A big thank you to Fabrice Brisbois who pointed out that I should not have been triggering two action slots from the front side of the card for the AI on its turn. The FAQ says that "The Automa, like a normal player, performs always two ACTIONS per turn (only one in the very first game's turn). In order to decide which ACTIONS the Automa takes, you should draw a card and apply the first ACTION SLOT which implies valid ACTIONS. Most of the time the ACTION SLOTS of the front side of the cards imply the execution of one ACTION, but certain ACTION SLOTS can drive two ACTIONS. After you have applied the ACTION SLOT on the front side, if the Automa has already performed two ACTIONS, its turn ends immediately, while if it has performed only one ACTION, you should apply the first valid ACTION SLOT among the ones depicted on the back of the card on top of the deck." Thankfully this didn't throw off every single AI turn, but I did make this mistake at 4:08, 5:39, 10:03, 14:44, 16:29, 25:48, 31:21, 34:34, and 44:31 (where I skipped the AI's second turn). Sorry for the mistake-I'm almost sure I was playing that correctly during my practice playthroughs but somehow I got it wrong here! p.s. One other mistake! At 29:00 I shouldn't have built that link there as it's not part of the AI's network. (Thanks for catching that one, BoardGameGreeks!)
I love this game! Thanks for showing this - didn't know you could solo this game. So many times I setup a game for solo and don't really finish a full game hehe. Lonely...;)
I love Brass: Birmingham, too! It’s one of my all-time favorites! 🚂 It’s a lot to learn the solo AI but I think it’s worth it! (I couldn’t set up a game and not finish it… I think that’s a phobia of mine!) 😬
@@BoardGameDave I’m sure that’s very much a part of what makes you successful. I often am searching for that “focus” and “determination”…I guess? Today we’re learning Concordia (also due to your review hehe)
@@HuntressMedia I don’t think it’s focus and determination… it would just give me FOMO to quit a game in the middle of it! (And I only start a solo game if I’m really in the mood for it!) Concordia is absolutely phenomenal! Feel free to ask me any questions that might come up! 🏛
@@BoardGameDave played our first game!!! (Concordia). 2 player, Only a little “AP delay” and great game end tension..wow! You really don’t know who’s winning till the very end…neat! Thought I had it since I had several cloth cities, the cloth personality card came up and my wife grabbed it! Secured my defeat haha
@@HuntressMedia Thank you for reporting back! Concordia can definitely lend itself to AP but it sounds like you enjoyed it nonetheless! Going for cloth cities was a good move but I'm sorry you couldn't get that cloth Minerva card! If you're interested in playing Concordia solo at all, I've reviewed the Solitaria expansion on my channel! It's amazing! 🏛
Lovely playtru Dave. Brass is probably the most popular game that I hate with burning passion. :D But it was very entertaining to watch. Again, big love for the series. You should do a Solo Play Sunday with "On Mars" by Vital Lacerda btw. I think you will love that game. Anyway, have a lovely week :)
Thank you so much, Terry! But wait... you hate Brass? With a burning passion? What don't you like about it? 😰 (I totally get it, though-it's certainly not for everyone!) I'd love to play "On Mars" sometime but I think I'd feel best if someone taught me first! I have yet to play a Lacerda game... I'm a little intimidated! (Have a great week yourself!) ☀️
@@BoardGameDave On Mars is great with a great theme implementation, but it can be quite intimidating, as it has a lot of systems going on! You'll need a few plays in order for it all to 'click' in your head and the possible strategies start to emerge. And, unfortunately, the more streamlined and (arguably) best solo mode for it came in the Alien Invasion expansion. I'd recommend Kanban EV, instead, as your first Lacerda game. It's such a great solo and multiplayer game overall. If you break each section apart as a mini-game while learning it, it's not difficult to understand the whole picture in your first play-through. I own both and I'd gladly play any of them if asked. But for solo, Kanban EV will always make my heart skip a beat ^_^ Great job with this video, and good luck with the channel!
