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Rulora

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20 Questions Answered

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Answered Questions

Answers are grounded in the game's rulebooks and written to clarify how the rules work during play.

Mode: inferred

If a player has a negative income level at the end of the final round of the game, do they pay the negative income before final scoring, or is income not collected at all at game end?

Income is not collected at the end of the final round of the game. This is stated explicitly:

  • "Exception: Income is not collected at the end of the final round of the game."
    (page 6)

Therefore, if a player has a negative income level at the end of the final round, they do not pay the negative income before final scoring.

Source: page 6

Source: Core Rulebook (pp. 11, 12, 5, 6)

Mode: inferred

When building in a location that has multiple undeveloped industry spaces, are you required to prioritize single-industry spaces before dual-industry spaces, and does this rule apply to overbuilding as well?

Building on Undeveloped Spaces

When performing the Build action in a location with multiple undeveloped industry spaces, you must follow these rules (from page 9):

  • "If possible, place it on a space displaying only that industry’s icon."
  • "Otherwise, place it on a space displaying that industry’s icon with another industry’s icon."
  • "If no undeveloped spaces display your industry’s icon, you may not place it in that location. Exception: (see 'Overbuilding')"

This means:

  • You are required to prioritize single-industry spaces (spaces displaying only your industry’s icon) before using dual-industry spaces (spaces displaying your industry’s icon and another industry’s icon).

Overbuilding

The rules for Overbuilding (from page 10) do not mention any requirement to prioritize single-industry spaces over dual-industry spaces. Overbuilding is described as:

  • "Sometimes you are allowed to replace an already placed Industry tile with a higher-level tile of the same industry type (you must still pay the necessary build costs)."
  • There are specific rules for overbuilding your own tiles and opponents' tiles, but no mention of prioritizing single-industry spaces.

Summary

  • When building on undeveloped spaces, you must prioritize single-industry spaces before dual-industry spaces.
  • This prioritization rule does not apply to overbuilding.

Source: page 9 (Build action rules), page 10 (Overbuilding rules).

Source: Core Rulebook (pp. 10, 12, 8, 9)

Mode: inferred

If you receive a Merchant beer bonus with a Develop effect and choose to remove a tile that would normally require iron, do you need to pay the iron cost?

No, you do not need to pay the iron cost when removing a tile using the Merchant beer bonus with a Develop effect.

This is supported by the following rule:

  • Under Merchant Beer Bonuses (page 10), it states:

    "Develop (Gloucester): Remove 1 of the lowest level tiles of any industry from your Player Mat (for no iron cost). Exception: You cannot remove a Pottery tile showing a [lightbulb] icon (see 'Potteries and the Lightbulb Icon')."

This means that when you use the Develop bonus from a Merchant beer, you specifically do not pay the iron cost that would normally be required for the Develop action.

Source: page 10, Merchant Beer Bonuses section.

Source: Core Rulebook (pp. 10, 11, 12, 8)

Mode: inferred

When a Coal Mine is built and some but not all coal cubes are moved to the Market, can the remaining cubes be moved in a later turn, or is this only done immediately upon building?

The remaining coal cubes cannot be moved to the Market in a later turn. Coal and iron cubes may only be sold to their Markets during the action when their Industry tile is built. They are never sold to their Markets in later turns.

This is stated on page 9:

"Note: Coal and iron cubes may only be sold to their Markets during the action when their Industry tile is built. They are never sold to their Markets in later turns."

Therefore, any coal cubes left on the Coal Mine after the build action remain there until consumed by players building other tiles that require coal.

Source: page 9.

Source: Core Rulebook (pp. 10, 6, 8, 9)

Mode: inferred

If you acquire a Wild card using the Scout action, can you use that same Wild card to perform a Build action in the same turn, or must you wait until your next turn?

I don't know based on the rulebook.

The provided rulebook context explains how the Scout action allows you to acquire Wild cards (see page 11), and how the Build action requires discarding an appropriate card, including Wild cards (see page 9). However, the context does not specify whether cards gained from the Scout action are immediately added to your hand and available for use in the same turn, or if they are only available on a subsequent turn.

