Looking to better your VALORANT games with the controller Agent Astra? This article will guide you through her abilities and how to make the most out of them!

Although Valorant is primarily a first-person shooter, the agents' skills already go beyond what is realistic in this genre, giving the game's dynamic a more complex and competitive feel. Since Valorant's release, its entire agent roster has been intriguing, but Astra still kept a special place in the players' hearts despite the recent nerf. 

If you wish to master Astra, it's best to at least spend some time getting familiar with her powers because Astra is more of an advanced Controller who requires tactical skills. We have composed a thorough guide on Astra that will provide you with all the information, tips, tricks, and strategies you need to play Astra effectively.

Don’t forget to also check how G-Loot can help you track all your VALORANT stats and make your game more rewarding with our daily Missions. 

Astra Overview

Image Credit: Riot Games

Astra is a controller agent with a unique set of abilities kit, which is refreshing as it features some of the most dynamic abilities in the game. The controller's role is to assist their team in seizing control of the map using their abilities to block enemy sight or slow them down. However, none of the other controllers can match Astra's level of dominance, when it comes to ability kit, playmaking capability, versatility, and popularity among players.

The connection she has with the cosmos also makes it easy for her to ascend above the surface of the earth and enter her astral form. She is an asset to any player who shows patience while using her abilities. With two smoke clouds, a gravity hole, and a map-splitting ultimate, she is unquestionably a valuable addition to any five stacks. Before we get into the specifics of Astra’s skills and how to use them effectively, you must customize your in-game settings per your preference for more efficiency so don’t forget to check our recent guide for the best pro player VALORANT settings. 

Astra Abilities and how to use them efficiently

Astra's proficiency depends on the placement of Stars on maps, which she can do by first switching into her astral form, which also serves as the foundation for all of her other abilities. Astra gets a top-down view of the map when she takes on her Astral Form, leaving her physical body vulnerable. When setting Stars, there is no effective range. These Stars are what allow her to use her actual abilities. Once a Star has been set, Astra must retrieve it to adjust its position and utilize it again. Enter her Astral Form from a safe spot and place the Stars preemptively where the action is expected to happen, such as any camping spot or entry point.

Gravity Well (C ability)

Image Credit: Riot Games

Astra can set up her team members to seize control of a location on the map using Gravity Well. The Gravity Well pulls nearby players to its center for 2.75 seconds until it bursts, leaving everyone vulnerable for an additional 5 seconds. The 5-second vulnerability can provide Astra's team a crucial advantage in gunfights despite the lengthy 25-second cooldown. This skill can also be combined with the abilities of other Agents like Raze and Sova. Astra can drag the enemy closer with Gravity Well, while Raze and Sova can use their abilities, such as grenade and shock bolt, to do a tonne of damage to them or perhaps kill them.

Nova Pulse (Q ability)

Image Credit: Riot Games

• The cooldown extended from 14 to 25 seconds.

• Cooldowns for nebulas are now sequential rather than simultaneous.

• The diameter of the nebula grew from 410 to 475.

Astra's Nova Pulse, which can be activated by one of your Stars, explodes after a brief charge up and knocks out all players caught in its field of effect. There is only one charge you can use at a time and a twelve-second cooldown before you can use it again. Setting up a Star in a well-known choke location, like Hookah on Bind or Heaven on Ascent, is a great way to put aggressive players in an untenable position. 

Players will take their chances without knowing what is waiting for them because a placed Star is unassuming and ambiguous. Utilizing it early on in a round might help you catch competitors off guard and allow your team a chance to successfully press onto a bomb location.

Nebula ( E Ability)

Image Credit: Riot Games

Astra uses Nebula to turn a placed Star into a 14.25-second-long plume of smoke similar to Omen’s Dark Cover and Cypher’s Cyber Cage. The ideal way to use this skill is to smoke off common defense angles, including higher ground, choke spots, or even entry positions. Unlike other agents, Astra's abilities have a cooldown, so you have to wait 14 seconds before deploying it again.

Dissipate (F Ability)

Astra use Dissipate to call back a deployed Star, which can be used again. Before returning, it temporarily blocks the enemy's vision with a blast of nebula smoke for two seconds, which is excellent for quick rotation and angle changes. Always remember that the reclaimed Stars do not transfer over from round to round and are highlighted in a different color.

Cosmic Divine (Ultimate ability)

Image Credit: Riot Games

Cosmic Divide, Astra's ultimate ability, can only be used when she is in astral form. The ability breaks the battlefield in half by building a huge wall anywhere on the map. Players can readily pass through the wall, while bullets cannot. Along with that, any sound will be highly muffled as it passes from one side to the other of the wall, allowing Astra's crew to set up an ambush for any foes trying to breach it. since their footsteps cannot be heard.

Best weapon loadout for Astra

The best weapons for an Agent highly depends on their play style. Weapons like Ghost, Stinger, Spectre, Phantom, and Ares will be your best option if you like playing aggressively. If you are using Astra passively, try to employ Bulldog, Guardian, Vandal, Odin, or Operator. 

How to master Astra: tips, techniques, And playstyle

Astra has developed into the best controller in the game since she can provide any kind of assistance your team might need. Her utility can be combined with those of other Agents in dozens of ways. She is one of the agents with the strongest overall stats when played at a professional level, thanks to her versatility. Aside from Astra, the other controllers are relatively situational and most effective in a small number of maps and selective team composition. Her ability to switch between the corporeal and astral form allows her to place Stars all over the map, disorienting enemies with a concussive blast, and smoke cloud, and even cutting the map in half.

Map knowledge and positioning are crucial 

Image Credit: Riot Games

Given Astra's role as a controller, the optimal tactics for employing her will always involve trying to influence the battle's flow as much as you can via your map awareness. The nature of Astra's skills makes map awareness much more crucial, even though this is sensible advice for any multiplayer shooter player. 

Players must be aware of the ideal locations and situations to utilize her versatile Astral Stars efficiently. The mere presence of a Star in a location should, in theory, effectively bar opponents from entering the area. Combined with strategic positioning, it can compel opponents to refrain from pushing or over-rotating in specific regions.

You can perform more challenging plays if you have a better understanding of the timings and quirks of Astra's abilities. You should smoke appropriately and check them for cracks when you are going aggressive. Put your Stars at chokepoints for defense, and use them in response to enemy attacks. Using your Gravity Well and Nova Pulse at the same time can cause havoc on the enemy side because they won't be able to quickly escape the stunning state and become defenseless and vulnerable.

When you play as Astra in Valorant, keep the following tips in mind

• Anyone near the star will be concussed if Nova Pulse is detonated, making it much easier for you to clean up the scene.

• One Nova Pulse can easily capture multiple enemies if they are aggressively pushing together.

• Gravity Wells can be placed at critical choke points in Haven, such as A Tower and Mid Window, to lurk enemies in one area and take them out one by one.

• Astra remains stationary while in her astral form, so if you don't have a team that communicates, you have to find a secure location first.

• Since patch 4.04, the Star recalls cooldown has been greatly increased, making the Star positioning before the start of a round much more crucial.

Ready to play Astra in your next VALORANT game?

This finishes our thorough overview of Astra; we truly hope it has provided you with a better understanding of how you should use Astra. Before starting your grind right away in the game, don’t forget to check out how  G-Loot can help your track all your VALORANT stats. G-Loot can also make your gaming experience more rewarding with Daily Missions and Weekly Brawls.