@@nederui Thank you for your detailed comment! And I have heard that the solo mode is much improved with the expansion! Kanban EV is definitely one I'm interested in as well so I'd be okay starting with that one! ☺ I'll have to take a closer look at the one; maybe I'll end up buying it this year sometime!
Just got this game, and I'm loving it. I didn't know it could be played solo, thanks for doing this video. I don't mean to be rude, but it's so funny watching Americans trying to pronounce English place names. Just so you know, Worcester is pronounced Wuster, Gloucester is pronounced Gloster, and we miss out the letter "h" in "Birmingam". I have no idea why we don't use these letters, we just don't. 😊
Brass: Birmingham (sorry, *Birmingam) 😉 is such an amazing game! I recently ranked it as my #4 favorite game of all time! Really happy to hear that you're enjoying the game so much! It is solo-able but the Mautoma solo variant is a bit of a beast to wrap one's head around... at least for me! 😅 And I totally get it-I've heard English people review the game so I know I'm not pronouncing the cities at all correctly! Maybe if I try my Peaky Blinders impression it'll sound more accurate? 🤣
That's a really good question! Honestly, it's been so long since I've played this solo variant that I'm not sure about the answer for you but I think it might be because the human player can't typically build in either of the farm breweries without establishing a network adjacent to it, even with a wild card. Maybe the AI is also similarly limited? You might have to check the rulebook for more clarification! Sorry!
این یک سوال عالی است! این یک نوع انفرادی است که توسط شرکتی به نام "Mautoma" ساخته شده است، بنابراین از نظر فنی بازی در اصل برای اجرای انفرادی طراحی نشده است. امیدوارم که کمک کند!
At 29:00 I don't think that it should build the link there. The outer market is not part of its network. Also.. it's a very good video. I really enjoyed it
Hey there! Thank you for your comment and for your keen eye-I believe you're right! I was misinterpreting this part of the rules: "A Link tile in parentheses means that Automa can place a Link tile before building, in order to reach a coal source." I was forgetting that the Automa (like the human player) has to build links adjacent to its network! I'm glad you enjoyed the video although I did make many mistakes in this playthrough! (See the pinned comment.) 😰 I'll add this mistake to that comment as well! Thanks again!
That's a great question! Ideally yes... but it would require me to brush up on (or re-learn) the Mautoma solo variant and that does feel like it would be quite a time commitment, not to mention filming and editing another playthrough! I'll definitely keep considering it but if I do end up doing that it won't be for a while yet! 🚂
Hey there! The game is absolutely phenomenal and is easily one of my favorite games of all time! That being said, as good as this solo variant is (and I've played it solo four times), it really shines with other people for sure. I played at 4P a few weeks ago and was reminded how brilliant it is with other players! I probably would recommend a similar economic game with an official solo mode instead! (Tinner's Trail is also by Martin Wallace and has a solo mode!) 🚂
You don't play the Automa correctly. In general, you do one slot from the front side and one slot from the back side, never two slots from the front side. Find the topmost action slot in which there is a legal action for Automa to take. The Automa does this. If the Automa has taken two actions, its turn now ends. If only one, look at the back of the next card. The Automa takes the topmost legal action.
Fabrice, you are absolutely correct! 😰 And the worst part is, I'm almost sure I was playing it correctly in my practice sessions and then I totally misread the directions/cards for this playthrough! I'll go back and watch the video and write down the specific time stamps for when I executed the AI turns incorrectly and then pin a comment with that info so people know that those turns aren't played the right way. I try to be so careful not to make rules mistakes in my playthroughs but it's starting to feel like it's inevitable for me to goof up the rules! Thank you for your keen eye and for leaving a comment pointing that out-I really appreciate that!
It is undoubtedly a very intimidating game! Learning the regular rules is one thing but trying to figure out the solo AI on my own was a challenge for sure! As for recommending it for solo only, here's what I said to another commenter: "The game is absolutely phenomenal and is easily one of my favorite games of all time! That being said, as good as this solo variant is (and I've played it solo four times), it really shines with other people for sure. I played at 4P a few weeks ago and was reminded how brilliant it is with other players! I probably would recommend a similar economic game with an official solo mode instead! (Tinner's Trail is also by Martin Wallace and has a solo mode!) 🚂" Thank you for your comment! 😊
Haha, yeah? I’ve done more developing in multiplayer games but it didn’t seem necessary in this game! 😅 I’m no Brass expert, though… maybe I should be developing a lot more?
