[Help Thread] FMC Discussion

[Montykins]

I was doing a practice fmc and I got this 16 move skeleton, but there are 2 swapped corners, 2 swapped edges and 1 twisted corner. So bad!
Any suggestions?

Premove: R2 L
Scramble: B F2 R' B2 F U' B' D B D U2 L D R D' F D L' D U'
Inverse Scramble: U D' L D' F' D R' D' L' U2 D' B' D' B U F' B2 R F2 B'

R' F' D R2 F // 1x2x3
[SWITCH]
R F L' F R // Pseudo F2L-3 + 1x2x2 + random pair
B L B' U // AB2E+2C+1 Twisted corner

Skeleton: R' F' D R2 F R2 L' U' B L' B' R' F' L F' R'

 

[porkynator]

Can someone find a good way to finish this?
From the current weekly FMC:

Spoiler

Scramble: U2 B D2 L R F' U2 B' R' L2 B U' R' L' D F U R' L2 D2

On normal with premove U':
L2 U2 R' F //2x2x2 -1 move
R D2 R' //2x2x1 -1 move
L' D R' //2x2x3 + 3 pairs

On inverse:
U F' D' F2 //All but 4 pairs

The best I could find was (on normal):
(L B L U B2 D') B (D' B2 U L' B' L')
D

can anyone do better?

 

[sqAree]

Inverse: B' R' L' U R U // AB3E

Skeleton: U' R' U' L * R B
Insert at *: R B L B' L' R' // 2 Moves Cancelled

Solution: U' R' U' L R B L B' L' B // 10 Moves

Same movecount as yours, and I'm pretty sure 10 moves is optimal for this scramble.

If you don't know much about FMC and this solution confuses you a bit, watch Jayden's FMC tutorials on YT. They easily cover all the techniques I just used, and way more.

Thanks for your answer! I have an agreement with a friend to not learn any fmc techniques until January where we will both compete cluelessly in fmc in a real comp. I was just interested for this particular scramble.
I understand your solution, I just wonder why the insert, solving the last 3 edges after U' R' U' L R B would result in the same movecount.

According to an optimal solver, 8 moves is optimal btw: R U' L' R L' R B U'. But I don't understand how I am supposed to find this solution at all.

 

[Brest]

Could someone find a decent continuation for this scramble?

F R' B U R2 B' U D R' U' B2 D2 R L B2 R' F2 L' B2 D2 L

U //Two 2x1x1s (1/1)
R U //2x2x1 (2/3)
B L F' //2x2x2 (3/6)


What I did

Spoiler

D2 B D2 F D' F' //2x2x3 (6/12)
B' R2 U R2 U' //F2L-1 (5/17)
D B' D' R' B2 R // Tripod block (6/23)
B' D B' D' B R' B R //Tripod F2L(8/31)
U B U2 L U L2 B L //Tripod LL(8/39)

39 moves

I couldn't find a very good 2x2x3 and there weren't any helpful EOs that I found, so I made some more blocks.

D R D' R2 D' R2 B D' B // F2L-1

I found some silly finishes from here, but nothing great.

 

[Hssandwich]

Have you tried using the inverse scramble? there is some decent stuff there.

I tried the inverse, as you suggested, and found some decent stuff, but I couldn't find a decent finish:

F R' B U R2 B' U D R' U' B2 D2 R L B2 R' F2 L' B2 D2 L
Inverse: L' B2 D2 L F2 R B2 L' R' D2 B2 U R D' U' B R2 U' B' R F'

On inverse:

2x1x1s: F2

F2 // Two 2x1x1s (1/1)
R' F D' U' L // 2x2x2 (5/6)
B' D' B F' R // 2x2x3 (5/11)
F L' F2 L // F2L-1 (4/15)

 

[irontwig]

I tried the inverse, as you suggested, and found some decent stuff, but I couldn't find a decent finish:

F R' B U R2 B' U D R' U' B2 D2 R L B2 R' F2 L' B2 D2 L
Inverse: L' B2 D2 L F2 R B2 L' R' D2 B2 U R D' U' B R2 U' B' R F'

On inverse:

2x1x1s: F2

F2 // Two 2x1x1s (1/1)
R' F D' U' L // 2x2x2 (5/6)
B' D' B F' R // 2x2x3 (5/11)
F L' F2 L // F2L-1 (4/15)

