The first time I played Brass Birmingham was with Tim and Brad and Tim was teaching it to us but hadn't played it much himself. I was completely in left field and didn't have a clue what I was doing. It seemed like work instead of play because of the complexity of taking certain actions. I even watched the YouTube video that explained how to play but I still felt lost. The only thing I really understood was that it's good to take loans early. I think it took us about 4.5 to 5 hours to play. I lost to Tim won but Brad and I weren't way behind. Tim focused on selling pottery and was successful at that which made the difference. Plus the fact he got way more points for his network of boats and trains than I did. This game was on my mind days later, and I wanted to give it another try knowing I could do better now that I grasped the rules.
There are cards that allow you to place goods in certain cities. It's one of those games where you have a limited number of turns and you actually get to use other players canals, railways, iron, coal and beer. It took me the whole first game to understand that concept. It's to your benefit to be in or near other players cities and I was playing just the opposite along the lines of Ticket to Ride where it's better to be away from everyone else. The goal is to make the most money which translates to victory points. It's straightforward in that sense because there are only two ways of making money: either sell your goods and resources, or connect boats and trains to cities where goods and resources were sold. There is much to remember in this game which at times can be frustrating. Especially the part where after the first canal era ends (all the cards have been used up), all the boats and level 1 goods/resources are removed from the board and you basically have to start all over for the train era. Plus, to lay track in the second era, the cost goes up! After playing it again, I really liked it and bought it. I liked it so much that I had a tournament among all the different industrialists (player tokens) over several weeks! Doing that also helped me to learn the game better and try different strategies.
After each round when all players have had a turn, we get money based on our income level which goes up when you sell something and down if you take out a loan. The best thing about loans is that you never have to pay them back. It's truly free money to use. You can't sell anything unless there is a line of boats or trains going from the city your goods are in to the market that will buy what you are selling. These markets are placed around the edge of the board randomly each game. The other requirement is that to sell goods (linen, pottery, or manufactured goods) you must also pay a beer (for the workers to enjoy). On the other hand, resources (iron, coal, beer) are either used by yourself or other players, or if there are open spots in the coal and iron markets on the board, these resources are sold to the market. Here's another rule that took me awhile to understand: In order to use player's coal, there must be a line of boats or trains from the coal to the trains you are adding or the city in which you are placing a product. Plus, you must use the closest coal supply--a player's coal or from the coal market. On the other hand, iron is available to be used by all players on their turn without them being connected to it. A player may use their own beer on their turn whether they are connected to it by boats or trains or not. However, to use someone else's beer, the player must be connected to it.
I'd love to hear your thoughts about this game if you have played it. My friend, Nan, says she thinks it's easier than Ark Nova but I disagree.
Watch this short video that explains it in a nutshell and gives you a better idea of how cool it looks:
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