How to counter Astra’s pull while defusing the Spike

Post-plant is the hottest Valorant meta in the current patch, but Astra can counter her mirror-enemy easily during this crucial stage of the match.

Valorant meta keeps evolving with the addition of a new agent and a buff to an ability. While players are quick to adjust to new finds and their counters, post-plant has managed to become a menace. There are limited ways to block molotovs flying in from all directions, but some agents are sharp enough to be consistent against post-plant setups. 

Astra’s addition to the protocol only strengthened the post-plant roster. Unlike other agents, the controller uses her Gravity star to push agents away from the Spike when defusing it. But she can be countered by her mirror image, defender Astra’s kit. 

Astra’s defender star works in the same way as attacker Astra. While the attacker agent uses her star to push, the defender can deploy the star in a way that drives her back in. Here’s how to do it. 

If you spot a star on Spike when you’re about to defuse, plant your own on top of it before hitting tap. Start deactivating the Spike and wait for Astra to push you away. Try to defuse halfway and then deploy the star to force yourself back into the center. This trick becomes surefire with two stars. Plant two stars to convert the second into smoke so enemies can’t see you countering the pull because they’ll likely start spamming through. 

This trick should win you all post-plant setups against enemy Astra. It’s a highly viable trick, but star placement and timing is crucial here. You want to place your star on the opposite of the enemy’s pull to make sure that it drags you away from it. Timing it wrong can result in wasting Astra’s Gravity pull, so it’s recommended to try it out in custom beforehand.

What’s the best smoker agent in Valorant? 

In the current patch, Omen is one of the best controllers in Valorant, followed by Viper and Astra. The mysterious shadow agent has reusable smokes that allow him to be viable throughout the round. Paired with his paranoia, Omen can be instrumental support in high ranked games.

On specific maps, Astra and Viper come into play where Omen’s ultimate ability may not be as valuable. For example, smaller maps like Icebox and Split call for a smoker like Viper, who can block large areas with her screen.