The FMC thread

[Cale S]

Wow. FMC is so frustrating. I'm trying. I really am. I feel like there has to be a good block you could do with this scramble, but the best 2x2 I can find is 7 moves. AHHH!

B R F L' U2 R' D2 F' D2 F2 R2 D' B2 R2 U2 L2 D' L2 B2 F'

for the record, my 2x2 is U D L' B D' B' U

I feel like I'm close to understanding how to do FMC right, but I'm not there yet. And it's frustrating.

My first official FMC attempt had a 7 move 2x2x2 and ended up being a 25

Something to help when blockbuilding isn't obvious:
Try every possible move (U, U2, U', L, L2...) and see what pairs can be made
Sometimes you get 2 move squares with this that are hard to see otherwise

You could also start with EO, because it is very flexible and you can get several different starts to find the best blockbuilding continuation

And if you don't already know how to do NISS or pseudo blocks, they make it so that almost any blocks can be added on to each other, and give you different continuations

 

[biscuit]

Moves in brackets on inverse. I could only find a 7 mover on normal, sorry if you don't understand NISS

(R2 D2 L U' F L) - 6 moves

F2 L' B' U' (U) - 5 moves

so I do stuff on normal, then inverse of stuff on inverse right? I sorta get NISS, but only sorta.

 

[CyanSandwich]

so I do stuff on normal, then inverse of stuff on inverse right? I sorta get NISS, but only sorta.

Sorry the 2nd one was meant to be brackets on the first 4 moves and not the last.

(F2 L' B' U') U

So if you execute the inverse scramble on a solved cube, you'll see (F2 L' B' U') builds a pseudo-2x2x2.
Now on a solved cube, execute the inverse of those moves, which would be U B L F2. Now apply the normal scramble and you'll find a 1 move 2x2x2.

 

[porkynator]

Would 19 , with R-R2 cancellation

R' F2 R //2x2x1 (3/3)
U' R' F' R2 //3x2x1 (4/7)
F U2 //F2L -3 pieces (2/9)
L' R' B L B' R //Solve F2L corner and save the 2 pairs (6/15)
R2 F2 L2 F2 R2

Nice, I didn't remember that way of solving edges.

 

[shadowslice e]

A nice linear FMC single ending with R2 U2 R2 U2 R2, just like the 19 WR



except this is legit

Shots fired

 

[xyzzy]

Weekly FMC

Spoiler

Scramble: D2 U2 R2 L2 D2 R2 L U2 R2 B U' F L R2 F2 D2 L2 F B L

U2 L' D // squares (3/3)
inv: L U R // pseudo223 (3/6)
R' D' R' // adjust + edge control + pair (3/9)
B2 D' B D2 // EO + F2L-1 (4/13)
inv: L // hide pair (1/14)
B' L // F2L (2/16)
L B2 L' B' L B' L' B // edges; to L3C (8−1/23)

Skeleton: U2 L' # D R' D' R' B2 D' B D2 B' L2 B2 L' B' L B' L' B L' R' U' L'
# = [L U2 L', D] (8−6/25)

 

[guysensei1]

weekly

Spoiler

S: R B2 L D B' U' R F L D' B' F2 U2 B2 F D2 B R2 B F'

Inverse
F' U B L' F' D//2x2x2
U R2 B2//XXcross
normal
F R' F' R U//block
U F' U' F//F2L-1
F' L U L' F L U' L'//pairs 3-cycle
L2 F R' F' R L2//ayylmao

Final: F R' F' R U2 F' U' L U L' F L U' L F R' F' R L2 B2 R2 U' D' F L B' U' F (28)

after F2L-1 you can also finish with
U B' U' B U2 B' U' B//F2L
B' R' U' R U B U//LL
but it doesnt cancel anything

 

[penguinz7]

R2 B2 L2 U2 R2 D2 R2 U2 F D2 F D B' U2 R F2 R' D R' F L'

Skeleton:
F #U' L B' //EO
U' F2 *L' R D U' L' //L7C

@# insert
R D2 +R' U' R D2 R' U Cancels 2

@* insert
F L' B L F' L' B' L Cancels 3

@+ insert
D' L2 D R' D' L2 D R Cancels 3

Final:
F R D L2 D
R' D' L2 D U'
R D2 R' L B'
U' F' L' B L
F' L' B' R D
U' L'

27

Somehow those comms are optimal.

