How to Play Brass: Lancashire: Industries, Networks, Markets & Eras
Brass: Lancashire uses the same broad two-era economic structure as Birmingham but its industries and selling system differ. Cotton Mills sell through Ports or the Distant Market; Shipyards provide another major scoring route; there is no Birmingham beer economy.
Researched rules guide. Checked September 20, 2026 against Roxley’s current Lancashire rulebook resources.
Perform actions by discarding cards
Actions include Build, Network, Develop, Sell Cotton, Loan and Scout. Discard one card per action and pay the action’s costs. Card and network requirements determine where you may build.
Build industries and transport links
Build Coal Mines, Iron Works, Cotton Mills, Ports and Shipyards from your player mat, generally using the lowest available legal tile. Canals form the first-era network and rails the second-era network.
Coal needs connectivity; iron is more flexible
Coal consumption normally follows network access to a Coal Mine or external market. Iron can be consumed without that same connection requirement. When the last resource is taken from a Coal Mine or Iron Works, flip that industry and apply its income effect.
Sell Cotton through Ports or the Distant Market
Cotton Mills must connect to an eligible Port or use the Distant Market procedure. Selling flips the Cotton Mill and can also flip a Port. Distant Market demand can fall, so the sale can become less attractive or unavailable depending on the market state.
Develop removes obsolete technology
The Develop action consumes iron to remove low-level industry tiles from your player mat. This can be essential because higher-level industries survive into or function better in the Rail Era, while early technology can become a bottleneck.
Loans trade future income for immediate cash
Taking a Loan gives money immediately but moves the income marker backward. Because cash itself is mainly fuel for future actions, judge the loan by what the borrowed money enables before the game ends.
Score links and flipped industries at each era end
At the end of the Canal Era, score links and flipped industries, then perform the Canal-to-Rail cleanup in the rulebook. Repeat era scoring after the Rail Era. Highest total VP wins, with the rulebook’s income/money tiebreak procedure.
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Sources and scope
Checked September 20, 2026. This covers the current Roxley edition.