[Help Thread] Roux Discussion and Help

[CFOPCuber]

I want to get learning with the Roux method, I want a good source that is easy to follow.

 

[Boneless]

Kian's Roux tutorial (Rouxtorial?) is pretty good: https://sites.google.com/view/kianroux/home
Waffo also has a very good guide, but the site is broken. I have the PDF version if you are interested, I would just have to upload it somewhere.

 

[Jlvs2run]

How would you solve the first two blocks, especially the first one?
D2 R L B R2 L D' B2 R F' U2 B' L2 D2 R2 B' U2 F2 U2

 

[Jlvs2run]

The average is 6.701 moves, worst case is 9. I made a table with some statistics like this in 2009: http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/s...2x2-move-count&p=185213&viewfull=1#post185213

According to the chart, LD|RD has 100 more variations to solve the FB in 4 moves
or less, compared to a fixed position (4,175,172 / 41,532), which is quite amazing.
Does LD|RD mean just switching the sides, so that 2 first block positions are possible?

 

[muchacho]

How would you solve the first two blocks, especially the first one?
D2 R L B R2 L D' B2 R F' U2 B' L2 D2 R2 B' U2 F2 U2

In a speedsolve I would do: y2 x U' F2 U F' M' U M L U' L' (I'm pretty bad at blocks)

edit: I should at least have done y2 x R2 L U' L' F2 U F'

 

[Jlvs2run]

y2 x R2 L U' L' F2 U F'

You must be completely color neutral. Did you learn that from the start?

 

[muchacho]

I do white or yellow on top and start the first block on any of the others, that seems enough. I do like that from the start but I'm still a bit worse with some of the colors.

 

[Jlvs2run]

That's a neat solution. Thank you.

What do you practice for improving the blocks?

 

[muchacho]

Nothing (and my blocks are not improving), I just do solves.

 

[Jlvs2run]

Funny, but I saw your ao5 progression on youtube, and you're improving a lot.
I like how you did those, a great way to keep track of your histories.

Do you repeat the more difficult solves? I'm doing that now, and it's helping.

 

[muchacho]

Thanks, I'll try to keep tracking improvement there, hope there are many more videos to add (but probably not).

F2B take me like 12-13 seconds out of 19-20, I guess it should be like 10 seconds if my blocks were decent.

 

[Fyzzna]

How would you solve the first two blocks, especially the first one?
D2 R L B R2 L D' B2 R F' U2 B' L2 D2 R2 B' U2 F2 U2

So even though I'm a little late to the party I thought I'd still post my solution, since I would've chosen a different block than muchacho and I always found it to be very interesting to see different solutions for the same scramble:

y R2 U M2 F' R' B'

In a speedsolve I probably would've done something like R M U M' r U r' U M U' M2 r' U' R for the second block. I found R U' M2 U2 r' U' r M r U r' just now, which is more efficient but I wouldn't have seen that during an actual solve.

 

[Jlvs2run]

Fyzzna, thanks for your input. Your improvement in 3 months is quite impressive.

 

[Scruggsy13]

Hi all,

I took a three-month break from cubing, mostly because I got bored with it, and really only got back into it a few days ago. I was a CFOP user, but I've decided that I want to switch to Roux (mostly because it's more fun). I'm not too concerned about getting up to my CFOP speed right away, but I have a few questions. I've messed around with the method in the past, but in the past four days or so I've gotten 19.72 Ao5, a 21.58 Ao12, and a 23.89 Ao100, and although I used to average 12 with CFOP now I bet I'm probably closer to 14.

1. I already know H CMLLs since I knew the H COLL set, but for the rest of the sets is there an optimal order of learning them, or does it not really matter? I'm currently using 2-look for the most part.
2. My current splits seem to be about the following... 4s first block, 10s second block, 4s CMLL, 5s LSE, so I would think my second block is what needs the most work. I'm trying to kick my CFOP habits and really utilize the M slice, but is there anything specific I should be doing?
3. Are there any techniques that are helpful later on that are easier to learn as a beginner that I should focus on? Currently I'm capable of starting with any block that has white.
4. How much should I be aiming to plan out in inspection? Right now I'm giving myself unlimited time but I can't do much more than the first 2x2x1 square.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[GuRoux]

Hi all,

I took a three-month break from cubing, mostly because I got bored with it, and really only got back into it a few days ago. I was a CFOP user, but I've decided that I want to switch to Roux (mostly because it's more fun). I'm not too concerned about getting up to my CFOP speed right away, but I have a few questions. I've messed around with the method in the past, but in the past four days or so I've gotten 19.72 Ao5, a 21.58 Ao12, and a 23.89 Ao100, and although I used to average 12 with CFOP now I bet I'm probably closer to 14.

