Astra, along with most of the agents in the Controller class, has been changed significantly in VALORANT Patch 4.04. All four of her abilities have been changed, mainly nerfed in some way. Astra has dominated the controller meta since her release and Riot Games has seemingly taken note and is trying to temper down her power compared to the other agents in her class.
Astra nerfs
First off, Astra’s Stars have been heavily nerfed. She now only has four instead of five and the cooldown when retrieving a placed star is 25 seconds, compared to 14 from before. Her Gravity Well has also been nerfed; its cooldown has also increased to 25 seconds and its size has been reduced. The ability also now no longer pulls people fully underneath it, so players can now crouch under Gravity Wells set on top of boxes or higher terrain.
Astra’s Nova Pulse and Nebula have also all had their cooldown increased, Nova Pulse to 45 seconds and Nebula to 25. Nova Pulse also will not affect anyone fully underneath it. Nebula now cools down sequentially, meaning the first smoke will cool down at a different time than the second, unlike before as they were simultaneous.
Astra buffs/ changes
Astra also got some needed changes and buffs that should help smooth over some of the awkwardness she has in a fast-paced game like VALORANT. Her Astral Form has had its overlay speed increased when transitioning and the targeting rings around her utility should be less bugged. Her utility is also now all the same size, making casting her abilities much easier when in high-stress situations.
Astra can also now pick up Stars during the Buy Phase and have their charges refund immediately, so pre-round set ups can change fast if needed. The maximum distance to place her Stars has also increased so she can now place Stars across the furthest corners of even the largest maps.
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