DXPower
Member
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2013
- Messages
- 10
So I've been thinking about how I can improve the first 4 non-cross edge pairs you do in Hoya5. So, after you finish your cross edges and final two centers, you have to do the top four edges. Normally, you would just use free slicing, which can take up to 3 slices an edge. That can take over 12 slice moves in all, not even counting possible flips and insertion moves. EDIT: NEVER MIND ABOUT 12 SLICE MOVES I AM BAD AT COUNTING
So I made a slight alteration to this method. It works in a similar way to final edge pairing on 4x4, in which you slice multiple edges in a row to solve multiple at the same time. I've been using it for a few weeks now and here's what I've made:
Edit: I've made a Youtube video on Tophats
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The first step is to look at the edge on the front left and look at the uppermost edge piece (I'm going to call this tedge). When you slice a u', you want to form a tedge and center edge (cedge) pair (The tedge + cedge pair I'll call ctedge). So before you slice, insert into the front right edge the correct cedge with a standard R U' R type insertion. Rotate the cube y and then repeat for the next ctedge. Do this one more time.
When you're done, do a u' and you will have 3 completed ctedges in the middle layer, all on the top. This means that you can now do a 3u' and complete each pair successively with minimal look ahead and super small move count!
To make the completed edges, use the empty slot without a ctedge to insert bottom edges (bedge) that will form the ctedge when you do a 3u'. So you insert one bedge, slice, and immediately insert the next bedge. This puts the completed edge pair into the top layer while simultaneously readying the next bedge for pairing. You continue doing this until you run out of ctedges.
Once you have 3 completed edges (don't put the last one in the top layer JUST yet), look for an easy free style edge for your fourth and last edge. Try to insert an edge piece and and put the completed edge in the top layer in the same motion. Once you finish these 4 edges you go into the L4E stage of 5x5.
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One of the best things about this method is that, if your bedge is in the middle layer, it is 75% chance to already be in the correct orientation, so you can just slice across and make an insertion-less edge pair.
Also, look ahead is incredibly easy on this method, as it eliminates most of the middle layer for searching, and you already know what edge colors you're looking for. If you remember what ctedges you made in what order (it's super easy, it's just 3), it's extremely easy to look ahead. Orientation of the color specifically almost doesn't matter because you just have to ensure that the bedge gets into the bottom middle layer, so you don't need to remember the orientation.
If you happen to get into a cycle that only allows you to make two ctedges, just complete it and make two edges and then free style the rest. It is still much more efficient than standard free styling.
Also, sometimes when you slice over you complete either multiple edges or one accidentally. This happens very frequently, surprisingly.
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There's only a few downsides I can think of to this method: a bit restricted and a bad first cycle can be confusing (but that is easily fixed with a y rotation and starting a new one). Also, switching from this method to the final edge as freestyle does get a bit confusing at first, but with enough practice it can be pretty smooth.
______________________________________
What do you guys think? Could it be better than actual freestyle? What do you think can improve? I'm thinking that maybe I could fit the freestyle edge in before the slicing, to remove the awkward transition between the two.
What should I call it? I kinda want to call it Tophats because you're working with a bunch of tall blocks that sit on top of the bottom edge piece.
So I made a slight alteration to this method. It works in a similar way to final edge pairing on 4x4, in which you slice multiple edges in a row to solve multiple at the same time. I've been using it for a few weeks now and here's what I've made:
Edit: I've made a Youtube video on Tophats
______________________________________
The first step is to look at the edge on the front left and look at the uppermost edge piece (I'm going to call this tedge). When you slice a u', you want to form a tedge and center edge (cedge) pair (The tedge + cedge pair I'll call ctedge). So before you slice, insert into the front right edge the correct cedge with a standard R U' R type insertion. Rotate the cube y and then repeat for the next ctedge. Do this one more time.
When you're done, do a u' and you will have 3 completed ctedges in the middle layer, all on the top. This means that you can now do a 3u' and complete each pair successively with minimal look ahead and super small move count!
To make the completed edges, use the empty slot without a ctedge to insert bottom edges (bedge) that will form the ctedge when you do a 3u'. So you insert one bedge, slice, and immediately insert the next bedge. This puts the completed edge pair into the top layer while simultaneously readying the next bedge for pairing. You continue doing this until you run out of ctedges.
Once you have 3 completed edges (don't put the last one in the top layer JUST yet), look for an easy free style edge for your fourth and last edge. Try to insert an edge piece and and put the completed edge in the top layer in the same motion. Once you finish these 4 edges you go into the L4E stage of 5x5.
______________________________________
One of the best things about this method is that, if your bedge is in the middle layer, it is 75% chance to already be in the correct orientation, so you can just slice across and make an insertion-less edge pair.
Also, look ahead is incredibly easy on this method, as it eliminates most of the middle layer for searching, and you already know what edge colors you're looking for. If you remember what ctedges you made in what order (it's super easy, it's just 3), it's extremely easy to look ahead. Orientation of the color specifically almost doesn't matter because you just have to ensure that the bedge gets into the bottom middle layer, so you don't need to remember the orientation.
If you happen to get into a cycle that only allows you to make two ctedges, just complete it and make two edges and then free style the rest. It is still much more efficient than standard free styling.
Also, sometimes when you slice over you complete either multiple edges or one accidentally. This happens very frequently, surprisingly.
______________________________________
There's only a few downsides I can think of to this method: a bit restricted and a bad first cycle can be confusing (but that is easily fixed with a y rotation and starting a new one). Also, switching from this method to the final edge as freestyle does get a bit confusing at first, but with enough practice it can be pretty smooth.
______________________________________
What do you guys think? Could it be better than actual freestyle? What do you think can improve? I'm thinking that maybe I could fit the freestyle edge in before the slicing, to remove the awkward transition between the two.
What should I call it? I kinda want to call it Tophats because you're working with a bunch of tall blocks that sit on top of the bottom edge piece.
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