to play from behind and throw out the occasional Volley to slow down enemies.

LCK pro Teddy talks about Ashe support and why it works

After winning the series against T1, in an interview with Korizon Esports, Teddy compared Ashe ADC and Ashe support. He pointed out that as an ADC, Ashe does not get to churn out high DPS (damage per second) and that in general, she has low damage output. He added, “Ashe is atleast 50% using her Arrow and her E at the right time and place. So I didn’t have any pressure going Ashe support with Seraphine.” Teddy stated that he used Hawkshot to track T1’s jungler and also focused on hitting the ultimates.

With all the major regions in League of Legends Esports playing through their Summer Split, players might see many more Ashe support picks crop up in the coming weeks. There has also been a slight increase in the pick in Solo Queue and it might be annoying to deal with. If Ashe support becomes daunting, Riot Games will likely nerf her ability kit to balance the state of gameplay.