 

[Ranzha]

Current Dadams Weekly (161):

Spoiler: 25

R B2 L D B' U' R F L D' B' F2 U2 B2 F D2 B R2 B F'

(U B L') B' D' // 222
(U2 R' F' R' U2) // 223 + pairs
(F' R2 U' R' U) // 5C (15)

Skel: B' D' U' R U R2 F (1) U2 R F R U2 L B' U' (2) // 15 to 5C
(1): [R D R', U2] // 8-4
(2): [U F' U', B] // 8-2

Final: B' D' U' R U R2 F R D R' U2 R D' F R U2 L B' F' U' B U F U' B' (25)

Found in a half-hour

 

[porkynator]

Current Dadams Weekly (161):

Spoiler: 25

R B2 L D B' U' R F L D' B' F2 U2 B2 F D2 B R2 B F'

(U B L') B' D' // 222
(U2 R' F' R' U2) // 223 + pairs
(F' R2 U' R' U) // 5C (15)

Skel: B' D' U' R U R2 F (1) U2 R F R U2 L B' U' (2) // 15 to 5C
(1): [R D R', U2] // 8-4
(2): [U F' U', B] // 8-2

Final: B' D' U' R U R2 F R D R' U2 R D' F R U2 L B' F' U' B U F U' B' (25)

Found in a half-hour

Nice! That scramble looked hard to me, I was happy I could find a 26.

 

[Jaysammey777]

Scramble: L B2 D2 F2 U2 F' L2 F' D2 F' U R' U' R' D B F U'
F2L-1: D L2 U L2 D2 B2 D' B' (8/8)

any good continuations? I got 29 HTM :/

 

[Cale S]

Scramble: L B2 D2 F2 U2 F' L2 F' D2 F' U R' U' R' D B F U'
F2L-1: D L2 U L2 D2 B2 D' B' (8/8)

(L D' L B' L B L)
R2 U L' F2 L U' R' D2 R' D'

D L2 U L2 D2 B2 D' B' R2 U L' F2 L U' R' D2 R' D' L' B' L' B L' D L'
25 moves

 

[Ranzha]

Nice! That scramble looked hard to me, I was happy I could find a 26.

Thanks! I was really lucky to find that; Walker, Mark, et al. said that the scramble was awful

 

[Cale S]

cool block comm insertion
from German weekly FMC

Spoiler

R' U' F U L2 R2 B2 U L2 D' L' R2 D R2 D2 U' B U2 B D F2 U' R' U' F

F R' F2 D F2 D' // 2x2x2
B L' U L' (B2 R' U2 R) // F2L + EO (2c3e)

F @ R' F2 D F2 D' B L' U L' R' ^ U2 R B2
@ = [B, L D' L'] //

^ = [L2, U R U']

Solution: F B L D' L' B' L D L' R' F2 D F2 D' B L' U L R' U R U' L2 U R' U R B2

28 Moves

 

[GenTheSnail]

This is for the Weekly Competition 2017-04, so don't look I guess if you wanted to try it. But you would probably come up with something ten moves better so it doesn't really matter.

Spoiler: 37

F2 D' F2 R2 B2 D' L2 U2 R2 B L U2 L D U2 R2 U B R' U'

x2 R' F' R' U' L' F' // EO + preserve pairs that magically appeared somehow
R2 F2 U D' R D2 // Double Extended Line (12/12)
L2 U R U2 L' U' L U2 L' U L U' // Finish F2L + Cancel into LL (12/24)
L2 U2 L U2 L F' L' U' L' U L F U' // ZBLL that I knew (13/37)

I don't do FMC, so sub-40 is pretty cool.
Also I just ZZ it and see how low I can get. BECAUSE I USE ZZ ANYWAY
Any tips for this solve style? More efficient blocks that pop out to you guys?

 

[porkynator]

Sick stuff from the current german forum competition.

Spoiler

Scramble: R' U' F L2 U2 F L2 D2 B' F2 R' D2 F2 U2 L2 B2 L2 B2 U' R U R' U' F

Premove U
F //Square (1/2)
U' R2 L' //Pseudo 2x2x3 (3/5)
F' * D2 R' D2 B' //F2L-1 (5/10)
F' D F # //F2L (3/13)

Up to now the solution is pretty straightforward. But I have a bad LL case. I could go for a decent all but 3c3e in 16, but I try to see if I can insert something. At *, all LL pieces are in a "F2L-1-like" position. So I can try vaious things to shuffle them: LD'L'D, F'DFD', FL'F'L, L'FLF'. I look into all of them and I pick the first one:
* = L D' + L' D //Shuffle 'em (3/16)
and after this I ave a nice 3c3e skeleton. I can also go for all but 3 corners with:
# = R F D F' D' R' //All but 3 corners (6/22)
and then, by magic, I get a free insertion
+ = D' R' D L' D' R D L //Dark magic (0/22)

