Valorant is the first-person shooter game from the Creators of League of Legends — Riot. It took the world by storm when it was released in 2020 and has been one of the most-played FPS games since. Valorant unique is their agents’ roster with their own set of skills.
Mastering the agents is one of the keys to fully mastering and enjoying the game. This will prove difficult because unlocking agents in Valorant is not easy — or cheap. The agents are divided into four types: Duelist, Sentinel, Initiator, and Controller. If you want to learn more about Controllers, we have you covered.
Controllers are agents who play defense and are often in the back lines to utilize their abilities fully. The description in the game reads :
“Controllers are experts in slicing up dangerous territory to set their team up for success.”
This is how Riot describes Controllers. They obscure enemy vision and make them hesitant to commit to an area. They can hold down defenses well when their skills are used efficiently, especially when partnered with good Sentinels.
As with other agent classes, each Controller is unique, and their skills vary from function to effect. Using Controller agents allows you to determine and dictate the flow of the fight.
From halting an assault to preventing escapes, Controllers must have a deep understanding of the map and good game sense to be indispensable agents on the field. If you consider using any controllers, read on, and we’ll tell you what you need to know.
Let’s check one of these Sentinels out and help you figure out if she will suit your playstyle.
Controller Astra
Astra is an agent that hails from Ghana. She has full control over cosmic energy and can access her Astral Form to see the field from a very high vantage point. Her ability to access the cosmic dimension gives her a great tactical advantage over her enemies, and she makes strategic decisions that include dividing the entire map.
She is a beautiful agent who wears a purple hoody over her head when accessing the other realm. Astra is not recommended for beginners, but in the right hands and with enough practice, she can be a game-changer from beginning to end of the match.
As is the core of Valorant gameplay, communication is key. Her teammates will benefit greatly from Astra’s unique and dynamic abilities. Using all the utilities in her kit is key to maximizing Astra’s potential, and as such, she should not be the first to push into an assault.
Astra is best played safe and should be the last agent to go into the fray so she can have more time to strategize and analyze the situation. She is the planner of all planners, which usually intimidates new players from using her.
Read on, and we will tell you why Astra is not only a great agent to start with but also why she will constantly be more powerful as you familiarize yourself with her fully in your pursuit of an Immortal rank.
Controller Astra’s Skills
Astral Form – 150 credits per star
This is the signature skill of Astra. Pressing X will have Astra enter the cosmic realm and see the entire area of the map. From here, she can send up to five stars to any location and even retract them. This is the same button as her (and any other agent’s) ultimate ability.
Using Astra requires you to access Astral Form constantly, so if the X button seems too difficult for a quick press, consider remapping the keyboard button to the one you are more comfortable with. Astral form is where Astra will control all her utilities and an ultimate ability.
She can move around the celestial map with your keyboard movement buttons and cursor. While in the other realm, her body appears floating while wearing the hoodie over her head. She is vulnerable since she can not see her physical body’s condition, so do this in a secure spot or have a teammate cover for you.
Triggering her stars to change into Nova Pulse, Nebula, or Gravity Well is accessed in this form. She can send out the stars even during the buy phase with no risk since she can retrieve them. Point at your desired location and press the Fire Button to send a star.
Pressing the Alternate Fire Button will retrieve the stars you are pointing at. You can also point your cursor toward the star when in the physical realm and press F to retrieve them.
This is the foundation of Astra’s abilities since you will be paying for the stars. Everything else is activating them according to your strategy. While you will inevitably use these stars to trigger different effects, they can also be used as a feint.
When enemies see a certain site or area riddled with these purple stars, they might refuse to commit and rotate. Use this opportunity to pick them off while they hastily turn to the other area where you and your teammates are waiting with guns pointed.
Gravity Well
When you press C, Astra activates a star into a small vortex that pulls enemies to the center and detonates to inflict Vulnerable status. This can be done when pointing the weapon crosshair to the star or accessing the star through the cosmic realm in Astral Form.
Gravity well lasts 2.75 seconds before exploding, and the Vulnerable status lasts five seconds. This ability takes 25 seconds to cool down, and all five stars can be used to turn into a Gravity Well.
This is great crowd control and pushes deterrent ability making it one of Astra’s best abilities. It can be used for delaying enemies in high-traffic areas. If you pull two or three agents in at once, this will make for some easy pickings.
Another potential for this ability is pulling campers from hard spots into the open or pulling enemies that hide inside the elevator. Gravity Well will pull them in regardless if they are above or below the star, and it will pull in anyone in the area like a whirlpool to doom.
Combined with other Agents’ damage-over-time abilities, you are guaranteed a kill or at least delay enemies enough to make them reconsider pressing that Surrender button.
