[Help Thread] FMC Discussion

[bubbagrub]

I have no idea how to do FMC, but I want to get a decent result at the FMC USA 2014 thing, so I thought I'd practice when I have to be quiet.

I don't know what you guys are talking about with premoves and inverses and NISS and switches and gobbledygook, but I took a stab at this:

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

F U2 D2 R’ //2x2(4/4)
U L’ U2 B U’ R’ U’ R//2x2x3(8/12)
L’ U2 B L’ B’//3 F2L pairs(5/17)
L’ U2 L U’// all edges(4/21)

I have no idea where to go from here. Any tips?

I think that last bit should be L U2 L U', no?

So I'm definitely no expert on this, but I reckon that what you have is what would be called a skeleton. It gets you to L5C -- i.e., all is done apart from the last 5 corners. The bad news is that one of those corners is in the right place but needs to be twisted, which is a pain. If you had, instead, a 5-cycle of corners, you could solve this using two 3-cycle commutators. And the idea would be that rather than just tacking them on at the end, you'd find a place where you could cycle those corners in the middle of the solve where some moves would cancel (e.g. if your commutator started with F' and you could insert it after an F, you'd cancel two moves). In your case, I don't know how you twist one corner and do two 2-cycles with a small number of moves, so it may be you'd want to find another skeleton.

 

[brandbest1]

Someone help me with this scramble? (US Nationals 2014 Scramble 3)

Scramble: B2 L U2 B2 L2 R F2 R' B U' B2 F2 L D' R' B' D2 B2 U

My solution so far:

Spoiler

F2 D' L2 F R2 D' - 2x2x2
U F2 L U L' - 2x2x3
R U' R' U2 F2 - Pseudo F2L-1

 

[obelisk477]

I came to an interesting point in a solution where I feel there ought to be a pleasant way to solve it, but cant think of one. Maybe you guys can help.

Scramble: R2 U' D2 L R2 B' D2 F2 L2 R' F' B' D' L F U' L' F2 D' B'

Solution so far : B R2 L U' R' F2 L' R2 F' D2 R' L B R L' B' D B D'

 

[Robert-Y]

B D' B2 D B2 D B2 D' B'

or

B' D B2 D' B2 D' B2 D B

 

[obelisk477]

B D' B2 D B2 D B2 D' B'

or

B' D B2 D' B2 D' B2 D B

Nice! Intuition or block comms or what?

 

[EMI]

Nice! Intuition or block comms or what?

B' D B2 D' insert first pair
B2 D' B2 D B insert second pair with Winter Variation.

 

[guysensei1]

Random FMC
D2 R2 F2 D' R2 D L2 B2 D U2 F2 R' U' R B L' D2 B' U B
F D2 U2 R2 D' //2x2x2 (5)
B' L U' L' R' U' R2 B U'//2x2x3 (14)
R' D B' D'//F2L-1 (18)
R' B R' B'//F2L edge (22)
F D B' D B D2 F' R'//rest of the edges (28)

IF:
F D2 U2 R2 D' B' L U' L' R' U' R2 B U' [@1] R' D B' D' R' B R' B' F D B' D B D2 F' R'
Insert at @1: U2 R' D2 R U2 R' D2 R
After the 1st insertion: F D2 U2 R2 D' B' L U' L' R' U' R2 B U R' D2 R U2 R' D' B' D' R' B R' B' F D B' D B D2 F' R' [@2]
Insert at @2: R D' R' U' R D R' U
Fewest moves: 40. 6 moves cancelled
The final solution: F D2 U2 R2 D' B' L U' L' R' U' R2 B U R' D2 R U2 R' D' B' D' R' B R' B' F D B' D B D2 F' D' R' U' R D R' U

I really need to work on my insertions.

