Ashe Fire Emblem Guide

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Some characters make you wonder: “why are you not the protagonist of this game?” The fact is that they have stories, character arcs, and growth that could easily make them the story’s protagonist. And I’m not talking about things like “everyone is the protagonist of their own story” or something like that. I’m talking about characters even more charismatic than the main ones. And that’s what happens to Ashe. Ashe is one of the characters with an incredible backstory in fire emblem three houses. He could be the main character of another installment of the saga.

I guess that’s something quite common in most games of the franchise. There is always a character with more charisma than the rest, but in Ashe’s case, it’s not just that he is charismatic. He is a good character as far as the army forces are concerned. He is the main archer of the house of the blue lions, which already gives him a central role to a certain extent. Also, suppose you like to play with archers as your main attack force. In that case, Ashe is the second-best archer in the game, only surpassed by Bernadetta.

Personally, Ashe is not my favorite character in terms of stats. I consider him to have a good backstory, but when it comes to his play style, there are better characters. However, that doesn’t take away from the fact that at the end of the day, he is an attractive enough character for many people to want to play him within their army. On top of that, he forms an integral part of the DLC campaign. So let’s talk more in-depth about how Ashe can become a fundamental part of the army.

Important Information to Know About Ashe

  • Health: 23
  • Strength: 8
  • Magic: 5
  • Dexterity: 8
  • Speed: 9
  • Luck: 6
  • Defense: 5
  • Resistance: 6
  • Charm: 5
  • Movement: 5
  • Special Ability: Locpick, Axe Prowess Lv1, Bow Prowess Lv1.
  • Combat arts: Curved Shot
  • Crest: None
  • Magic: None
  • Weapon: E- Sword, E-lance (Budding Talent), E+Axe (Bonus), D-bow (Bonus), E-Gauntlets, E-Reason (Penalization), E-faith, E-Authority, E-Armored unit, E-Horseback unit, E-Flying unit
  • Equipped items: Iron Bow, and Vulnerary.
  • Class: Commoner

The first thing you may notice about Ashe is that he does not have a good defense. This leaves him quite vulnerable. However, he compensates for it with two specific points: His above average strength and Dexterity stats and his high-speed stat. This allows you to form a strategy based on critical hits. Although his speed is not the best in the game (that title belongs to Petra), it is high enough to establish a strategy based on evasion.

Besides that, he has a very curious ability, which is lockpick as a personal skill. This is curious because lockpick is a skill you can learn only as a thief or assassin. However, it allows you to save an ability slot when playing with him since you will always have that ability by default, regardless of the class. With that in mind, you can create combos without worrying about lockpick ability. This is important as it allows you to not need keys in dungeons, which will always give you at least one extra space in your inventory.

The only things we could consider harmful in the stats are that Ashe doesn’t have a crest and that he doesn’t have a good magic pool. Regarding the former, there is really no way to compensate for it. Not having access to a crest will not allow him to use holy weapons, but it is not such a significant weakness if you improve his stats. The reality is that the only way to cover his lack of a big magic pool is by obtaining his budding ability with the spear. By improving his spear ability, you can specialize him as a physical class (e.g., knight), which would compensate for his lack of magic skills.

Ashe Background

Ashe Fire Emblem
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Ashe is the son of a former restaurant owner. He has two younger brothers and worked with his parents, helping them take care of the restaurant. However, his parents died when Ashe was still very young. He tried to take over the restaurant as he was the sole provider for his siblings. However, Ashe realized that by working honestly, he would not be able to make enough money to help his siblings, so he had to turn to stealing. This was something he hated, but he had no choice. His moral compass made him almost turn himself in on more than one occasion.

When he was 10 years old, he entered one of the largest mansions in the region of Gaspard to try to rob it to buy food for his siblings. However, inside the mansion, he found a book called Loog and the Maiden of the Wind. He fell in love with the book at first sight because of its illustrations, but he did not know how to read it. At that moment, the mansion’s owner discovered him in the middle of the attempted robbery. Still, instead of imprisoning him, he gave him the book and taught him to read. The mansion’s owner was Lonato, the ruler of the region of Gaspard.