Nova Pulse
When you press Q, Astra activates a star into a concussing explosion that stuns and disables enemies. This can be done when pointing the weapon crosshair to the star or accessing the star through the cosmic realm in Astral Form. Nova Pulse takes a quick windup, then detonates to concuss everyone in the immediate range of the star for four seconds. Nova Pulse has a 25-second cooldown after use.
This skill is easily avoidable since Astra’s stars are visible. The challenge is where and how you will deploy it to make the most of this skill. You can partner this ability with Gravity Well to suck enemies in and stun them while they inevitably struggle to get out of the sinkhole.
This gives Astra and her teammates little to no risk when picking off victimized enemies. Whatever approach you use to use this skill, remember that Noval Pulse and Gravity Well affect teammates. You do not want to cause a teammate to die accidentally or a match to fail for the sake of collateral damage.
In the right hands, Nova Pulse can stop enemies in their tracks and leave them helpless for a few seconds giving you and your team the crowd-control element you need to put that pesky Jett in her place.
Nebula/Dissipate
When you press E, Astra activates a star into a smoke lasting 14.25 seconds. This can be done when pointing the weapon crosshair to the star or accessing the star through the cosmic realm in Astral Form. This is a really good smoke comparable to Omen and Brimstone’s smokes.
Use this as you would any smoke. However, the upside to Nebula is that you can Dissipate (retrieve) it if you misplaced the star and want to transfer it somewhere else. So do not worry about using this for low-value play since you can always retrieve it to use it somewhere else.
When you want to Dissipate the star to transfer it somewhere else, point your crosshair at the star and press F. This will let you retrieve your star to be used again. However, when you Dissipate a star, it detonates into a nebula of smoke that lasts roughly one second before disappearing.
You can use this free smoke to give cover, even if you are trying to retract your accidentally misplaced star. A reclaimed star has a different color and cannot be carried over to the next round. So if you have up a star and retracted it, it is best to use it that same round.
Cosmic Divide – 7 Ultimate Orbs
This is the Ultimate Skill of Astra. When you press X, Astra enters the cosmic realm and sees the entire map area. From here, she can press the Alternate Fire Button to begin aiming. Choose two points with the Fire Button; an infinite Cosmic Divide appears, connecting the two points.
This Cosmic Divide cuts the map in half and reaches the sky. The divide blocks all sight on the other side, including obstacles like boxes and tunnels. The divide blocks bullets and heavily dampens audio. The Cosmic Divide lasts for 21 seconds.
If you think an enemy is behind the wall, shooting it will not work. All bullets are blocked and will not get past the cosmic wall. Want to check if an enemy is right behind the wall? Standing too close to it will help a little, but you generally will not hear anything from the other side if you are a few meters away, be it gunshots or skills going off. Skills, like flashes and grenades, can still pass through the wall, so do not be complacent and assume this wall is impenetrable.
You and your teammates can run, shoot, and use skills without giving away your position or what you are doing. This ability is insanely useful when planting spikes or defending sites. The almost soundproof barrier means you will not have to walk around the map slowly.
Ultimately, it is a giant smoke wall that lets players do whatever they want without letting the other side know what is happening. Use this skill efficiently to plant the spike, prepare ambushes, retreat, and defend. Enemies will either wait it out or barge in warily.
Astra Bonus Tips
- Map awareness is key to success. It is a general rule of thumb for most multiplayer games, but this rings more true for players using Astra. You need to know when and where to efficiently deploy your abilities to contribute to your team’s success and survivability.
- Astra’s abilities are great for mind games. Her stars are elementary to see and easy to avoid. This natural tendency to avoid suspicious-looking objects can be used to your advantage. If enemies generally avoid or cross them, use this knowledge to your advantage and catch them off-guard.
- Nova Pulse is a deadly weapon. Scattering your Sky Smoke around the map can send enemies running towards the attainable goal near the smoke. Coordinate with your team to clarify whether the smoke is used as a diversion or to commit to the site. For example, sending it all to one site will likely make the enemy team defensive and gather in that area.
- Cosmic Divide extinguishes combat. Astra’s ultimate will likely stop any fighting or assault in play. The creepy wall erected in between fighting agents will cause this conflict to come to a stop and change the situation altogether suddenly. For better or worse, the Divide will make each side stop and reconsider their new situation.
Is Controller Astra For You?
Astra isn’t the easiest agent to learn from the get-go. Still, in the hands of an experienced player, she is a world-cutting agent that shines in her strategic placements of utilities. Do you think you have what it takes to handle this Ghanaian babe?
This is where creativity and a big-brain playstyle come in. Astra players need to check their stars to activate necessary skills when needed constantly. Timing is everything with her skills, so communicate with your team and develop a good game sense to make the most of her skillset.
Astra is definitely for you if you enjoy always checking the map, preparing traps, and misdirecting enemies. Astra will be all the Controller you will ever need with enough practice and good game sense.