To answer this question definitively, the rulebook would need to clarify:

  • When Wild cards gained from the Scout action are added to your hand.
  • Whether you can use cards gained during an action for your second action in the same turn.

Without this information, the rulebook context is insufficient to answer your question.

Source: Core Rulebook (pp. 10, 11, 6, 9)

Mode: inferred

During the Rail Era, if there is no beer available from any source, can you still build two rail links in a single Network action if you pay the money, or is the action limited to one link?

You cannot build two rail links in a single Network action during the Rail Era if there is not enough beer available to pay the required cost for both links.

Explanation

  • On page 12, it states:
    "If you performed the Network action to build rail Link A, it would be possible to build a second rail Link B in the same Network action (as long as you could pay the required cost, and consume the necessary coal and beer)."

  • This means that each rail link built during the Rail Era requires you to pay the cost and consume the necessary coal and beer. If you do not have access to enough beer for both links, you cannot build both in a single action.

  • There is no rule in the provided context that allows you to ignore the beer requirement if it cannot be met.

Source: page 12

Summary:
You may only build as many rail links in a single Network action as you can pay for and for which you can consume the required coal and beer. If there is not enough beer available, you are limited to building only as many links as you can pay the full cost for, including beer.

Source: Core Rulebook (pp. 12, 6, 8, 9)

Mode: inferred

Is it possible to consume beer from an opponent's Brewery that is not connected to the location where beer is required, or does connection always matter for opponent breweries?

You cannot consume beer from an opponent’s Brewery unless it is connected to the location where the beer is required.

This is supported by the following rule:

  • "Beer may be consumed from any of the following sources:
    1. Your unflipped Breweries. These do not need to be connected to the location where the beer is required.
    2. An opponent’s unflipped Brewery. These must be connected to the location where the beer is required."

Source: Page 8, under "Consuming Beer".

Therefore, connection always matters for opponent breweries when consuming beer. Only your own Breweries can provide beer without a connection.

Source: Core Rulebook (pp. 10, 12, 8, 9)

Mode: inferred

When scoring link tiles at the end of an era, do you score VPs for every industry icon in adjacent locations regardless of whether the adjacent tiles are flipped or unflipped?

Yes, when scoring Link tiles at the end of an era, you score 1 VP for each industry icon in adjacent locations, regardless of whether the adjacent tiles are flipped or unflipped.

This is supported by the following rule:

  • "For each of your Link tiles, score 1 VP for each [industry icon] displayed in adjacent locations, by advancing your VP Marker along the Progress Track. Remove Link tiles from the board as they are scored."
    (Page 7)

The rule does not specify that the industry tiles must be flipped; it only refers to the presence of the industry icon in adjacent locations.

Source: page 7.

Source: Core Rulebook (pp. 12, 5, 6, 7, 8)

Mode: inferred

Are you allowed to overbuild your own Industry tiles with any higher-level tile of the same type during both eras, or are there restrictions depending on era or tile level?

You are allowed to overbuild your own Industry tiles with any higher-level tile of the same industry type during both the Canal Era and the Rail Era, without restriction.

This is supported by the following rules:

  • On page 10, under Overbuilding, it states:
    • "If the tile you are replacing is your own: You may Overbuild any Industry tile."
  • There is no mention of era-based restrictions or limitations based on tile level for overbuilding your own tiles.
  • The only restrictions mentioned for overbuilding apply when overbuilding opponents’ tiles (Coal Mines/Iron Works, and only when there are no resource cubes left on any Industry tiles or in the Market).

Source: page 10

Summary: You may overbuild your own Industry tiles with any higher-level tile of the same type at any time, in either era, with no additional restrictions.

Source: Core Rulebook (pp. 10, 12, 8, 9)

Mode: inferred

If a player runs out of money during their turn but needs to pay for an action (not negative income), how is this resolved? Can they remove Industry tiles before the action completes?

I don't know based on the rulebook.

The rulebook context provided (see page 6) only specifies that if a player has a shortfall when paying negative income (during the income phase), they must acquire money by removing one or more of their Industry tiles, each being worth half its cost, rounded down. It explicitly states: "You may not sell Industry tiles for any reason other than paying for a shortfall."