Upon learning of the situation of Ashe and his siblings, Lonato adopted them and raised them as his own children. Ashe became very close to Christophe, Lonato’s eldest son, whom he saw as his eldest brother. His relationship with Christopher ended after he was murdered under the false pretext of an insurrection. Despite that, her relationship with Lord Lonato always remained stable. Lonato is even the main responsible for Ashe being in the Officers Academy of the Garreg Mach Monastery at the beginning of the game.

Gaspard Region Background

The region of Gaspard is located south of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, the southernmost region and closest to the Adrestian Empire. Therefore it is one of the most coveted by most invasions. Initially, it was part of the empire. However, during the wars that took place during the separation of the empire, the house ended up revolting. It is one of the few noble houses that is not a direct descendant of a hero or saint of the war of heroes and saints. That is why their house does not have any kind of crest. However, they do have a minor noble title. 

The acting regent of the house is Lord Lonato, who had served alongside Rufus, the elder brother of King Lambert. Lord Lonato was quite hostile to the church due to the death of his son Christopher at the hands of church members. However, he had never incited violence, let alone any attempts at rebellion. This changes during the game events, as Gaspard’s house is one of the few houses to revolt against the church in Faergus before the war.

After the game’s events, the new regent of the house is Ashe, who takes the role of Lord Lonato. This clearly happens if Ashe survives the events of the game. Otherwise, the region simply disappears from the story. It is one of the most complex noble houses in the game. Mostly because of the situation that leads Lord Lonato to start the rebellion against the church. Lonato was a faithful believer in the goddess’s teachings, but the death of his son at the hands of those who claimed to care about her damaged his faith. 

Ashe in the Cindered Shadows DLC

Ashe in the Cindered Shadows DLC
Image From Fire Emblem Fandom
  • Level: 20
  • Health: 35+33
  • Strength: 19
  • Magic: 10
  • Dexterity: 29
  • Speed: 19
  • Luck: 17
  • Defense: 13
  • Resistance: 13
  • Charm: 11+3
  • Movement: 6
  • Special Ability: Locpick, Bowfire, Bowrange +1, Bow Prowess Lv2, Authority Lv2, HP +5, Hit +20, Close Counter
  • Combat arts: Deadeye, Curved Shot, Smash
  • Crest: None
  • Magic: None
  • Weapon: C- Sword, E-lance (Budding Talent), D+Axe (Bonus), B-bow (Bonus), E-Gauntlets, E-Reason (Penalization), E-faith, D+Authority, E-Armored unit, E-Horseback unit, E-Flying unit
  • Equipped items: Steel Bow, Iron Bow, Mini Bow, Concoction.
  • Class: Sniper

Ashe is the only other member of the Blue Lions house that appears in the cindered shadows DLC besides Dimitri. The reason for this is that he is the member who could be considered knowledgeable about the situation in the criminal underworld. That is why Ashe is likewise one of the few characters who know about the existence of the abyss. Something quite interesting happens with Ashe: while you are playing the DLC, he starts to remember specific events from his past.

The clearest example of this is found in how he fights against Yuri; Ashe is the only one who manages to recognize him as Lord Rowe’s adopted son. In contrast, Yuri recognizes Ashe as Lord Lonato’s adopted son. With that in mind, we can understand that Yuri and Ashe had known each other before and may have had a history together. After all, both were members of society who had been abandoned, and both were adopted and protected by a Lord.

Likewise, Ashe is the only character who suggests that the Abbys members are misunderstood. Ashe thinks they should be brought back to live in society. As far as gameplay is concerned, Ashe fills in for the role of the archer, as the units within the DLC are a bit more limited. However, this does not mean that she is a bad unit. On the contrary, his stats are pretty good compared to what he has during the first chapters of the main story. It’s a safe play option if you like to attack with ranged critical hits.

How to Transform Ashe into the Best Sniper?

Ashe’s stats make him one of the best options to turn him into a sniper. This is because he has a low defense but enough Skill and strength to eliminate enemies from a distance. His defense makes him a force that performs better away from most enemies. In addition to that, it can perform a large number of critical attacks. In that sense, there is also the possibility of improving his defense and speed while taking advantage of his budding ability. This is because the weapon that gives him his budding ability is the spear.

