Brass: Birmingham has stacks of industry tiles per player in multiple colors, a card deck, iron/coal/beer resource cubes and barrels, and money. The stock vacuum-formed tray doesn't sort the tiles by type, so setup means hunting through loose piles.
The factory insert is weak
The retail box has a thin thermoformed plastic tray that holds parts loosely and doesn't separate industry tiles by type; functional for shipping, weak for actual play.
Your options
Foamcore kit that separates industries by type. Note: some owners report a tight fit and lid lift, especially with sleeved cards, so it's a good-not-perfect fit.
Laser-cut wood organizers with per-industry tile bays and card trays; GeekMod and e-Raptor both offer Brass-specific SKUs, Laserox is a frequently recommended premium option.
Printable per-color industry-tile trays and resource cups are common and cheap if you own a printer.
Simple per-player and per-industry trays are an easy build for this box.
Sleeved cards & the insert
Brass's card deck is small, so sleeving is easy in principle, but the shallow box means clearance is the issue: the Folded Space kit draws lid-lift complaints once cards are sleeved. If you sleeve, budget for slight lid lift or choose a kit sized with sleeve headroom.
Sleeving Brass: Birmingham? See the Brass: Birmingham sleeve guide for card sizes and how many packs to buy.
The verdict
The stock tray doesn't sort the industry tiles, which is the whole setup chore, so an organizer pays off. Folded Space FS-BRASS is the cheap default but runs tight (watch for lid lift when sleeved); Laserox/GeekMod/e-Raptor wood kits or a quick DIY foamcore build give cleaner per-industry sorting.
Other boxes with the same problem
- Catan — Catan Studio
- Clank!: A Deck-Building Adventure — Renegade Game Studios
- Marvel Champions: The Card Game — Fantasy Flight Games
- Root — Leder Games
Frequently asked questions
Not really — the factory insert in Brass: Birmingham does little to keep the box organized. The retail box has a thin thermoformed plastic tray that holds parts loosely and doesn't separate industry tiles by type; functional for shipping, weak for actual play.
The stock tray doesn't sort the industry tiles, which is the whole setup chore, so an organizer pays off. Folded Space FS-BRASS is the cheap default but runs tight (watch for lid lift when sleeved); Laserox/GeekMod/e-Raptor wood kits or a quick DIY foamcore build give cleaner per-industry sorting. Common routes are a laser-cut kit, a 3D-printed tray or a DIY foamcore insert.
Brass's card deck is small, so sleeving is easy in principle, but the shallow box means clearance is the issue: the Folded Space kit draws lid-lift complaints once cards are sleeved. If you sleeve, budget for slight lid lift or choose a kit sized with sleeve headroom.
Brass: Birmingham is a trademark of its publisher. The Cardboard Shelf is not affiliated with or endorsed by the game's publisher; we cover accessories only.