There is no rule in the provided context that allows a player to remove Industry tiles to pay for the cost of an action during their turn. The removal of Industry tiles to cover a money shortfall is only mentioned in the context of negative income, not for paying action costs.

To answer your question definitively, the rulebook would need to specify what happens if a player cannot pay for an action during their turn. As it stands, the context does not address this situation.

Source: page 6

Source: Core Rulebook (pp. 10, 11, 6, 8)

Mode: inferred

When flipping a Coal Mine, Iron Works, or Brewery due to the last resource being removed on an opponent's turn, does the owner of the tile immediately gain the income increase, or is it delayed until their next turn?

The owner of the tile immediately gains the income increase when their Coal Mine, Iron Works, or Brewery is flipped due to the last resource being removed, even if this occurs on an opponent's turn.

This is supported by the following rule:

  • "Whenever one of your Industry tiles is flipped your income is increased. To increase your income, immediately advance your Income Marker along the Progress Track by the number of spaces (not income levels) shown."
    (page 8)

There is no mention of delaying the income increase until the owner's next turn. The rule explicitly states the increase happens immediately upon flipping.

Source: page 8

Source: Core Rulebook (pp. 10, 6, 8, 9)

Mode: inferred

If you use a Location card to build, do you need that location to be part of your network, or can you build there regardless of your current network connections?

You can build in the location named on a Location card even if the location is not a part of your network.

This is stated on page 9:

  • "Location card: May be used to build any Industry tile at the location named on the card, even if the location is not a part of your network."

Source: page 9

This means that when using a Location card for the Build action, network connection is not required for that location.

Source: Core Rulebook (pp. 11, 12, 4, 9)

Mode: inferred

When building an Industry tile that requires coal, if you are not connected to any coal source, is the build action invalid or can you still purchase coal from the Market if connected to a merchant?

If you are not connected to any unflipped Coal Mine, you can still purchase coal from the Coal Market, provided you are connected to a Merchant space with a coal icon (Warrington, Shrewsbury, Nottingham, Gloucester, or Oxford).

This is supported by the following rules:

  • From page 9:
    "If coal is required, the location you are building in must be connected to a source of coal (see 'Consuming Coal' and 'Connected Locations')."
  • From page 8 under "Consuming Coal":
    "If you are not connected to an unflipped Coal Mine, you can purchase coal from the Coal Market, starting at the cheapest price. This requires a connection to a [coal] icon (shown on the Warrington, Shrewsbury, Nottingham, Gloucester, and Oxford Merchants around the edge of the board). If the Coal Market is empty, you can still purchase coal for 8 / ."

Summary

  • If you are not connected to any unflipped Coal Mine, the build action is still valid as long as you are connected to a Merchant space with a coal icon, allowing you to purchase coal from the Coal Market.
  • If you are not connected to any coal source (neither a Coal Mine nor a qualifying Merchant space), you cannot build the Industry tile that requires coal.

Source: page 8 and page 9

Source: Core Rulebook (pp. 10, 8, 9)

Mode: inferred

If you are required to pay negative income and cannot, and must remove Industry tiles, can you choose which tiles to remove or must you remove the lowest-value tiles first?

You may choose which of your Industry tiles to remove when paying for a negative income shortfall. The rulebook states:

"You may remove any of your Industry tiles, but must stop as soon as you have acquired enough money to cover the shortfall. You may not sell Industry tiles for any reason other than paying for a shortfall."
(page 6)

There is no requirement to remove the lowest-value tiles first; the choice is yours.

Source: page 6.

Source: Core Rulebook (pp. 10, 6, 8, 9)

Mode: inferred

When performing the Develop action, if you lack enough iron to pay for all tiles you remove, can you partially complete the action or must you be able to pay for all tiles removed?

You must be able to pay 1 iron for each Industry tile you remove during the Develop action. The rulebook states:

  • "Remove 1 or 2 Industry tiles from your Player Mat, and return them to the box. Each Industry tile is removed separately and does not need to be of the same industry, but must be the lowest level tile of the chosen industry (as it is removed)."
  • "Consume 1 iron for each tile removed (see 'Consuming Iron')."