Having access to a spear, bow, and axe makes him a unit designed for physical attacks. An exciting option is to convert him into a bow knight or conventional knight. In that way, he can improve his defense, and at the same time, he can manipulate other types of weapons. However, it is best to concentrate on his use of bows because it is the most suitable option for eliminating enemies at short and long distances. This is because when he reaches C rank, he will gain access to Close Counter, allowing him to defend himself in case of a direct attack by enemy units.

However, the main potential is in curved shot, deadeye, and Waning Shot. This is because it not only allows him to have a greater attack range but also forces his enemies to lose 5 hit points and allows him to make two hits in a row. This allows him to chain critical hits. In addition, if you focus on gaining sword proficiency, you can turn him into an assassin. His high dexterity stat enables him to activate his lethality ability more easily.

Ashe’s Abilities as a Sniper

Ashe Fire Emblem

He will start with:

  • Lockpic: Opens doors and chests without the use of a key.
  • Axe Powess Lv1: When wielding an Axe, Hit Rate +7, Evade +5, Critical Avoid +5
  • Bow Powess Lv1: When wielding an Bow, Hit Rate +7, Evade +5, Critical Avoid +5

When he becomes a sniper he will learn:

  • Bow Critical +10: Grants Critical +10 when using a Bow.
  • Close Counter: Enables unit to counterattack adjacent enemies.
  • Bowfaire: Might +5 when a bow is equipped.
  • Maximum Bow range +1: Maximum Bow range +1

Ashe Sniper Best Build for the Endgame

Ashe
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  • Health: 68
  • Strength: 51
  • Magic: 36
  • Dexterity: 76
  • Speed: 71
  • Luck: 56
  • Defense: 43
  • Resistance: 49
  • Charm: 36
  • Movement: 6
  • Special Ability: Locpick, Bowfire, Bowrange +1, Maximum Bow range +1, Close Counter, Bow Critical +10
  • Combat arts: Deadeye, Hunters Volley, Waning Shot
  • Crest: None
  • Magic: None
  • Weapon: A-Bow
  • Equipped items: Brave Bow, Vulnerary.
  • Class: Sniper

What Happens if I Don’t Recruit Ashe?

If you do not recruit him, two things can happen:

  • In the case of the Crimson Flower route, he will function as the head of the Fhirdiad fight. He becomes the last defender of the kingdom and the church in the city. You have two options: either eliminate him directly or spare his life if you defeat the immaculate one first. However, nothing happens in case of sparing him, and Ashe’s situation is left to interpretation.
  • In the Verdant Wind/Silver Snow routes, he also appears as a minor enemy in Ailell. In this route, you can directly pardon him, or you can eliminate him. However, as in the Crimson Flower route, his fate becomes a mystery, and nobody knows what happens to him afterward.

How to Defeat Ashe?

Ashe Fire Emblem
Image From Fire Emblem Fandom

There are four moments (technically five) where you face Ashe as an enemy, making him one of the most recurring enemies in the game in a way. The first two occasions are in chapter 1 and chapter 7 of the game. On these occasions, as they are mockup battles, there is no real risk when fighting against him. The best strategy is to attack constantly and as close as possible to prevent him from having ranged attack options.

The occasions when a real fight can happen are during the Ambush at Ailiel events. These events happen only in the Silver Snow or Verdant Wind route. Both fights happen during chapter three of their respective route. In such a fight, Ashe basically becomes a secondary unit. The best thing to do is to attack from the left flank to avoid significant damage from the enemy army.

Finally, the absolute risk arises in chapter 18 of the Crimson Flower route. During this battle, Ashe’s stats are:

  • Level: 38
  • Health: 42
  • Strength: 22
  • Magic: 9
  • Dexterity: 39
  • Speed: 22
  • Luck: 18
  • Defense: 14
  • Resistance: 13
  • Charm: 11+7
  • Movement: 6
  • Special Ability: Locpick, Bowfire, Bowrange +1, Bow Prowess Lv5, Defiant Avo, Seal Movement, Close Counter
  • Combat arts: None
  • Crest: None
  • Magic: None
  • Weapon: E- Sword, E-lance, E-Axe, A-bow, E-Gauntlets, E-Reason, E-faith, B-Authority
  • Equipped items: Brave Bow, Vulnerary.
  • Class: Sniper

In this situation, the best alternative is to approach Ashe after eliminating the pegasus knights and golems you will find on the map. Don’t get too close to it, nor eliminate them yet. Also, don’t try to continue up the stairs. If you have Jeritza on your team, use her as a tank to avoid the damage they can do to you. Once you have finished your turn, you have to choose whether you want to call reinforcements from Ashe’s side or Gilbert’s side (the other boss of this mission).