Just barely sub-30, but:

F2 R' F D' U' F2 L
U' R2 U R F' R'
F2 R2 F' R'
B' D'
U' R U R' F' R' F R
D B

 

[Hssandwich]

I tried the inverse, as you suggested, and found some decent stuff, but I couldn't find a decent finish:

F R' B U R2 B' U D R' U' B2 D2 R L B2 R' F2 L' B2 D2 L
Inverse: L' B2 D2 L F2 R B2 L' R' D2 B2 U R D' U' B R2 U' B' R F'

On inverse:

2x1x1s: F2

F2 // Two 2x1x1s (1/1)
R' F D' U' L // 2x2x2 (5/6)
B' D' B F' R // 2x2x3 (5/11)
F L' F2 L // F2L-1 (4/15)

Oh dear, I screwed up the inverse scramble..... It should be D2 B2 instead of B2 D2 :fp

 

[Cale S]

Can someone find a good way to finish this?
From the current weekly FMC:

Spoiler

Scramble: U2 B D2 L R F' U2 B' R' L2 B U' R' L' D F U R' L2 D2

On normal with premove U':
L2 U2 R' F //2x2x2 -1 move
R D2 R' //2x2x1 -1 move
L' D R' //2x2x3 + 3 pairs

On inverse:
U F' D' F2 //All but 4 pairs

The best I could find was (on normal):
(L B L U B2 D') B (D' B2 U L' B' L')
D

can anyone do better?

Here's a 23 with a variation of your start:

Spoiler

(U) L2 U2 R' F
R D2 % R'
D L' R'
D F' D2 F D F2 D F // to L3C

insert at %: [D2, R U2 R']

 

[Montykins]

Thanks for your answer! I have an agreement with a friend to not learn any fmc techniques until January where we will both compete cluelessly in fmc in a real comp. I was just interested for this particular scramble.
I understand your solution, I just wonder why the insert, solving the last 3 edges after U' R' U' L R B would result in the same movecount.

According to an optimal solver, 8 moves is optimal btw: R U' L' R L' R B U'. But I don't understand how I am supposed to find this solution at all.

Haha ok maybe I'm not as good at pyra fmc as I thought! Still good fun though

 

[porkynator]

Here's a 23 with a variation of your start:

Spoiler

(U) L2 U2 R' F
R D2 % R'
D L' R'
D F' D2 F D F2 D F // to L3C

insert at %: [D2, R U2 R']

That's actually what I've submitted in the end, but I was curious if anyone could find a good way to solve that 4+4 cycle

 

[EMI]

I was doing a practice fmc and I got this 16 move skeleton, but there are 2 swapped corners, 2 swapped edges and 1 twisted corner. So bad!
Any suggestions?

Premove: R2 L
Scramble: B F2 R' B2 F U' B' D B D U2 L D R D' F D L' D U'
Inverse Scramble: U D' L D' F' D R' D' L' U2 D' B' D' B U F' B2 R F2 B'

R' F' D R2 F // 1x2x3
[SWITCH]
R F L' F R // Pseudo F2L-3 + 1x2x2 + random pair
B L B' U // AB2E+2C+1 Twisted corner

Skeleton: R' F' D R2 F R2 L' U' B L' B' R' F' L F' R'

R' F' D R2 F R2 L' U' B L' B' R' @ F' L F' R' #
@ = R B L' B L B2 R' U2 (OLL)
# = L B' L' B R' B2 L B' L' B2 R (PLL)

In total: R' F' D R2 F R2 L' U' B L2 B L B2 R' U2 F' L F' R' L B' L' B R' B2 L B' L' B2 R (30)

 

[Jaysammey777]

Help with Insertions

Hi! kinda nooby, I just learned coms and insertions a week or so ago (always knew the idea but never put to practice). And so I have a really nice FMC solve this week (Best skeleton Ive even had), but had to stick the com at the end cause I couldn't find anywhere for it to cancel. Any suggestions?