We English love hearing our towns mispronounced, so please don't take this as criticism, but you might like to know that 'Gloucester' is pronounced 'Gloster' and 'Worcester' is pronounced 'Wuhster'... if you ever have to pronounce 'Leicester', it's 'Lester' btw 😂 x
Haha, thank you so much for the corrections! I filmed this before I got into premier league soccer (Go Reds!) but now at least I know how to pronounce “Leicester”! But a lot of those towns are definitely not pronounced phonetically or intuitively! 🤣 “Wuhster”? How?!
May I suggest not using music in your videos? It's very distracting for me. Not sure I can finish the video with that repetitive music going on. I understand why some video channels use it but I would rather hear subtle background sounds than bad earworm music.
Thank you for your comment-I really appreciate the feedback! The background music is always a tricky tightrope because some people really like the music and some people don't! For this video I wanted to use some music from Peaky Blinders because I felt like it matched the setting/theme perfectly but I may have had it a little too loud in the mix. Lately I've been using less music in my longer videos so I'll definitely take your advice for my next playthrough! Thanks again! ☺️
A big thank you to Fabrice Brisbois who pointed out that I should not have been triggering two action slots from the front side of the card for the AI on its turn. The FAQ says that "The Automa, like a normal player, performs always two ACTIONS per turn (only one in the very first game's turn). In order to decide which ACTIONS the Automa takes, you should draw a card and apply the first ACTION SLOT which implies valid ACTIONS. Most of the time the ACTION SLOTS of the front side of the cards imply the execution of one ACTION, but certain ACTION SLOTS can drive two ACTIONS. After you have applied the ACTION SLOT on the front side, if the Automa has already performed two ACTIONS, its turn ends immediately, while if it has performed only one ACTION, you should apply the first valid ACTION SLOT among the ones depicted on the back of the card on top of the deck." Thankfully this didn't throw off every single AI turn, but I did make this mistake at 4:08, 5:39, 10:03, 14:44, 16:29, 25:48, 31:21, 34:34, and 44:31 (where I skipped the AI's second turn). Sorry for the mistake-I'm almost sure I was playing that correctly during my practice playthroughs but somehow I got it wrong here!
p.s. One other mistake! At 29:00 I shouldn't have built that link there as it's not part of the AI's network. (Thanks for catching that one, BoardGameGreeks!)
Thanks so much for this awesome video my friend!
Thank you so much for checking out the playthrough and for your comment! ☺️
I love this game! Thanks for showing this - didn't know you could solo this game. So many times I setup a game for solo and don't really finish a full game hehe. Lonely...;)
I love Brass: Birmingham, too! It’s one of my all-time favorites! 🚂 It’s a lot to learn the solo AI but I think it’s worth it! (I couldn’t set up a game and not finish it… I think that’s a phobia of mine!) 😬
@@BoardGameDave I’m sure that’s very much a part of what makes you successful. I often am searching for that “focus” and “determination”…I guess? Today we’re learning Concordia (also due to your review hehe)
@@HuntressMedia I don’t think it’s focus and determination… it would just give me FOMO to quit a game in the middle of it! (And I only start a solo game if I’m really in the mood for it!) Concordia is absolutely phenomenal! Feel free to ask me any questions that might come up! 🏛
@@BoardGameDave played our first game!!! (Concordia). 2 player, Only a little “AP delay” and great game end tension..wow! You really don’t know who’s winning till the very end…neat! Thought I had it since I had several cloth cities, the cloth personality card came up and my wife grabbed it! Secured my defeat haha
@@HuntressMedia Thank you for reporting back! Concordia can definitely lend itself to AP but it sounds like you enjoyed it nonetheless! Going for cloth cities was a good move but I'm sorry you couldn't get that cloth Minerva card! If you're interested in playing Concordia solo at all, I've reviewed the Solitaria expansion on my channel! It's amazing! 🏛
Lovely playtru Dave. Brass is probably the most popular game that I hate with burning passion. :D But it was very entertaining to watch. Again, big love for the series. You should do a Solo Play Sunday with "On Mars" by Vital Lacerda btw. I think you will love that game.
