Astralis – The Best CSGO Team Right Now
Astralis is far and away the best team in CS:GO right now. They’ve finally transcended just being top-tier and are now ready to be enshrined as one of the five best teams of all time. Astralis has all the makings of a legendary team: crazy dominance on a niche map pick, incredible clutches, and a star player that’s among the best in the world. One thing that makes them unique, however, is that they have a perfect team composition. Their roles are well defined, and they are all some of the best in the world at what they do.
Gla1ve
Gla1ve is the perfect IGL, not just for Astralis, but for modern CS:GO. Astralis plays a relatively loose system, but they execute it with ruthless precision. There’s an argument that Zonic does a lot of the traditional IGL type duties for the team, but that’s neither here nor there. That’s the era he plays in and shouldn’t count against his legacy. Furthermore, it’s still incredibly difficult to lead a team with this level of consistency.
Not only is Gla1ve an excellent IGL, but he can frag with the best of them. He has a 1.15 K/D over 129 matches on LAN, which is very important for a modern IGL. Opposing teams can single out IGL’s that don’t frag and abuse them on CT side. Gla1ve makes sure that doesn’t happen and manages to win a fair number of clutches as well.
He’s an excellent IGL and a solid fragger with some of the best nade usage in the game. Astralis is renowned for their excellent nade usage in general, but Gla1ve especially is one of the best at flash assists and using his utility to enable his teammates.
Dev1ce
An obvious all-star, dev1ce has been a perpetual top five player for years now. He is a major part of what makes the team work, and his AWPing enables his teammates to do what they do best. His gravity on the server is undeniable, and he’s really the centerpiece of this team.
He is the perfect kind of superstar, in that he stays humble and plays within the team. He doesn’t stat pad; he doesn’t chase kills. He may be an all-time great player, but he recognizes that he is still a piece in a machine and plays his part to perfection.
There aren’t many players I would take over him, mostly because he is such a great teammate and facilitates so well for his team.
Xyp9x
Every all-time great team has a closer, and Xyp9x is one of the best. He wins clutch after clutch after clutch and is an absolutely indispensable part of this team. He gives his teammates the confidence to make plays, knowing that he’s behind them to clean up whatever mess they leave behind.
He could be a Coldzera-like star on a different team, but he chooses to stay and play his part on Astralis. Xyp9x has plenty of highlight clips for sure, but his real value lies in his reliability and dedication to the team.
Dupreeh
Dupreeh is an ideal complement to dev1ce, as he can play the raw entry, make space, and still make plays in the late game when necessary. Obviously, a player like that would be a great fit next to pretty much anyone, but still.
He’s also turned into a top-tier secondary AWPer, which opens up a lot of setups and options to Astralis. This can enable dev1ce on rounds where he wants to rifle or play a good spawn and creates an environment of flexibility for the rest of the team to thrive.
He is probably the second most versatile player on the team, after Xyp9x. Xyp9x is obviously not quite as good with the AWP, but he can affect the game in slightly more ways than dupreeh can. A transcendent number one needs a dependable number two, and that’s what dupreeh is to this team.
He would likely get a lot more shine if the team weren’t absolutely stacked with fraggers, especially when you have a player like Xyp9x, who is an absolute highlight machine. Still, dupreeh is an essential component of the team, and it would be impossible for Astralis to function as they do without him.
Magisk
Magisk finally found the place he belongs with Astralis. When he was on North, he tried to be the alpha dog, first option, hard carry and it just didn’t work all that well. Whether that’s on him not playing well enough, or not gelling well enough with MSL’s system, or not being given enough resources from his teammates, we will likely never know.
He’s really come alive on Astralis since his addition to the team and is making it pretty obvious why he’s been one of the most heralded Danish players in a while. Playing on this team has allowed him to pick his spots and frag, showing off his pristine aim.
Magisk is probably the best pistol player on the team, and he can provide the extra kick Astralis needs to push over a tough opponent or to turn around or step up when dev1ce or dupreeh aren’t performing. When someone of Magisk’s skill level is your third (fourth?) best player, you’re in really good shape.
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