Spoiler: this is from Weekly Comp 50 FMC

Spoiler

Sramble: F2 U' R U2 F2 U L2 F R' D F U2 D2 F2 R2 D2 R2 B L2 F2
EO-line: F D B U' L B' (6)
psuedo block: F2 B2 L R2 F2 B2 (6/12)
1x2x3 on right: F2 R2 L F2 L' U F2 R2 F2 (9/21) (Edge skip)
L3C: U R U' L' U R' U' L (8/29)
fix psuedo block: L2(1/30)

cancel: F2 B2 F2 = B2 30-28 = 20; L L2 = L' 28-1 = 27

F D B U' L B' F2 B2 L R2 B2 R2 L F2 L' U F2 R2 F2 U R U' L' U R' U' L'

so the com cancles 1 move, but ya couldn't do any better than sticking it at the end :/

 

[CyanSandwich]

Hi! kinda nooby, I just learned coms and insertions a week or so ago (always knew the idea but never put to practice). And so I have a really nice FMC solve this week (Best skeleton Ive even had), but had to stick the com at the end cause I couldn't find anywhere for it to cancel. Any suggestions?

Spoiler: this is from Weekly Comp 50 FMC

Spoiler

Sramble: F2 U' R U2 F2 U L2 F R' D F U2 D2 F2 R2 D2 R2 B L2 F2
EO-line: F D B U' L B' (6)
psuedo block: F2 B2 L R2 F2 B2 (6/12)
1x2x3 on right: F2 R2 L F2 L' U F2 R2 F2 (9/21) (Edge skip)
L3C: U R U' L' U R' U' L (8/29)
fix psuedo block: L2(1/30)

cancel: F2 B2 F2 = B2 30-28 = 20; L L2 = L' 28-1 = 27

F D B U' L B' F2 B2 L R2 B2 R2 L F2 L' U F2 R2 F2 U R U' L' U R' U' L'

so the com cancles 1 move, but ya couldn't do any better than sticking it at the end :/

That was the optimal insertion, using insertion finder. You missed a cancellation in your skeleton though; B' F2 B2 could be B F2.

 

[Jaysammey777]

That was the optimal insertion, using insertion finder. You missed a cancellation in your skeleton though; B' F2 B2 could be B F2.

thats a pretty cool site, so it works with multiple cycles?

and also :< dang I cant believe my PB could have been even shorter

 

[CyanSandwich]

thats a pretty cool site, so it works with multiple cycles?

and also :< dang I cant believe my PB could have been even shorter

Yeah, it works with up to 4 insertions.

 

[EMI]

Official 24 from two weeks ago.
Scramble: F2 D2 L' F' U' R F' U D B' R2 F2 L U2 B2 R2 F2 U2 R' U2
At a first glance, it looks fine with these two blocks. Turns out though, there is no simple way to use them at all (neither on the normal, nor on the inverse scramble). I didn't find any sub 6 move 2x2x2 blocks and no good EO starts in general.
Then I tried making another block with R'. Then I switched and found a 2x2x2 block in another 5 moves at least:
Block: R'
Switch to inverse, 2x2x2: L' D' B R' D2
From here it looks quite promising! You can make a 2x2x3 with L2 U L (after a total of 9 moves), but I didn't find a good continuation. Then I tried U L F' to make a peudo 2x2x3 (so 10 moves for the 2x2x3), again no good continuation. Then I tried
2x2x3: U L F' L2 F
So we're at 11 moves already, quite much. But there is a super lucky finish:
AB3C: B' U2 L U L' B2 U2 B'
So the skeleton is
R' B U2 B2 L U' L' U2 B F' L2 F L' @ D2 U' R B' D L
@ = L U' L' D L U L' D' cancels 3

Final solution: R' B U2 B2 L U' L' U2 B F' L2 F U' L' D L U L' D U' R B' D L (24)

Funnily, Sébastien and Marcel both found their best solution on this scramble as well, and I think they also used some sort of bad start resulting in a very short finish.
So, sadly just third with 26.67

 

[Mollerz]

Official 26 from Welcome Thay Cambridge last weekend.

Scramble: B2 F' D2 F' L2 U2 F' U' B2 F R' D2 L2 U F2 U R U2

R U2 R B2 // 2x2x2
L2 U2 L2 // 2x2x3 - Seems like everyone found these blocks, pretty much everyone had them on their sheet somewhere. I tried preserving the other pair but didn't find anything whilst doing that. On inverse there was L2 U2 to create a 2x2x3 that I found out about afterwards from Daniel, I'm amazed I didn't see it.
U' F2 U R F U2 F' R' // Squares everywhere - I actually had the intention of just making the WGO square, and not the WBR square. However I noticed by inserting that R move, you just build both squares at once.
F2 U F2 // Solve edges - Pretty lucky to only need to do this after making those squares. This leaves a 2+2 corner cycle.

