Is the Valorant agent Astra your next go-to controller?
Astra is a new agent with several tricks up her sleeve. She can deploy stars all across the battlefield while in her astral form to set up her team. Whether it’s using her Nebula smoke to block vision or her Nova Pulse to stop opponents in their tracks, if you know how to use her tools, you can easily control the game.
If you’re a player who likes tactical play and would prefer to control your opponents without getting in the line of fire, Astra might be the controller for you. To help you master her, here is a comprehensive guide covering Astra’s abilities and strategic role.
Astra
Released in March of 2021, the Valorant agent Astra was feared by many players for her ability to control the whole map from a safe area. She can reshape a battlefield and put her enemies in tight positions by harnessing the energies of the cosmos. You can help your team dictate the game with her astral form and abilities using strategic foresight. She can be a dominant agent when used right.
Hailing from the West-African country of Ghana, Astra is a feisty agent who has no mercy for anyone who falls into her traps. She is energetic, joyful, and often banters with the other agents in-game. Her dark skin tone and braided hair represent Ghanaian culture. She also wears a purple hoodie which she pulls up when in her Astral form.
Role: Controller
Astra is a controller, which means she is in charge of slicing up dangerous territory to set up her team for success. Her class of agents is equipped with utility that slows down enemy players with smokes that block vision and slowing abilities.
You should have good map awareness when you play Astra because she can place her Stars before the round starts. Take note of strategic spots where you can utilize them the most. Stars can also be removed and redeployed somewhere else during the round. As a controller, you can stay in the backline and control the attack flow from a safe vantage point.
Abilities
Q – Nova Pulse
Activating a star with Q detonates a Nova Pulse, which charges briefly then strikes and concusses all players in its area for four seconds. This ability is great for post-plant or for locations where you believe an enemy usually hides. It can easily help you win a duel or stop someone from defusing your spike.
Nova Pulse is also a good ability for delaying the attacking team by closing off entryways. On offense, you can draw out enemies by forcing them to change positions.
E – Nebula or Dissipate
Activating a Star using E transforms into a Nebula, which is basically a smoke ability. Use a Star to Dissipate it, which returns the Star to Astra. You can then use it in a new location after 14 seconds.
Dissipate briefly forms a fake Nebula at the Star’s location before returning. Take note that this ability has two charges, and her smokes last for about 15 seconds. You should place this in key defensive locations or slow down an enemy’s push. You can control a whole site with his technique or force to take bad angles. It can also keep your enemies guessing by blocking the entrances like long of A in Haven or in sewers of the same site.
C – Gravity Well
Activate a star with C to form a Gravity Well. Players in the area surrounding it will be pulled toward the center before it explodes and will make all the players trapped inside vulnerable for 5 seconds.
This ability makes it easy to get a kill. You can also pull in multiple enemies at a time. You’ll want to activate Gravity well when you know someone is in an angle you can’t easily check or when you know your opponents are entering a site.
X – Astral Form and Cosmic Divide
Astral Form:
Before the beginning of each round, you can already place your stars on the map. Pressing ‘X‘ activates Astral Form, which turns the whole map purple. You are then shown to be seen floating over the map. This gives you a great view of every entrance or spot you want to place the stars on.
You have the option of holding up to five stars, and you can reactivate them later, transforming them into either a Nova Pulse, Nebula, or Gravity Well.
Cosmic Divide:
When Astra’s ultimate is fully charged, you can use your Secondary Fire in Astral Form to begin aiming it. You can then use your Primary Fire button to select two locations. An infinite Cosmic Divide connects the two points you have selected, which blocks bullets and some abilities from passing through it.
It also heavily dampens the audio of anyone who is on either side of it. Cosmic Divide cannot stop abilities like Sova’s darts, but it can halt Killjoy’s turret shots. You can activate this ability to close off angles when pushing or post-plant.
On defense, use Cosmic Divide to close off all entryways into the site so it will be easier to guard. You can position it strategically so your teammates can hold good angles.
You Might Ask (FAQs)
How should I play Astra?
The Valorant agent Astra is a very good defender, especially when you utilize Nova Pulse and Gravity well to mess with your opponents. As an attacker, you can use her Astral Stars for post-plant, and you can place stars on the spike to pull or stun enemies when they try to defuse.
What are the best Agents to place in a team with Astra?
Astra is already a strong controller on her own, so it is better to team her up with sentinels and initiators for intel-gathering. Cypher and Killjoy work well with Astra’s abilities on defense. Sova or Breach are two of the best initiators so you can try them too. For attacking, duelists like Reyna and Yoru can play around Astra’s smokes and Gravity Well to clear angles.
