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Valorant is a first-person shooter game (FPS) known for its vibrant colors and captivating gameplay. The game has 21 Agents with their own unique abilities that impact the playing field in various ways. One of the Agents which were released after the original ten was the Ghanaian Controller, Astra.
Astra was the most dominant Agent in Valorant in her prime. Since then, she has been nerfed and is in a much healthier spot in terms of game balancing. She still remains one of the most effective but difficult Agents to master due to her complex and powerful kit. This article will help players looking to master Astra in Valorant.
These tips and tricks should help players master Astra in Valorant
Understanding Astra's abilities
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1) Astral Form (Passive ability):
Astra's passive allows her to place stars on the map from any position. These stars enable her to use the three basic abilities in her kit.
2) Gravity Well (Basic ability):
Astra can activate a star which turns into a black hole pulling people into the center before detonating and afflicting the Vulnerable status to players still caught in the radius.
3) Nova Pulse (Basic ability):
Astra can activate a star to conjure a powerful blast that concusses players caught inside it. The concuss effect lasts for four seconds.
4) Nebula/Dissipate (Basic ability):
Astra can summon nebulas from her stars to block off sightlines. She can also withdraw a star which briefly creates a nebula before dissipating.
5) Stars (Signature ability):
This is the ability that allows Astra to place her stars before the round and during the duration of a round as well.
6) Cosmic Divide (Ultimate ability):
Astra can summon a massive cosmic wall when she is in Astral Form. Players can press their secondary fire button to access the placement of the wall and the primary fire button to shape the wall. The wall blocks bullets and drastically reduces audio.
How to use Astra's abilities in Valorant
Astra is a complex Valorant Agent focused on disrupting her opponents' momentum and creating opportunities for her allies. An important tip to follow while playing Astra is to not put stars on the map instantly, as the cooldown is quite long and severely reduces the effectiveness of her kit. Communication is also essential when playing Astra, as almost every ability of hers requires a combined effort to get the maximum value out of it.
Gravity Well is an extremely potent ability capable of displacing enemies and stopping site executes. Its vulnerable effect makes follow-up kills easy and is a good setup tool for other ability combos, such as Raze's Paint Shells and Gekko's Mosh Pit.
Nova Pulse is a good concussing ability that can displace and split enemies while providing Astra with safety if she gets pushed. It can also be used to halt site retakes and force people off commonly held angles. A good way to guarantee a kill with this ability is to combo it with a Gravity Well to ensure the enemy is vulnerable and concussed.
Nebula is the ability that most Astra players use a lot. This is the ability that makes Astra a Controller Agent, as she can block off sightlines for her allies to push into sites. Withdrawing stars also creates a brief smoke that can be used to bait opponents and give her allies time to reposition to other angles.
Cosmic Divide is her ultimate which creates a humungous wall that protects her team from enemy fire and cuts off the sound. This can be used in various ways, including faking site pushes and instantly rushing a site. The creativity of using this ultimate knows no bounds, and Astra players should use this to their advantage.
Best maps for Astra in Valorant
Astra is an exceptional Controller who can be piloted in almost any Valorant map when players get the hang of her. However, she particularly shines on maps such as Pearl, Split, and Lotus.
Pearl is arguably Astra's best map in the current meta. Her abilities are fantastic at controlling the narrow chokepoints in the map, such as A-Art and Mid Doors. Her utility in the post-plant scenario on the B-site of Pearl is also exceptional, making it a headache for defenders to defuse the spike.
Split is a very strong map for Astra. The narrow sightlines and tight angles make Gravity Well and Nova Pulse deadly abilities. Areas such as Mid and A Ramps can easily be taken with Astra.
Lotus is a map that very much encourages the usage of the gun Odin. The map has walls that can be easily spammed through to secure kills. Astra's Gravity Well can be used to lock enemies in place to spam them down. Instances where this can be used include the entirety of C-site, A-Rubble, and the two revolving doors.
Astra is one of the most fun Agents to play in Valorant once players get used to her complex kit. She becomes an unstoppable force and can single-handedly carry a game of Valorant by using her abilities to the highest level. If players are willing to dedicate the time to master Astra, they can easily climb up the ranks of Valorant.
