[Help Thread] Megaminx Discussion

[cubingawsumness]

The S2L method you describe is used most famously by Balint Bodor, the current average WR holder. So obviously, it's possible to get fast using this method! The other common way to do S2L is work clockwise/anti-clockwise round the puzzle. So after F2L, I would place the remaining two edges with purple (orange and light blue), and then make the 3 CE pairs adjacent to them (lightblue/darkgreen, lightblue/orange, orange/darkyellow). Then i would place the last dark yellow edge and the two pairs either side of that. Repeat for the last blue edge, and then solve the last two faces (many strategies for this). Don't worry about the number of steps, and you don't always have to define your steps so strongly on a puzzle like mega which has many degrees of freedom - if whilst making a ECE triplet, you see one of the pairs for the second step 'pre-made', then stick it in!
As for solving the same colour order in S2L, you may miss more efficient solutions if you only solve the same way each time. However, it's much easier to look-ahead if you know which pieces you are looking for at any given point in the solve!
I hope this is useful.

EDIT: to answer an earlier question 'What do you consider to be the equivalent of sub-minute, sub-30, sub-20, and sub-15 on megaminx?' it's hard to put a figure on it because people in general don't practise mega as much as 3x3 so they are not at their full potential but as a guess I'd say 1:00/30/20/15 translates to about 4:00/2:00/1:30/1:10 on mega. (1:00 would be sub-12 and 50 would be sub-10 perhaps)

Thanks for the detailed answer. I think for now, I will keep using "my" method (do the 2 have names?).

 

[Divineskulls]

Thanks for the detailed answer. I think for now, I will keep using "my" method (do the 2 have names?).

Simon's is Jetpack, and Balint's is Starfish

 

[ryanj92]

Simon's is Jetpack, and Balint's is Starfish

I like this.


On topic - I know all of 4LLL now, if I wanted to learn any more algs what would you guys recommend? CPLL as algs and not comms? EPLL's?

 

[Divineskulls]

I like this.


On topic - I know all of 4LLL now, if I wanted to learn any more algs what would you guys recommend? CPLL as algs and not comms? EPLL's?

CPLL except for 5 cycles, then EPLL except for 5 cycles.

 

[Coolster01]

Can someone please critique this? My F2L was a little faster than normal (normal is like 20-25). EDIT: nvm this was 20 seconds. My s2l was really good.

[video=youtube_share;VFTsa2gdYXk]http://youtu.be/VFTsa2gdYXk[/video]

Splits were like 20-31-10

 

[RR]

Hello, new cuber here, what is the best brand of megaminx to buy ?

 

[~Adam~]

Hello, new cuber here, what is the best brand of megaminx to buy ?

SS is a great cheap minx but I think the Dayan is considered to be slightly better generally.

Without or without ridges is your choice if you go with the Dayan.

 

[RR]

Oh thanks. BTW what's the purpose of ridges ?

 

[bobthegiraffemonkey]

Oh thanks. BTW what's the purpose of ridges ?

Better grip. Some people like them, some hate them. Personally I think they're good.

 

[RR]

Better grip. Some people like them, some hate them. Personally I think they're good.

Thanks i watched the reviews. I think i will get the one w/o ridges. BTW any method can you recommend ?

 

[stoic]

Simon's is Jetpack, and Balint's is Starfish

I'd be interested to know what the relative popularity of the two approaches is. All of the links on the wiki appear to use the Simon (Jetpack) method.

When I started with mega, I was using the Balint (Starfish) approach as it's how I initially approached the puzzle intuitively. Having seen a few videos of fast minxers, however, I switched to Jetpack and it has definitely helped me to speed up. That may be because, as a CFOP user I find it easier to place edges then add pairs than to block build an ECE triplet efficiently. I also seem to find look ahead easier this way.

Are there any other viable alternatives anybody is using?

 

[TMOY]

I use Starfish, but in a quite weird way: I first solve the 10 edges of the 5 ECe triplets intuitively, then I insert the 5 corners. The advantage is that I have to search for only one type of piece at the time

Of course, as always with megaminx, there's no fixed order of steps. I can insert some corners before finishing the edges when I find it more convenient. And when a CE pair is already formed I preserve it.)

 

[MadeToReply]

I solve a blue f2l and then I start solving green then yellow then white. I am considering changing this order as you may see that I turn to the left (to the left) and it just feels awkward for me to turn left while doing a lot of R and U moves. I am thinking to change it to white then yellow then green. Should I change colour order?

 

[YddEd]

Hello, new cuber here, what is the best brand of megaminx to buy ?

Shengshou megaminx if you have time to mod it, and Dayan megaminx if you don't.

 

[ryanj92]

I solve a blue f2l and then I start solving green then yellow then white. I am considering changing this order as you may see that I turn to the left (to the left) and it just feels awkward for me to turn left while doing a lot of R and U moves. I am thinking to change it to white then yellow then green. Should I change colour order?

Probably. That way, if you find part of your next block that you want to preserve, you can do so with more right-handed moves rather than lefty moves.

 

[cubingawsumness]

An ~average mean of 3 that I recorded:

I can see some pretty obvious things to improve, but I'm wondering what you fast people think.
Thanks in advance.

 

[MadeToReply]

Thoughts? I thought this might be a good idea as I fail at the v thingy

 

[ryanj92]

So if it's convenient, you could build a 'wrong' V, and then fix it with an alg?

 

[YddEd]

Very professional! :tu
It's a good idea in my opinion. I probably won't learn until I'm a bit faster though.

So if it's convenient, you could build a 'wrong' V, and then fix it with an alg?

I think so.

 

[MadeToReply]

So if it's convenient, you could build a 'wrong' V, and then fix it with an alg?

Exactly, and the algs aren't that bad. You could even just use intuition or something to learn that case.