 

[Kit Clement]

Someone help me with this scramble? (US Nationals 2014 Scramble 3)

Scramble: B2 L U2 B2 L2 R F2 R' B U' B2 F2 L D' R' B' D2 B2 U

My solution so far:

Spoiler

F2 D' L2 F R2 D' - 2x2x2
U F2 L U L' - 2x2x3
R U' R' U2 F2 - Pseudo F2L-1

First think I would do is to make that F2L-1 not pseudo. You have two choices - premove of F2 or F. F2 leaves more oriented edges on U, so I'm going to pick that one. After that, you want to solve all the edges, hopefully trying to solve some corners all the way. Whatever is leftover with corners you can take care of with insertions. You don't have many edges oriented, so you should play with FRUR'U'F', it's inverses and mirrors from some angles to see if you can build blocks. Here's something interesting that I don't have time to play with:

Spoiler

Premove: F2
F2 D' L2 F R2 D' - 2x2x2
U F2 L U L' - 2x2x3
R U' R' U2 F - Pseudo F2L-1
B L U L' U' B' - blocks?

NISS is also something worth trying here.

 

[tseitsei]

First time I did corners first solve in FMC. 30 moves
Scramble is old scramble from weekly comp.

Scramble: U2 L2 D2 U R2 L2 U' B2 D U L2 U B' F2 U' D' B2 F2 L2 D'

F2 U2 B //CO 3/3
U2 F2 U' F2 * // solve corners (no AUFs solved)
R2 L2 D' R2 L2 U2 // solve 3 M-layer edges (opposite centers still swapped)

* = U' D F2 B2 U' D L2 R2 //insert center swap 6-moves cancel

that leaves 2 edge 3-cycles

skeleton: F2 U2 B U2 [1] F2 U' F2 U' D F2 B2 U' R2 L2 U2 15-moves

[1] = U2 D2 B D2 B' U2 D2 [2] F D2 F' 3-moves cancel
[2] = D B2 D' F2 B2 U B2 U' B2 F2 2-moves cancel

solution: F2 U2 B D2 B D2 B' U2 D' B2 D' F2 B2 U B2 U' B2 F' D2 F U' F2 U' D F2 B2 U' R2 L2 U2 30-moves

 

[TheDubDubJr]

First time I did corners first solve in FMC. 30 moves
Scramble is old scramble from weekly comp.

Scramble: U2 L2 D2 U R2 L2 U' B2 D U L2 U B' F2 U' D' B2 F2 L2 D'

F2 U2 B //CO 3/3
U2 F2 U' F2 * // solve corners (no AUFs solved)
R2 L2 D' R2 L2 U2 // solve 3 M-layer edges (opposite centers still swapped)

* = U' D F2 B2 U' D L2 R2 //insert center swap 6-moves cancel

that leaves 2 edge 3-cycles

skeleton: F2 U2 B U2 [1] F2 U' F2 U' D F2 B2 U' R2 L2 U2 15-moves

[1] = U2 D2 B D2 B' U2 D2 [2] F D2 F' 3-moves cancel
[2] = D B2 D' F2 B2 U B2 U' B2 F2 2-moves cancel

solution: F2 U2 B D2 B D2 B' U2 D' B2 D' F2 B2 U B2 U' B2 F' D2 F U' F2 U' D F2 B2 U' R2 L2 U2 30-moves

Interesting Corners First solve.

I personally would try to find/use 6move edge comms like M' U2 M U2.

 

[yoshinator]

Holy crap I just got a 24

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

D2 B' L U2 // 1x2x3
R F2 R U2 R2 // 2x2x3
z y2 R U R2 // Now I have both red F2L pairs, and the cross edge sovled
U' B U2 B' U R U2 R' // F2L done
R U2 R' U' R U2 L' U R' U' L U // J perm, bolded parts cancel

 

[lucascube]

Holy crap I just got a 24

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

Spoiler

explanation in a bit

I got a 33 mean. 31 on that scramble.

 

[Blake4512]

Holy crap I just got a 24

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

Spoiler

explanation in a bit

I didn't know nubs could get a 24 on FMC...

 

[Torch]

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

Premove: F2 R2
F' L F L [1] U2//2x2x2
F D R' F2 R'//2x2x3+some EO
L' F' L//EO
D' F D' F'//F2L-1
D F' D' F D'//L4C
F2 R2//Correction
R2 F' L' F R2 F' L F//solve 1 corner (cancels three moves)

[1] R' U' L U R U' L' U

Solution: F' L F L R' U' L U R U' L' U' F D R' F2 R' L' F' L D' F D' F' D F' D' F D' F L' F R2 F' L F (36)

I always do two insertions by solving one corner at the end of the skeleton. Worked out pretty well in this case.

