Coal, iron and beer have different transport tests in Brass: Birmingham. Before paying a resource cost, identify the piece or action consuming it, then check the source. Your own network and the connected route of links are different ideas; the network and link guide explains that distinction.
At a glance
| Resource | First source to check | Connection? |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | Closest connected Coal Mine with coal, regardless of owner | Yes, from the consuming tile or newly placed rail |
| Iron | Any Iron Works with iron, regardless of owner | No |
| Beer | Your Brewery, another player’s connected Brewery, or qualifying Merchant beer for a Sell action | Depends on source and action |
Coal: closest connected mine first
A rail Link or Industry tile requiring coal must be connected to its source after it is placed. Use the closest connected unflipped Coal Mine with coal, counting links, even if an opponent owns it. If several are equally close, choose one. If no connected mine has coal, you may purchase from the Coal Market only when the consuming location connects to a Merchant location with a Coal Market trade icon. Start with the cheapest available market coal. An unconnected mine cannot be chosen merely because it is yours.
Example: A tile that needs one coal is connected by two links to an opponent’s mine and by three to your own mine. Consume the opponent’s closer coal. If that mine is empty, recheck the remaining connected mines before considering the market.
Iron: no transport link needed
You may take iron from any unflipped Iron Works that has a cube, yours or an opponent’s; it need not be the nearest and needs no connection to the consuming location. If no Iron Works on the board has iron, buy it from the Iron Market, starting at its cheapest available price. The market fallback is based on board supply, not on whether you own a link to the Works.
Example: Your Develop action needs iron and an opponent’s Works across the board has a cube. Use that cube without building a rail or paying the market. You cannot choose market iron while such board iron remains available.
Beer: the source changes the rule
- Your unflipped Brewery: You may use its beer without a connection to the consuming location.
- An opponent’s unflipped Brewery: It must connect to the location where the beer is required by a route of links.
- Merchant beer: The barrel beside the Merchant to which you are selling may be used only as part of that Sell action. It is not a beer source for building two rails.
If a sale needs more than one beer, the barrels may come from different eligible sources. You still need the appropriate connected Merchant for the sale itself. For a two-rail Network action, the beer must come from a Brewery; an opponent’s Brewery must connect to the second rail after it is placed.
Example: Your Cotton Mill has a legal route to its Merchant and requires beer to sell. You can use beer from your Brewery elsewhere on the board. You may instead use an opponent’s Brewery only if it connects to the mill, or the qualifying barrel beside the Merchant you are selling to. That Merchant barrel cannot pay the later two-rail action.
Use the rule at the table
- Check the Industry tile or Network action for the number of resources needed.
- For coal, trace from the consuming location and take the closest legal mine before considering a connected market.
- For iron, look at all Iron Works on the board before buying from the market.
- For beer, identify whether you own the Brewery, need a connection to another player’s Brewery, or are selling to a Merchant with a barrel.
These examples use the original Brass: Birmingham rules. See the complete rules guide for building, selling and round structure.
Publisher source
- Roxley Games: Brass: Birmingham English rulebook, consuming coal, iron and beer
- Roxley Games: game page
Rules checked October 2026. Worked examples are editorial applications of the rulebook’s source tests.