Shroud explains why new agent Astra may underperform in solo queues

Fariha Bhatti Published 11/03/2021

Astra has officially joined the Valorant agent roster but she’s rarely spotted in ranked games. Michael “shroud” Grzesiek may know why Astra isn’t living up to the hype.

Valorant’s Episode 2 Act 2 delivered a new controller Astra as the 15th addition to the agent roster. Her bombshell release had fans on their toes, eagerly waiting to try out the agent on the battlefield. With her purple smokes and a bird’s eye view over the map, the agent was expected to transform the game’s meta. Weeks into the release, no significant changes have occurred in Valorant as players continue to stick to older agents.

How to play Valorant’s brand new 15th agent Astra

Former Counter-Strike: Global Offensive professional shroud explained why Astra is not like other controllers, which may impact her pick rate in solo queues. The streamer had earlier stated Astra could be “busted” due to her ability to scan maps for Spike. In his recent stream, shroud broke down the complexities behind the new Agent’s performance in different queues.

“If your team is listening and playing well, I’d imagine she’s pretty good. But in most ranked games, people play for themselves, not for the team. Nothing wrong with that. It just hurts when you play a character like this because she shines in a coordinated team,” shroud said.

The streamer explained that Astra’s kit might not be viable in solo queues where players reluctantly use their mics, leave alone acting out on team strategies. The efficacy of Astra’s toolkit diminishes drastically when she doesn’t have duelists utilizing her smokes, concuss, and Gravity Well to the fullest. The streamer spelt out a perfect scenario where Astra may stand out.

Astra Valorant

“If I have idea that my teammates want to push through a certain area, I can help them from the other side of the map. So it’s really cool in that regard as long as they’re communicating and letting people know what they’re doing.”

After testing her in solo games, players would realize the point Shroud is trying to make. Astra has massive control over the map, and her powers become bootless in solo queues. To squeeze the full juice out of Astra’s abilities, full-fledged teamwork is a must. If you’ve luckily matched up with good players in solo queue, you can easily outplay the opponents using Astra’s master kit.

All things considered, the agent is relatively new, with a lot of stuff to unpack in her kit. Unlike other controllers, Astra is a complex agent who requires tons of effort to play a crucial role in both solo queues and full lobbies.

Is Valorant’s new agent Astra overpowered?

The 15th agent Astra swishes in with the power to manipulate maps using her spatial powers. While her abilities are at par with other agents, her map vision sets her apart from the Valorant roster. In her Astral Form, Astral can place her stars wherever she wants, making her one of the most potent agents in Valorant.

Fariha Bhatti

About Fariha Bhatti

Fariha Bhatti is a long-time gaming writer who loves competitive FPS games and slots with particularly fun themes. She got her start playing classic games developed by SNK, from legendary fighting game series The King of Fighters to challenging platform franchise Metal Slug. She now spends most of her time playing Valorant and Counter-Strike 2 while working her way through new slot releases to find her next favorite. Fariha has been published at PCGamesN, TalkEsport and ONE Esports.

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