 

[brandbest1]

HURRAY PB

From the weekly competition.

Scramble: L' U2 R2 D' L2 F' U2 F' U' R2 D' R2 L2 B2 U' D2 F2 L2 U

Spoiler: Solution

Normal:
R2 * B' U' B R2 B2 - 2x2x2
F2 R F' L2 F R' - 2x2x3
L B' U B - Orient Edges

Inverse:
L' U2 L2 U L' U2 - All but 5 corners

Insert at *: D F' D' B' ^ D F D' B
Insert at ^: B L B' R B L' B' R'

Final Solution: R2 D F' D' L B' R B L' B' R' D F D' U' B R2 B2 F2 R F' L2 F R' L B' U B U2 L U' L2 U2 L (34)

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[TheDubDubJr]

Any advice would be appreciated.

Look at many of the good solutions to that scramble in the Weekly comp.

Spoiler

Also you had a 6move 2x2x2 which isn't bad but there were lots more efficient 2x2x2s (and continuations).
I found a couple 5move 2x2x2s on normal and a 4move 2x2x2 on inverse.

 

[yoshinator]

woooooow, after the 24, I got a 32, then a 27, giving me a mean of 27.66, which (if I got it officially) would place me 5th in the world

The 27:
Scramble: L2 D' F2 U' L2 U L2 F2 U' L2 U2 B D2 F R' F' L2 D' F' L2 B
Solution: B' L2 R B' L2 F D L2 R' B' R z y2 R' U B U B' F' U F U2 L' U2 R U R' U2 L

B' L2 R' L2 F D L2 R' B' R // Easy XXcross
z y2 R' U B U B' // F2L minus 1
F' U F // Setup to winter variation
U2 L' U2 R U R' U2 L // Winter variation PLL skip

 

[cubingallday]

woooooow, after the 24, I got a 32, then a 27, giving me a mean of 27.66, which (if I got it officially) would place me 5th in the world

The 27:
Scramble: L2 D' F2 U' L2 U L2 F2 U' L2 U2 B D2 F R' F' L2 D' F' L2 B
Solution: B' L2 R B' L2 F D L2 R' B' R z y2 R' U B U B' F' U F U2 L' U2 R U R' U2 L

B' L2 R' L2 F D L2 R' B' R // Easy XXcross
z y2 R' U B U B' // F2L minus 1
F' U F // Setup to winter variation
U2 L' U2 R U R' U2 L // Winter variation PLL skip

Isn't that just an R'? I think you did something wrong in the reconstruction

 

[Robert-Y]

Nice! Intuition or block comms or what?

I just tried inserting one of the pairs slightly differently to see what would happen and then I could see that the cube was only a simple 5 moves away from being solved

 

[porkynator]

I've finally managed to get a sub-30 with corner first (Attila-style FMC)

Scramble: L D2 L' U2 B2 L' F2 D2 L2 F2 U2 F' D U L D2 U2 B R2 F2 R
Solution: D B' D2 B2 L' B' L' R2 F' L B' D' L' B F' D R U R' U2 D2 L U' F U2 F2 (26)

First I have found a short corners solution:

U L' B2 U' //First layer corners (4/4)
U L2 U' L' U L' U' L2 //CLL, 2 moves cancel (6/10)

Then I went back and modified that solution adding inner layer moves to preserve/solve some edges; I found 2 possible solutions that solved 4 edges together with the corners wit only 2 more moves:

1. D F' R2 B2 D' B' D' U2 F' D U2 B2
2. D B' D2 B2 L' B' L' R2 F' L R2 B2

Disregarding centres, the second one left a double edge swap and a 4-cycle, so it seemed more promising. Leaving the last two moves undone for better continuation:

D B' D2 B2 L' B' L' R2 F' L //Corners -2 moves, and 4 edges (10/10)
B' D' L' B F' D R //4 more edges, B U2 F2 to solve corners (7/17)
U R' U2 D2 L U' //Last 4 edges + centres (6/23)
F U2 F2 //Solve everything (3/26)

2nd and 3rd step are both setup moves + inner layer move + anti-setup; the 4-cycle needs a single quarter slice move, the double swap a half slice move.

Maybe it's a lucky scramble, but I'm happy with this result