Brass: Birmingham
Brass: Birmingham is an economic strategy game sequel to Martin Wallace' 2007 masterpiece; Brass. Brass: Birmingham tells the story of competing entrepreneurs in Birmingham during the industrial revolution; between the years of 1770-1870.
As in its predecessor; you must develop; build; and establish your industries and network; in an effort to exploit low or high market demands.
Each round; players take turns according to the turn order track; receiving two actions to perform any of the following actions (found in the original game):
1) Build - Pay required resources and place an industry tile.
2) Network - Add a rail / canal link; expanding your network.
3) Develop - Increase the VP value of an industry.
4) Sell - Sell your cotton; manufactured goods and pottery.
5) Loan - Take a £30 loan and reduce your income.
Brass: Birmingham also features a new sixth action:
6) Scout - Discard three cards and take a wild location and wild industry card. (This action replaces Double Action Build in original Brass.)
The game is played over two halves: the canal era (years 1770-1830) and the rail era (years 1830-1870). To win the game; score the most VPs. VPs are counted at the end of each half for the canals; rails and established (flipped) industry tiles.
Birmingham features dynamic scoring canals/rails. Instead of each flipped industry tile giving a static 1 VP to all connected canals and rails; many industries give 0 or even 2 VPs. This provides players with the opportunity to score much higher value canals in the first era; and creates interesting strategy with industry placement.
Iron; coal; and cotton are three industries which appear in both the original Brass as well as in Brass: Birmingham.
New Sell system
Brewing has become a fundamental part of the culture in Birmingham. You must now sell your product through traders located around the edges of the board. Each of these traders is looking for a specific type of good each game. To sell cotton; pottery; or manufactured goods to these traders; you must also grease the wheels of industry by consuming beer. For example; a level 1 cotton mill requires one beer to flip. As an incentive to sell early; the first player to sell to a trader receives free beer.
Birmingham features three all-new industry types:
Brewery - Produces precious beer barrels required to sell goods.
Manufactured goods - Function like cotton; but features eight levels. Each level of manufactured goods provides unique rewards; rather than just escalating in VPs; making it a more versatile (yet potentially more difficult) path vs cotton.
Pottery - These behemoths of Birmingham offer huge VPs; but at a huge cost and need to plan.
Increased Coal and Iron Market size - The price of coal and iron can now go up to £8 per cube; and it's not uncommon.
Brass: Birmingham is a sequel to Brass. It offers a very different story arc and experience from its predecessor.