I recommend eliminating Gilbert first so that when the reinforcements appear from the east, you can eliminate them as a group with Ashe. Also, the longer you wait, the more likely Ashe will use the crossbows. Once you have eliminated both bosses, the rest of the map is more straightforward.

Gift List, Share a Meal, and Lost Item

The gift list for Ashe is: 

  • Tasty Baked Treat: Favorite (one star).
  • Owl Feather: Favorite (Three Stars)
  • Ancient Coin: Favorite (Three Stars)
  • Legends of Chivalry: Favorite (Three Stars)
  • Violet: Favorite (Three Stars)
  • Exotic Spices: Favorite (Four Stars)
  • Arithmetic Textbook: Dislike (Three Stars)
  • Monarch Studies Book: Dislike (Three Stars)
  • Board Game: Dislike (Four Stars)

The share a meal list is:

  • Saghert and Cream: Favorite
  • Fish and Bean Soup: Favorite
  • Vegetable Pasta Salad: Favorite
  • Spicy Fish and Turnip Stew: Favorite
  • Sweet and Salty Whitefish Sauté: Favorite
  • Sweet Bun Trio: Favorite
  • Pheasant Roast with Berry Sauce: Favorite
  • Fish Sandwich: Favorite
  • Peach Sorbet: Favorite
  • Cheesy Verona Stew: Dislike
  • Gautier Cheese Gratin: Dislike
  • Fried Crayfish: Dislike
  • Derdriu-Style Fried Pheasant: Dislike

And the lost item list is:

  • Moon Knight’s Tale
  • Evil-Repelling Amulet
  • Bundle of Herbs

The Best Way to Level Up Ashe

Ashe
Image From Fire Emblem Fandom

The best option is to train him in spear and sword if you have time to spare. If you don’t have much time, just concentrate on his bow skills. Why? The reality is simple: It is better to concentrate on his skills as a possible sniper than on his budding ability or his ability as a possible assassin. This is because, as a Sniper, Ashe has a better chance of survival at a distance. In contrast, as an assassin, the only advantage you have is Ashe’s lethality ability.

Other than that, to gain experience quickly, skirmish and study archery skills. This is the fastest way for him to gain experience without so many problems at the general level. Likewise, make him participate in missions. If in the same route you have Bernadetta, the reality is that Ashe may pale a bit before her. However, at the end of the day, she is still a good option at the general level if you want to play with two archers simultaneously.

FAQs

Question: What is the Best Class for Ashe?

Answer: Sniper. While Bow Knight gives Ashe access to the “canto” ability, the reality is that Ashe doesn’t need it as much. Besides that, his abilities are far superior as a Sniper than as a Bow Knight. Also, while giving him a better Bowrange, Bow Knight has the problem of making him more vulnerable to enemies with anti-beast weapons.  

Question: Is there any way for Ashe to get a crest?

Answer: No. However, if you play in the New Game Plus option, he can use legendary weapons. However, he doesn’t benefit from it — or at least not as much as other characters.

Question: Is Ashe relevant for the DLC story of the game?

Answer: The reality is that Ashe serves as a sort of mirror to Yuri within the DLC. Their stories are very similar. Both are members of the lower classes, both are adopted by Lords that have a strained relationship with the church, and both are sent to the officer’s academy but end up in a complicated situation. However, you can play the story of Cindered Shadows without being so interested in Ashe. 

Final Thoughts on Ashe

Ashe is a good character. His story of being an underdog who managed to survive everything life threw at him is highly inspirational and is easily among the best in the game. On top of that, his stats, while not the best, are outstanding. If it weren’t for the game’s plot, Ashe could be a good candidate for Lord in any other saga installment. He, together with Yuri, could make a good spin-off of the game in which they show us how the criminal underworld of the continent works. 

I like him as a character and as a unit in the game; he is one of my favorites to use. I don’t usually adapt well to the calmer play style he proposes, but his story interested me a lot. With that in mind, the reality is that I can recommend playing with him, as he is a good choice for any route.

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