1. I already know H CMLLs since I knew the H COLL set, but for the rest of the sets is there an optimal order of learning them, or does it not really matter? I'm currently using 2-look for the most part.
2. My current splits seem to be about the following... 4s first block, 10s second block, 4s CMLL, 5s LSE, so I would think my second block is what needs the most work. I'm trying to kick my CFOP habits and really utilize the M slice, but is there anything specific I should be doing?
3. Are there any techniques that are helpful later on that are easier to learn as a beginner that I should focus on? Currently I'm capable of starting with any block that has white.
4. How much should I be aiming to plan out in inspection? Right now I'm giving myself unlimited time but I can't do much more than the first 2x2x1 square.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

it doesn't really matter what order you learn the algs. just learn a set at a time.
yes, definitely second block a lot. try really slow solves and watch example solve videos to improve your efficiency.
if you plan to get sub 10 and on, being able to do yellow on bottom is probably a good idea.
keep practicing the square until you're feeling very solid about it. then add in tracking the pair while solving the square.

 

[shadowslice e]

1. I already know H CMLLs since I knew the H COLL set, but for the rest of the sets is there an optimal order of learning them, or does it not really matter? I'm currently using 2-look for the most part.

It doesn't really matter but in general people learn the sune set last because you should already be able to do the two look pretty quickly.

2. My current splits seem to be about the following... 4s first block, 10s second block, 4s CMLL, 5s LSE, so I would think my second block is what needs the most work. I'm trying to kick my CFOP habits and really utilize the M slice, but is there anything specific I should be doing?

For the second block the hardest part is usually the transition from first to second so try to train yourself to if not track the pieces during first block to at least be very good at spotting them during the last few moves of first block.
Also, unless you're doing slow turning, don't bother trying to work out the mother efficient way while solving; just go square, pair and so on.
Lastly, try to make good use of wide moves as well as the M slice- this is particularly useful for keeping pairs once you made them. In general you should be able to solve most SB cases with {R, U, r}. For the last pair some of the CFOP F2L algs may come in handy though I wouldn't lean on them too heavily.

3. Are there any techniques that are helpful later on that are easier to learn as a beginner that I should focus on? Currently I'm capable of starting with any block that has white.

Although there have been a few cubers which have shown it is possible to get fast with limited colour neutrality, I would still recommend being as colour neutral as possible. Most people find that x2 y is best as it gives you enough options for first block that you should always be able to find a reasonably nice one.
Another nice thing to do would be to try and get a nice LSE turning style (most people go with the way kavin does it now but I think there are still a few fast guys going with the older style like alex or austin iirc).

4. How much should I be aiming to plan out in inspection? Right now I'm giving myself unlimited time but I can't do much more than the first 2x2x1 square

Really you should be aiming to plan the first block and be able to tracks some pieces for second block (most people start with the DR edge) though admittedly even some of us faster guys can get lazy when it comes to doing this in larger averages (I know I'm definitely guilty of this in the later stages of an ao100). Right now I would recommend you try out experimenting with different ways of doing first block (eg square-pair, line-line are the two main ones I find myself using a lot) or at least doing square then tracking he pair while you do it.

Hope this helps!

 

[Rubik's cubed]

Hi guys I am trying to get good lookahead during the first two blocks but it is hard because I have to look around the entire cube. There is not much information about this on the internet so can any of you guys help?

 

[PenguinsDontFly]

Hi guys I am trying to get good lookahead during the first two blocks but it is hard because I have to look around the entire cube. There is not much information about this on the internet so can any of you guys help?

Youtube is part of the internet.

 

[Jlvs2run]

Hi guys I am trying to get good lookahead during the first two blocks but it is hard because I have to look around the entire cube. There is not much information about this on the internet so can any of you guys help?

These posts by Escher are quite helpful, for example:

stare at the cube for a very long time. Identify each pair, and going off whatever seems nicest, imagine the pieces move in your head as you would solve them. Visualise where affected pieces will end up. Close your eyes, execute your pair, and check whether your intuition was correct - if not, why? What were the reasons for your mistake? Don't just notice that you have made one - really consider what the reasons were, and write it down.

I believe he stated that instant recognition comes first, then lookahead gains importance for sub 15 second solvers.

 

[dboeren]

I know this question would normally go in the hardware section, but I felt it was also somewhat Roux-specific and I don't know how many Roux users frequent that area... There are of course comparison reviews on Youtube and I've watched several but I'm betting almost all are from CFOP users.

I'd like to upgrade to a magnetic cube but since Roux users will be doing a lot of M-slices where you're dealing with twice as much magnetic force compared to side turns, is this an issue? Would any of the three main options (GTS2-M, Air UM, Valk M) be a better choice? I know the Valk M is advertised as having somewhat weaker magnets, not sure about the GTS2-M vs. Air UM strengths.

I'm not a high speed solver and probably a bit sloppy with my turning, but I do appreciate a really nice feeling cube. I have tried a GTS2-M and it felt way better than my old Aolong v2 so I know I like what magnets can offer. I don't really care that much about the cost, it's worth it to me for the increased enjoyment, but neither do I want to buy all three just to see which I like best


Just to help keep this post more on-topic to Roux method... My next two goals are to learn all the bad edge algorithms (which I'm currently working on) and then the different 4c cases. After that, back to block building again as I'm still not that good at it.