Use Edges: Common in discussions of games like Go and Edge Templates in Hex, the edges of the board have strategic value.
![creatures of aether decks creatures of aether decks](https://media-dominaria.cursecdn.com/avatars/260/911/398517.full.jpg)
Ideally you would capture the card they just played with Maypul but that is not always possible. Note that this becomes a forced move: you MUST play Maypul immediately in response. If they play on one and capture the head of the chain, you play Maypul in the other and trigger the whole thing. As long as you have at least 2 such spaces on the head of your chain, your opponent cannot stop you. Create a head of a chain with multiple low numbers facing open tiles: each of these can be captured by Maypul. This ALSO means there is a natural evolution of strategy to playing Maypul. Just like in Puyo, if you BLOCK THE HEAD of the chain, they can't play Maypul there and the entire potential gain of that move is lost forever. Take Maypul, she can build long chains like in Puyo Puyo and you can accidentally help in those chains by capturing cards your opponent just played, one after the other. Pay attention to your opponent's Rival: You have to play different depending on what you're up against. Then they cap, you cap, they cap, you cap: now the card is blocked on all sides and back in your possession forever (barring abilities) and you are up 4-2 (+1 point for going first). Say you go first, it's common to place a weak card in a center square. Think of your moves in pairs: If your card gets taken, how do you take it back. I've played some people who were very bad a CoA so far: I think some basic strategy is worth discussing. Moving forward with the various other games under the Aether umbrella I think they will all only really get traction here, instead of across 5 subreddits, but I digress. I am fully aware that there is a sub for the game already.