There is no rule allowing you to remove more tiles than you can pay iron for. Therefore, you may only remove as many tiles as you can pay the iron cost for. If you do not have enough iron to pay for all tiles you wish to remove, you must reduce the number of tiles removed to match the iron you can pay.

Source: page 11, Develop Action section.

Source: Core Rulebook (pp. 10, 11, 6, 8, 9)

Mode: inferred

If you have no Industry or Link tiles on the board, can you build anywhere with any card, or are there additional restrictions for building your first tile or link?

I don't know based on the rulebook. The provided context mentions the heading "Building If You Have No Tiles on the Board" and begins to state, "If you have no Industry or Link tiles on the board, you may also (as an action) discard:" but the explanation is cut off and does not provide the full rule or any additional restrictions or allowances.

To answer this question definitively, the complete rule text under "Building If You Have No Tiles on the Board" would be needed. The current context does not specify whether you can build anywhere with any card or if there are further restrictions for your first build.

Source: Core Rulebook (pp. 12, 8, 9)

Mode: inferred

During the Rail Era, can you split rail links between different areas in a single Network action, or must the two rail links be placed contiguously?

You can split rail links between different areas in a single Network action during the Rail Era; the two rail links do not need to be placed contiguously.

This is supported by the following from page 12:

  • "If you performed the Network action to build rail Link A, it would be possible to build a second rail Link B in the same Network action (as long as you could pay the required cost, and consume the necessary coal and beer)."
  • The yellow shades in the diagram denote valid link placement "as they are all rails adjacent to your network."

This means that, as long as each rail link you place is adjacent to your network (which includes any location with your industry tile or any location adjacent to one of your links), you may place them in different areas, not necessarily contiguously.

Source: page 12.

Source: Core Rulebook (pp. 12, 6, 7, 8, 9)

Mode: inferred

When selling cotton, manufactured goods, or pottery, do all required beer barrels have to come from a single source or can they be taken from multiple sources including your own breweries, opponent breweries, and merchant beer?

When selling cotton, manufactured goods, or pottery, each required beer barrel may be consumed from a different source. The sources can include:

  • Your own unflipped Breweries (these do not need to be connected)
  • An opponent’s unflipped Brewery (these must be connected)
  • The space beside a Merchant tile you are selling to (Merchant beer)

This is explicitly stated on page 8:

When multiple beer barrels are required, each beer may be consumed from a different source.

Therefore, you are not required to take all beer from a single source; you may mix and match from any available sources as described above.

Source: page 8, "Consuming Beer" section.

Source: Core Rulebook (pp. 10, 12, 8, 9)

Mode: inferred

If you overbuild an opponent's Coal Mine or Iron Works, but there are still cubes left in the Market, is overbuilding allowed?

No, overbuilding an opponent's Coal Mine or Iron Works is not allowed if there are still cubes left in the Market of the same type.

This is supported by the following rule:

  • "If the tile you are replacing is owned by an opponent: • You may Overbuild only a Coal Mine or an Iron Works. • There must be no resource cubes on the entire board, including in its Market, of the same type as the Industry tile being replaced."
    (page 10)

Therefore, if there are still coal cubes in the Coal Market or iron cubes in the Iron Market, you cannot overbuild an opponent's Coal Mine or Iron Works.

Source: page 10

Source: Core Rulebook (pp. 10, 12, 8, 9)

Mode: inferred

Can you use a Wild Location card to build in a Farm Brewery, or are there any restrictions on using wild cards for these locations?

You cannot use a Wild Location card to build in a Farm Brewery.

This is specified on page 9:

  • "Wild Location card: May be played as any Location card. This does not include the 2 Farm Breweries (see 'Farm Breweries')."

Additionally, under the "Farm Breweries" section on page 9:

  • "You may only build in these locations using a Brewery Industry card or a Wild Industry card."

Summary

  • Wild Location cards cannot be used to build in Farm Breweries.
  • Only Brewery Industry cards or Wild Industry cards may be used to build in Farm Breweries.

Source: page 9.

Source: Core Rulebook (pp. 10, 11, 4, 9)