Megaminx beginners method

[Zarxrax]

I'm trying to learn to solve the megaminx but I'm having trouble. I've tried watching some videos on youtube, but the ones I have seen are kind of hard to follow. I think it would be better if I just had a list of algorithms like I used when I learned the 3x3.
Specifically, I'm getting stuck about half way through. I solved the first layer, and then all of the edges on the 2nd layer. I don't understand how to insert the 2nd layer corners though.

 

[Ellis]

All the corners apart from the last layer can be put in exactly the same way as the corners of the first layer.. just pretend one of the colors is really the D face color.

 

[Zarxrax]

I can solve the outermost corner with no problem, but how do I solve a corner that is between 2 solved edges? Was I supposed to solve the corners first?

 

[Ellis]

well not all the corners, typically what you want to do is put one of the edges in, then put in a corner/edge pair. You don't want to have two solved edges with an unsolved corner in between.

edit- to clarify... having 2 solved edges with an unsolved corner that is above and between those edges is ok, but you don't want an unsolved corner to be below two solved edges.

 

[Zarxrax]

Ok, I think I've got it now.

 

[hr.mohr]

Zarxrax: check the example solves done by Erik and Nakajima, or Simon Westlund's beginners tutorial. They are great videos.

 

[TMOY]

well not all the corners, typically what you want to do is put one of the edges in, then put in a corner/edge pair. You don't want to have two solved edges with an unsolved corner in between.

Why ? It happens to me all the time
Say the bottom two edges of the F face are solved but the bottom corner is not. Say also that corner is in the UL(BL) position. To solve it:
- if the F sticker is on the L face, apply F2 U' L U L' F'2;
- if the F sticker is on the BL face, apply F'2 U'2 R' U2 R F2;
- if the F sticker is on the U face, apply DL' L U' L' DL.

 

[Ellis]

well not all the corners, typically what you want to do is put one of the edges in, then put in a corner/edge pair. You don't want to have two solved edges with an unsolved corner in between.

Why ? It happens to me all the time
Say the bottom two edges of the F face are solved but the bottom corner is not. Say also that corner is in the UL(BL) position. To solve it:
- if the F sticker is on the L face, apply F2 U' L U L' F'2;
- if the F sticker is on the BL face, apply F'2 U'2 R' U2 R F2;
- if the F sticker is on the U face, apply DL' L U' L' DL.

Well yea, you can solve those cases without too much trouble. I usually just do it like a standard f2l case, although yours look better (I haven't tried them). What I was really getting at is your goal should not be to set up the edges like that to insert all the corners this way.

 

[MichaelErskine]

I think the Megaminx, more than the cubic puzzles, is best learned by 1-to-1 tuition.

Yeah, I know it's hard to find!

It took me a good while to get my head around the "masses-of-F2L-at-funny-angles" and I'm sure I would've just "got it" if someone were there to point out the similarities with (and differences from) the 3x3x3.

 

[TMOY]

Well yea, you can solve those cases without too much trouble. I usually just do it like a standard f2l case, although yours look better (I haven't tried them). What I was really getting at is your goal should not be to set up the edges like that to insert all the corners this way.

Why not ? I always insert the first 10 corners that way (unless they are already solved or a pair is already formed of course), I use F2L only for the last 5 pairs before the LL. The advantage is a better recognition, which is really important in the early steps of the puzzle.