Teaching Brass to new players | The Gentleman Board Gamer (2024)

But for all it's beauty it is a tough game to teach.. the cards in particular are hard for people to get their heads wrapped around and the rules about having presence are tough.

Teaching any game can be a challenge. We all know the folks in our groups that are GREAT at teaching and those that are well, not so much.. But I believe that teaching a game is a skill and that you can improve your skill with practice and the right tools. Below are my thoughts and plan (may I say Strategy!) for teaching Brass ot new player. These points originally appeared in a posting on the BGG forums and upon request I have brought them into this documents and uploaded it to the file section of the game.
Without further ado, here is my approach. I recommend doing these in order, each step build upon the previous one:

1. Always present the rules as a "story" or a "theme". It gives context and a reference point. We are not talking a novel here. You want them to understand that you are modeling the spread of industry in England and then importance of resources and transportation. Eric Brosius is a master of this and probably one of the most amazing teachers of board game rules in the world!

2. Explain the Chits and their purpose. I recommend getting one of the many excellent Player Aids that are available here on BGG. Explain how Development works and why it is important. This allows you to connect construction and advancement with Points. It continues the Story of Industrialization.

3. Explain Canals and Railroads. Explain how the game will be played in two Eras and that scoring occurs after each Era. Also cover that some things can only be built in the Canal Phase, some only in the Rail Phase and some can be built in either. Let them know that Level 2 and a better Tech built in the Canal Phase will score in the Railroad Phase as well. Hint hint hint..

4. Explain Resources. Explain how you use what is on the board first, then can pull form the Market (at a cost). Here is one of the Harder bits. Explain how Coal needs a path to it's destination while Iron does not. We have a phase we like to use: "Coal Trolls and Iron Faeries" Coal needs a path while Iron can "fly" to it's destination.

5. Explain Cotton and Ports. This is pretty easy but important. A subtle but important element here is that you can ship cotton to your ports OR someone else's ports. That also means that people can ship to your ports. This is why there is a Port Strategy!

6. Explain the Distant Market. A little more complex but follows neatly based on the Port discussion you have just had.

7. Explain Shipyards. Tell them NOT to focus on this in the early games. It has taken me a lot of plays to figure out the best way to use these tiles in a game and I tell new players to ignore them initially.

8. Explain Loans. They will need them, typically several of them. Explain how to modify the income track and to pay attention to it. Explain when is the last possible time to take a loan.

9. Explain Overbuilding. This is a tough one. Overbuilding others requires a certain set of circ*mstances AND the right cards. Overbuilding yourself is much easier and can be beneficial. It is a good time to examine scenarios like you need to ship cotton but there are no ports and the distant market is exhausted or you want to develop but Iron is expensive!

10. Grab a drink.. You are probably thirsty at this point! ;-) Beer is appropriate, as it a nice Cider! They are thematic! ;-) Also soft drinks and non-alcoholic beverages are good too...

11. Explain Scoring. VP Points on Buildings and scoring Canals and Rails. Easy Peasy. We have a procedure for the scoring rounds where you pull off the Canal / Rail as you count them. We usually have two people counting and then verify the total at the end. It keeps scoring errors to a minimum. Then in the Canal scoring you count up the values of the buildings. In the Rail scoring phase you can remove the buildings after you have scored the Rails and then count them up in front of you.. makes it much easier AND adds an element of excitement as people reveal their final tally. Woot!

12. Now it is time to tackle the Cards. Explain Location Cards first, they are easier. Now explain Industry Cards. Explain "Presence" which is the idea that in order to use an Industry Card to build in a location you need to either have a connection (rail or canal) OR already have a building in that location. Expect stares of confusion. Do an example on the board. There will still be confusion. Smile.. it comforts them. Explain again. expect to explain it many more times through the first game. Move on.

13. Explain the "Super Build". They are likely still confused by the Industry Card explanation but hit 'em with the Super Build anyway. If you are not familiar with the term it is the idea that you can combine both of your actions, discard two cards and build anywhere on the board (regular construction / overbuild rules apply). This is an escape hatch of you have terrible cards or there is a critical move you want to make but do not have the right card for it.

For some this is a Zen like moment and it forces them into Enlightenment. For others (most) it makes their head hurt. Understanding will come later when they get frustrated.

14. START PLAYING! Do not let them leave the table as they may try and escape! Get them building stuff and feeling the awesome excitement of being a Industry Titan in England! We typically coach first time players through their moves for 2-3 turns. You can do that various ways like open hands so they can see the through process or having a non-player coach them. We also sometimes play 2-3 rounds and then re-rack so they get to make some mistakes and not feel like the whole game is going to suffer because of it. How you introduce a new player depends on the group and the other players, but getting them playing and dealing with their questions as they go is the best way to get them to really get a feel for the game and it's complex but tantalizing decision tree.

NOTE: Forget about explaining the Virtual Link. It is so weird and it took me years to truly grock what it was meant to model. It is best explained in the moment and in context.
Good Luck!

Tips:
- Have them focus on getting some income. Typically this is through creating an Iron Foundry and having it fill the demand market or creating a level 1 Port and Cotton Mill and shipping.
- Make sure to walk them through why they can build in an area and why they cannot. Simply yelling "No!" at them is surprisingly unhelpful and does not foster return plays.. ;-)
- Talk through your choices so they can see how you are using cards and why you are choosing to do that.
- Be Patient. They are processing this for the first time. Let them talk you through their thought processes and discuss the pros and cons. Their ideas are likely not "optimal" but that is ok. Let them discover pros and cons on their own.