
Gameplay: In Brass: Birmingham players incarnate wealthy industrialists. Thus, I cannot meaningfully compare the present game to its forefather.
#BRASS BIRMINGHAM RELEASE DATE FULL#
In the interest of full disclosure, I have never played Brass: Lancashire.
#BRASS BIRMINGHAM RELEASE DATE FREE#
In addition to the 12-page rulebook that can also be downloaded from the publisher's website free of charge, the game contains the following: one board, 4 Player mats, 4 Character tiles, 4 Income markers, 4 Victory Point markers, 56 Link tiles (14 per colour), 180 Industry tiles (45 per colour), 64 Location and Industry cards, 8 Wild cards, 77 Money tokens, 30 Coal cubes, 18 Iron cubes, 15 Beer Barrels, and 9 Merchant tiles. Thus, it is not that surprising that it has climbed all the way to BGG's top-5 games of all time in only two years after its release. The game has been nominated for quite a few prizes and has even won the Best Strategy Golden Geek in 2018. What you get: Your EUR 65 or equivalent will buy you Brass: Birmingham, a hand management and network building euro that hosts from 2 to 4 players and lasts a maximum of two hours. In this follow up to the original masterpiece, Brass: Lancashire, you will expand your empire by establishing canals and rails, and building and developing various industries, including Cotton Mills, Coal Mines, Iron Works, Manufacturers, Potteries, and Breweries.' If it had gotten a few minor details right, it would have reached perfection.īlurb from the publisher: 'Brass: Birmingham tells the story of competing entrepreneurs in Birgmingham and the surrounding area during England's Industrial Revolution, between the years 1770-1870. Many of the tried and true strategies of the original are no longer as powerful as they once were, and other interesting new strategies are waiting for you to discover.Review Summary: A dedicated economic game with more innovative mechanics than I can count. It offers a very different story arc and experience from its predecessor. 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.īrass: Birmingham is a finely brewed sequel to one of history's most industrial economic games. Pottery - These behemoths of Birmingham offer huge VPs, but at a huge cost and need to plan. 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. Manufactured goods - Function like cotton, but features eight levels. As an incentive to sell early, the first player to sell to a trader receives free beer.īirmingham features three all-new industry types:īrewery - Produces precious beer barrels required to sell goods.

For example, a level 1 cotton mill requires one beer to flip. To sell cotton, pottery, or manufactured goods to these traders, you must also "grease the wheels of industry" by consuming beer. Each of these traders is looking for a specific type of good each game.

You must now sell your product through traders located around the edges of the board. Iron, coal, and cotton are three industries which appear in both the original Brass as well as in Brass: Birmingham.īrewing has become a fundamental part of the culture in Birmingham.

This provides players with the opportunity to score much higher value canals in the first era, and creates interesting strategy with industry placement. 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. VPs are counted at the end of each half for the canals, rails and established (flipped) industry tiles.īirmingham features dynamic scoring canals/rails. The game is played over two halves: the canal era (years 1770-1830) and the rail era (years 1830-1870). (This action replaces Double Action Build in original Brass.) Birmingham tells the story of competing entrepreneurs in Birmingham during the industrial revolution, between the years of 1770-1870.Īs in its predecessor, you must develop, build, and establish your industries and network, in an effort to exploit low or high market demands.Įach 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):ġ) Build - Pay required resources and place an industry tile.Ģ) Network - Add a rail / canal link, expanding your network.ģ) Develop - Increase the VP value of an industry.Ĥ) Sell - Sell your cotton, manufactured goods and pottery.ĥ) Loan - Take a £30 loan and reduce your income.īrass: Birmingham also features a new sixth action:Ħ) Scout - Discard three cards and take a wild location and wild industry card.

Brass: Birmingham is an economic strategy game sequel to Martin Wallace' 2007 masterpiece, Brass.
