Brass: Birmingham · Board game rules
How do connections work in the game?
Quick answer
Two locations are "connected" if you can trace a path of your Link tiles between them; a location is part of your network if it has your Industry or Link tiles, or is adjacent to them. [p.5 — Your Network]
Details
Your network consists of locations that meet at least one of these conditions: the location contains one of your Industry tiles, or the location is adjacent to one of your Link tiles. [p.5 — Your Network]
Two locations are considered "connected" to each other when you can trace a continuous path of Link tiles (belonging to any player) from one location to the other. [p.5 — Connected Locations] This matters for specific game mechanics: for example, you must be connected to a Merchant to sell Cotton Mills, Manufacturers, or Potteries, and you must be connected to a coal source to consume coal from it (though not to purchase coal from the Market). [p.7 — Things to Remember]
Watch out: Being connected to a location is different from having that location be part of your network. You can trace a connection through opponents' Link tiles, but only locations with your own tiles or adjacent to your own tiles count as part of your network for building purposes. [p.5 — Your Network]