F U' R2 L' F' L D2 R' D L' D B' F' D F R F D F' D' R' U (22 HTM)

 

[Bubtore]

Frankfurt Cube Days :

S // R' U' F D2 R D2 R D2 L2 U2 B2 D2 F2 L2 D L D2 B U' B2 D2 U R' U' F
I // F' U R U' D2 B2 U B' D2 L' D' L2 F2 D2 B2 U2 L2 D2 R' D2 R' D2 F' U R

(L' D') D // 222
(D' L2 D F L2 F) F' // 223 + EO
U' L2 U' // PF2L-1
L2 U' L U' // L5C

Skel // D F' U' * L2 U' L2 U' L U' + F' L2 F' D' L2 D2 L - 16 Moves

* F' R2 F L2 F' R2 F L2
+ R' F' L2 F R F' L2 F

Solution // D F' U' F' R2 F L2 F' R2 F U' L2 U' L U' R' F' L2 F R F2 D' L2 D2 L - 25 Moves

 

[CyanSandwich]

NRs from Mind Games (26 single, 29 mean). Previous NRs were 35 and 48

Spoiler: 29

Started on insertions at about 15 minutes or something. My top priority was not DNFing. Couldn't find anything better afterwards.

scr: R' U' F D' R2 U' R2 U L2 R' F D2 L2 D' U' B F2 D B2 R U' R' U' F

R B' U' (U' B2) //222
F B L' F2 L B' //223
B D' B' D2 L' //F2L-1
B R D2 R' B' D2 //5C

sk: R B' U' F B L' F2 L D' B' D2 L' B ^ R D2 R' B' D2 B2 U (20)

^ B R * F' R' B' R F R'
* R B' R' F' R B R' F

sol: R B' U' F B L' F2 L D' B' D2 L' B2 R2 B' R' F' R B R2 B' R F D2 R' B' D2 B2 U (29)

Spoiler: 26

scr: R' U' F D' U2 B2 R2 B2 F2 U' L2 D' F U' L2 U B' F' U' F L R' F2 R' U' F

L B2 D F L' B2 //222
R D2 R2 //223
(L D2 L' F2 D) //F2L-1
(L' F L D F D') //3C

sk: L B2 D F L' ^ B2 R D2 R2 D F' D' L' F' L D' F2 L D2 L' (20)

^ L U L' D' L U' L' D

sol: L B2 D F U L' D' L U' L' D B2 R D2 R2 D F' D' L' F' L D' F2 L D2 L' (26)

Spoiler: 32

Couldn't find any good skeletons on this. I was just glad to get a sub-30 mean.

scr: R' U' F D2 U2 F' L2 F2 L2 D2 B R' F2 U' L' B' D R2 B2 D2 R F2 R' U' F

B (R B' F L2 D) //222
(U2 F2 U R' U' R2) //223
(F' U F U L F2 L') U' //F2L
F' //3C3E

sk: B U' F' L F2 L' U' F' U' F R2 U R U' F2 * U2 D' L2 F' B R' (21)

* B U2 ^ B' U D' R U2 R' U' D
^ D2 B' U B D2 B' U' B

sol: B U' F' L F2 L' U' F' U' F R2 U R U' F2 B U2 D2 B' U B D2 B' D' R U2 R' U L2 F' B R' (32)

 

[Cale S]

Spoiler: 26

scr: R' U' F D' U2 B2 R2 B2 F2 U' L2 D' F U' L2 U B' F' U' F L R' F2 R' U' F

L B2 D F L' B2 //222
R D2 R2 //223
(L D2 L' F2 D) //F2L-1
(L' F L D F D') //3C

sk: L B2 D F L' ^ B2 R D2 R2 D F' D' L' F' L D' F2 L D2 L' (20)

^ L U L' D' L U' L' D

sol: L B2 D F U L' D' L U' L' D B2 R D2 R2 D F' D' L' F' L D' F2 L D2 L' (26)

L B2 D F L' B2 //222
R D2 R2 //223
(L D2 L' F2 D) // F2L - 1
D F' D' F' // to 3-cycle of pairs
F U' L' U F' U' L U // block comm

L B2 D F L' B2 R D2 R2 D F' D' U' L' U F' U' L U D' F2 L D2 L'

24 moves

 

[CyanSandwich]

L B2 D F L' B2 //222
R D2 R2 //223
(L D2 L' F2 D) // F2L - 1
D F' D' F' // to 3-cycle of pairs
F U' L' U F' U' L U // block comm

L B2 D F L' B2 R D2 R2 D F' D' U' L' U F' U' L U D' F2 L D2 L'

24 moves

Ah that's good. I should start using block comms.