Anyway, have a lovely week :)
Thank you so much, Terry! But wait... you hate Brass? With a burning passion? What don't you like about it? 😰 (I totally get it, though-it's certainly not for everyone!) I'd love to play "On Mars" sometime but I think I'd feel best if someone taught me first! I have yet to play a Lacerda game... I'm a little intimidated! (Have a great week yourself!) ☀️
@@BoardGameDave On Mars is great with a great theme implementation, but it can be quite intimidating, as it has a lot of systems going on! You'll need a few plays in order for it all to 'click' in your head and the possible strategies start to emerge. And, unfortunately, the more streamlined and (arguably) best solo mode for it came in the Alien Invasion expansion.
I'd recommend Kanban EV, instead, as your first Lacerda game. It's such a great solo and multiplayer game overall. If you break each section apart as a mini-game while learning it, it's not difficult to understand the whole picture in your first play-through.
I own both and I'd gladly play any of them if asked. But for solo, Kanban EV will always make my heart skip a beat ^_^
Great job with this video, and good luck with the channel!
@@nederui Thank you for your detailed comment! And I have heard that the solo mode is much improved with the expansion! Kanban EV is definitely one I'm interested in as well so I'd be okay starting with that one! ☺ I'll have to take a closer look at the one; maybe I'll end up buying it this year sometime!
Just got this game, and I'm loving it. I didn't know it could be played solo, thanks for doing this video. I don't mean to be rude, but it's so funny watching Americans trying to pronounce English place names. Just so you know, Worcester is pronounced Wuster, Gloucester is pronounced Gloster, and we miss out the letter "h" in "Birmingam". I have no idea why we don't use these letters, we just don't. 😊
Brass: Birmingham (sorry, *Birmingam) 😉 is such an amazing game! I recently ranked it as my #4 favorite game of all time! Really happy to hear that you're enjoying the game so much! It is solo-able but the Mautoma solo variant is a bit of a beast to wrap one's head around... at least for me! 😅 And I totally get it-I've heard English people review the game so I know I'm not pronouncing the cities at all correctly! Maybe if I try my Peaky Blinders impression it'll sound more accurate? 🤣
@BoardGameDave Yes , it does look a bit intimidating, but I'm definitely going to give it a go.
@@Cymrusaint Good luck! And don't make the same mistake I did-I pinned a comment correcting a mistake I made throughout the playthrough! 😬
5:31 why must by S/N brewery connect to a network to alow automa place brewery there ?
That's a really good question! Honestly, it's been so long since I've played this solo variant that I'm not sure about the answer for you but I think it might be because the human player can't typically build in either of the farm breweries without establishing a network adjacent to it, even with a wild card. Maybe the AI is also similarly limited? You might have to check the rulebook for more clarification! Sorry!
Thx !:)
سلام ،چرا این نسخه ای که من تهیه کردم رو جلدش زده ۲ تا ۵ نفر؟یعنی نمیشه یک نفره بازی کرد؟
این یک سوال عالی است! این یک نوع انفرادی است که توسط شرکتی به نام "Mautoma" ساخته شده است، بنابراین از نظر فنی بازی در اصل برای اجرای انفرادی طراحی نشده است. امیدوارم که کمک کند!
@BoardGameDave ممنونم
شما خوش آمدید!
At 29:00 I don't think that it should build the link there. The outer market is not part of its network. Also.. it's a very good video. I really enjoyed it
Hey there! Thank you for your comment and for your keen eye-I believe you're right! I was misinterpreting this part of the rules: "A Link tile in parentheses means that Automa can place a Link tile before building, in order to reach a coal source." I was forgetting that the Automa (like the human player) has to build links adjacent to its network! I'm glad you enjoyed the video although I did make many mistakes in this playthrough! (See the pinned comment.) 😰 I'll add this mistake to that comment as well! Thanks again!
