Brass: Birmingham Coal and Iron Guide

Quick answer

Coal and iron are tempo resources, but they are not handled the same way. Coal is connection and transport sensitive, while iron is generally much more flexible and does not need to move through your network in the same way. Strong Brass players build or buy resources when they unlock immediate actions, not just because the tile exists.

Coal vs iron

Both resources support industry growth, but they behave differently. Understanding that difference prevents many illegal or inefficient turns.

Coal is strongly tied to connection, transport, and market rules.
Iron is more flexible and is often usable across the map without building a transport path to it.
Resource industries score only if their cubes are consumed.
The market can solve problems when legal, but paying the market is a tempo cost.

Market timing

Coal and iron also differ when they sell to the market. A newly built coal mine can move cubes to the coal market only if it is connected to a merchant space; iron works move cubes to the iron market regardless of connection. In both cases, this market movement happens when the tile is built, not later.

Watch out: Do not count on selling leftover coal or iron to the market on a later turn. If the cube stays on the tile, it must be consumed by future costs.

Resource timing table

Use resource builds when they create immediate or likely demand.

Choice	Best for	Risk	Manual note
Coal build	Network-heavy plans	Medium	Strong if your network or opponents will consume it.
Iron build	Upgrade tempo	Low-medium	Often easier to flip because iron is flexible.
Market buy	Emergency build	Medium-high	Useful but can make an action much more expensive.
Opponent resource	Tempo trade	Medium	Can help both players: you build, they flip.

The resource question

Before building coal or iron, ask who will consume it and when. If the answer is not you, make sure another player likely wants it. A coal tile may also depend on whether the table can legally reach it.

Watch out: A resource tile that never empties gives neither the expected score nor the expected tempo.

Source note

This page is based on the official Roxley product page, the official rulebook structure, and source-aware community context such as BoardGameGeek where relevant, then rewritten as an independent player-facing strategy guide.

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FAQ

Which is easier for beginners, coal or iron?

Iron is usually easier because it is less network-sensitive, but both matter.

Is it bad if opponents use my resources?

Not always. Their use may flip your tile and give you income or points, but it can also help their tempo.

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