Here is my megaminx solution, with which I averaged 1:38 (2nd
on the UWR) I assume at this page you can solve the 3x3 rubik's cube.
I'll describe the method like I solve it. I solve the megaminx always
in the same order of faces so I'll describe it like that. I'm
planning on doing a solve on video very slowly and explain what I'm
doing, only I don't have a camera yet...
Notation
The notation on my page is
almost the same as on normal 3x3. Moves like U2 can be done 2 ways
therefore I have U2 and U2' which is pretty logical. There are 2 B
sides, therefore I have 2 B's BL and BR. Where BR is the Back Right
and BL the Back Left face so BR is 1 move and there is also BR' BR2
and BR2'. The face you see from the front in my pictures is actualy
the U layer.
Material
I use a megaminx from mefferts
(at mefferts.com).
They
have nice durable tiles. I don't recommend the new megaminxes that
look like this:
that's
because they turn very crappy.
Also, if you run into a
megaminx of Tomy brand it is ok to use for speed I believe. To make
the mefferts megaminx turn well, you have to take of the center caps
take out the screws and the springs, change the springs with less
strong ones and put back together. If after this your face comes out
of the megaminx if you turn anti-clockwise you might try a TINY drip
of glue in the screw hole before inserting the screw. It also helps
to sand down some parts of the minx. I haven't done this. If you want
to do this check out Stefan's site:
http://www.stefan-pochmann.de/spocc/speedsolving/megaminx/
also check out this site for other minx tips I don't have here. He is the best minxer in the world! Of
course: lubricate and clean your minx once in a while.
Ok, I assume from here that
you have a mefferts megaminx and will show pictures also with that
color scheme etc.
Step1:
The star, it is like solving
the cross for Fridrich solvers, only with 1 cubie more. I do this at
the white face just like on 3x3. It is importand to locate every
piece during preinspection if you want to be fast. The bottom of your
megaminx should look like this after this step:
Step2:
This step is like the F2L part
on fridrich, pair up a corner and an edge and insert them.
Recognition is very importand at this step. While pairing up a
corner+edge I try to see as much pieces as I can that have not yet
been solved. This way I might have remembered 5 pieces during 2 pairs
and insert them. No delays is very importand too. Your megaminx
should look like this after this step: (I btw solve with the white
center down (of course) but I turned it to make clear what I mean
with this step).
Step3a:
at this step I take the dark
green center and place 2 more edges there, then insert 3 pairs and
done. This is what the minx looks like after 3a:
The
white and light blue says that face is there and in this case it is
solved.
Step3:
The dark grey pieces state the
places which pairs should be solved now. Your can already guess what
your minx looks like after this step.
Step4:
Now I solve the ligth-blue
with pink piece and add 2 pairs. Your minx looks like this after this
step:
Step5:
Almost the same as step 4 only
now I solve the light-green with brown piece and add 2 pairs. Your
minx looks like this after this step:
Step6a:
You should have left only 2
faces now, the orange face and the yellow face. Step 6a is to solve
the orange with middle-blue edge, the middle-blue with orange with
purple corner and the orange with purple edge. This is rather
intuitive and needs only to turn the 2 faces. What I often do in this
step, is pair up for instance the corner with 1 edge. Then bring the
remaining edge to the orange face too, and then I do things like
R'U'R to pair up. You minx looks like this after this step:
Step6:
Here you insert the remaining
2 pairs. You can use partial edge control to orient a part of the
edges of the last layer already. You can guess what the minx looks
like after this step.
Step7:
I'd rather call this step Last
Layer step 1. At this step you orientate the edges of the last layer.
There are 3 cases for this. Advanced stuff I use can be read in the
'Extra' part further on this page. Here are the 3 cases with
solution:
R BR BL U BL' U BR' U2' R'
FRUR'U'F'
FURU'R'F'
Step8:
I'd rather call this step Last
Layer step 2. At this step you orientate the corners of the last
layer. Here are all the cases I know.
R2' D' R U2
R' D R U2' R (with thx to Milan Baticz!)
R' F R BR' R' F' R BR
F R BR R' F' R BR' R' Same
as on 3x3
R BR R' F R BR' R' F' Same
as on 3x3
RUR'URU'R'URU2'R'
R U2 R' U' R U R' U' R U'
R'
R' U' R U' R' U2 R
L U L' U L U2' L'
L U2 L' U' L U' L'
R' U2' R U R' U R
Step9:
I'd rather call this step Last
Layer step 3. At this step you permutate the edges of the last layer.
Here are the algs I use. When there is (pure) behind an algorithm it
means it doesn not effect any other cubies than the edges.
R U R' U' R' F R2 U' R' U'
R U R' F'
y'
FRU'R'U'RUR'F'RUR'U'R'FRF' (A 3x3 PLL)
or:
RUR'U' y' L'U'L U2 y RU'R'
y' U'L'UL (pure)
R'
U2' R U R' U2 L U' R U L' ( J perm on 3x3)
or:
y' L'U'LU y RUR' y' U2'L'UL
y URU'R'
You'll hear me say ugly
things when I get this case cause I don't have a clue how to do
this case. If you know an alg for this one PLEAS PLEASE mail me!
megafrikkie (you know) skyaccess.nl
You have to smile when you
get this one :)
Step10:
I'd rather call this step Last
Layer step 4. At this step you permutate the corners of the last
layer. I don't use any algs for this, though I know some other algs
you'll see below. For the remaining cases I'll give an example corner
permutation and you'll probably understand how its done by the alg I
give you:
Before
beginning, I state the D moves here are actualy the moves of the
purple face, also called DR moves, but D is shorter.
I begin with R'D'R then adjust
the U layer to the destiny of the corner you just got out of the Last
Layer, in this case with U2, insert with R'DR. Now adjust U again
with U', this time insert with R'D'R, adjust U with U2, insert with
R'DR, adjust with U, insert with R'D'R, adjust with U, insert with
R'DR. Done!!
Here are the last algo's for a
corner 3 cykle or 4 switch:
(RL') U' L U2 R' U2' L' U L
U R U' R
(RL') U R' U2' L U2 R U R'
U' L' U L
x'
RU'R'DRUR'D'RUR'DRU'R'D'
Extra:
Here are some afterwords and
tips:
This is only the way I
solve the megaminx, you don't have to follow this precisely to solve
the minx.
During step 3 to 6 you
can also use block building to make the faces, I use this sometimes
when I already see a corner edge pair paired up.
Hold on to 1 order of
solving, by solving in a standard order you can look ahead easier.
At step 6(b) check if you
can orientate edges with for example insertion with R'FRF' instead
of URU'R'.
At step 7, check if you
see the total OLL case this is possible 1 in app. 7 times for me
now.
Make sure you have a good
minx, I've seen a lot megaminxes which were very stiff (actualy I have only ever felt 2 minxes which are not a straing for your hands: Stefan's and mine) and might get
you injuries. (Seriously)