Any chance of a corrected gameplay?
That's a great question! Ideally yes... but it would require me to brush up on (or re-learn) the Mautoma solo variant and that does feel like it would be quite a time commitment, not to mention filming and editing another playthrough! I'll definitely keep considering it but if I do end up doing that it won't be for a while yet! 🚂
Links not working. Did they move?
Oh, good catch! Not sure why that link stopped working, but give this one a try! 🚂 www.mautoma.com/brass-birmingham
Hello the money you use where im can buy?
Those are the Iron Clays for this game which you can buy at Roxley's website here! roxley.com/products/iron-clays-100
@@BoardGameDave muchas gracias
@@jorgemorales-hu2xy Por supuesto! ☺
Hi, great video ! Would you recommend this game for solo only ?
Hey there! The game is absolutely phenomenal and is easily one of my favorite games of all time! That being said, as good as this solo variant is (and I've played it solo four times), it really shines with other people for sure. I played at 4P a few weeks ago and was reminded how brilliant it is with other players! I probably would recommend a similar economic game with an official solo mode instead! (Tinner's Trail is also by Martin Wallace and has a solo mode!) 🚂
You don't play the Automa correctly. In general, you do one slot from the front side and one slot from the back side, never two slots from the front side.
Find the topmost action slot in which there is a legal action for Automa to take. The Automa does this.
If the Automa has taken two actions, its turn now ends. If only one, look at the back of the next card. The Automa takes the topmost legal action.
You're right!
Fabrice, you are absolutely correct! 😰 And the worst part is, I'm almost sure I was playing it correctly in my practice sessions and then I totally misread the directions/cards for this playthrough! I'll go back and watch the video and write down the specific time stamps for when I executed the AI turns incorrectly and then pin a comment with that info so people know that those turns aren't played the right way. I try to be so careful not to make rules mistakes in my playthroughs but it's starting to feel like it's inevitable for me to goof up the rules! Thank you for your keen eye and for leaving a comment pointing that out-I really appreciate that!
This looks so very intimidating to me... I can't get myself to even try it 🥴
Would you recommend it? Solo only?
It is undoubtedly a very intimidating game! Learning the regular rules is one thing but trying to figure out the solo AI on my own was a challenge for sure! As for recommending it for solo only, here's what I said to another commenter: "The game is absolutely phenomenal and is easily one of my favorite games of all time! That being said, as good as this solo variant is (and I've played it solo four times), it really shines with other people for sure. I played at 4P a few weeks ago and was reminded how brilliant it is with other players! I probably would recommend a similar economic game with an official solo mode instead! (Tinner's Trail is also by Martin Wallace and has a solo mode!) 🚂" Thank you for your comment! 😊
ngl, the lack of developing done was a bit maddening. :D
Haha, yeah? I’ve done more developing in multiplayer games but it didn’t seem necessary in this game! 😅 I’m no Brass expert, though… maybe I should be developing a lot more?
We English love hearing our towns mispronounced, so please don't take this as criticism, but you might like to know that 'Gloucester' is pronounced 'Gloster' and 'Worcester' is pronounced 'Wuhster'... if you ever have to pronounce 'Leicester', it's 'Lester' btw 😂 x
Haha, thank you so much for the corrections! I filmed this before I got into premier league soccer (Go Reds!) but now at least I know how to pronounce “Leicester”! But a lot of those towns are definitely not pronounced phonetically or intuitively! 🤣 “Wuhster”? How?!
May I suggest not using music in your videos? It's very distracting for me. Not sure I can finish the video with that repetitive music going on. I understand why some video channels use it but I would rather hear subtle background sounds than bad earworm music.
Thank you for your comment-I really appreciate the feedback! The background music is always a tricky tightrope because some people really like the music and some people don't! For this video I wanted to use some music from Peaky Blinders because I felt like it matched the setting/theme perfectly but I may have had it a little too loud in the mix. Lately I've been using less music in my longer videos so I'll definitely take your advice for my next playthrough! Thanks again! ☺️