Insertions: R U2 R B2 L2 U2 L2 U' F2 U R * F U2 F' R' F2 U F2 (18)
* = D2 F ^ U2 F' D2 F U2 F'
^ = F2 U B2 U' F2 U B2 U'

Pretty straight forward. With 2+2 I just go through the solution and look for commutator bits. You can pretty much always cancel 4 or 5, but this one cancels 6, very nice. Second insertion was the best one I found and it cancelled 2 for a total of 8 cancelled.

Final solution: R U2 R B2 L2 U2 L2 U' F2 U R D2 F' U B2 U' F2 U B2 U F' D2 R' F2 U F2

Very pleased with this, was just hoping for my first sub-30 since I've been practicing at home. But this means I overtook Evan in FMC, meaning I no longer have any nemesis! Hooray!

 

[kinch2002]

Welcome Thay Cambridge Open 2015
Scramble: B2 F' D2 F' L2 U2 F' U' B2 F R' D2 L2 U F2 U R U2
Solution: R U2 R B2 L' F L F' L D' L2 D R' D' L D R F' U L2 U L2 F2 U2 F2 - 25 moves

R U2 R B2 // 2x2x2
Switch to Inverse with premoves B2 R' U2 R'
F2 U2 F2 L2 U' L2 U' // F2L-1
F D' L D L' F L' F' L // "ZBLS" leaving 3 corners

Skeleton: R U2 R B2 L' F L F' L D' L' * D F' U L2 U L2 F2 U2 F2 (20)
Insert at * L' D R' D' L D R D' to cancel 3 moves
20 + 8 - 3 = 25 moves

There was lots to experiment with following the 4 move block and I found a few other 21/22 move skeletons.
Jan tied me with 25, but a totally different solution (EO first)

 

[TheCoolMinxer]

first ever fmc attempt at home - PB by 8 moves xD

B2 D' U2 B2 D L2 U2 R2 B2 R2 U2 F' R F' D' B' L' R2 U R U2 (this scramble really sucks)

Inverse: U2 R' U' R2 L B D F R' F U2 R2 B2 R2 U2 L2 D' B2 U2 D B2

I: R' D B L2 U //2x2
N: D2 L U L' U' //2x2x3
I: L' F L2 D L' //EO
F' D F2 D2 // F2L-1
F2 R F R2 D R D' R F' R' // F2L finish
U F U' F U F2 U' // sune pll skip kek

final solution:
D2 L U L' F2 U' F' U F' U' R F R' D R' D' R2 F' R' F2 D2 F2 D' F L D' L2 F' L U' L2 B' D' R (34)

former PB was my official 42 xD Pretty happy because I used some basic fmc concepts, thanks to Kevin

 

[Cale S]

this is kind of cool

R2 B2 D F2 D2 B2 R' F' L2 B L2 B2 U2 D' B2 L2 B2 D B2 U2

Spoiler

I found this solution:

B2 (B' D') // 2x2x2
U2 F U2 // 2x2x3
U' R U2 F2 U' // F2L - 1
F R F' R' // square in LL
D R' D' R // to tripod LL
R' F' R2 U' R' U2 F' U' F2 // tripod LL/pure OLL
final solution: B2 U2 F U R U2 F2 U' F R F' R' D R' D' F' R2 U' R' U2 F' U' F2 D B
25 moves

then I used ksolve to find the optimal LSLL, and it came up with U F U2 R D' U2 F' D2 F' U' F R D'

if you use this, you can get:

B2 (B' D') // 2x2x2
U2 F U2 // 2x2x3
U' R U2 F2 U' // F2L - 1
U F U2 R D' U2 F' D2 F' U' F R D' // LSLL

final solution: B2 U2 F U R U2 F' U2 R D' U2 F' D2 F' U' F R B
18 moves!

Could someone confirm whether or not this is optimal?

also the scramble is from the /r/cubers daily discussion thread