Garf's Progression Thread - Beating Hard Levels in GD (Hardest is Bloodbath)

[Garf]

Alright, since my MGC 7x7 broke, I have a fear of solving it without it popping it.
Also, I feel like I was doing too many events. So I will limit it down to just 3 events:
Square 1, megaminx, and 3-bld.
Goals are the same as last week.

 

[Garf]

View attachment 18605
Here is a picture of the puzzle. It has the Qiyi logo, and the pieces are magnetic. Definitely the Qiyi Wuji M. 90 dollars for a 7x7.

Wait, I just realized that this 7x7 is not the Wuji... it is the budget Dianshang 7x7 M. I seriously thought this was the wuji.
Okay, my jealousy has reduced by 100%

 

[OtterCuber]

Sorry to hear about your accident.

 

[Garf]

Sorry to hear about your accident.

You're talking about the MGC 7, right?

 

[OtterCuber]

You're talking about the MGC 7, right?

The 7x7.

 

[Garf]

The 7x7.

View attachment 18728

Yeah, I managed to superglue the piece pack together. Good thing is that I rarely have to use the piece during my solves.

 

[OtterCuber]

Yeah, I managed to superglue the piece pack together. Good thing is that I rarely have to use the piece during my solves.

Alright, take good care of your puzzles. I see people on YouTube throwing and thrashing their puzzles around, which is not very nice.

 

[Garf]

New 3x3: the GAN 356 M.
This is my first ever personal GAN puzzle. @Cubable and I did a bit of a trade: A yushi v2 and a bell v2 for this puzzle, the Gan 356 M.
Here are my thoughts on the cube:
First turns, the puzzle was rough. But that was because of shipping. After some more usage, the puzzle began to smooth out and speed up. The tensions were weird, so I set them to some lighter tensions, and they work.
2-3 hours before this post, I wiped the lube from the puzzle, added my own angstrom set-up + max command in the core, broke the puzzle in, and now it feels good.
Pros:
-Smooth
-Stable
-Nice exterior plastic

Cons:
-Corner twists like crazy
-Corner-cutting is not the best
-Minimal spring adjustment features, probably have to buy some from TC.
Overall, I think the puzzle is good, but it isn't the best it could be. It might be my main for 3x3, but not for 3-bld.

 

[Eli Apperson]

New 3x3: the GAN 356 M.
This is my first ever personal GAN puzzle. @Cubable and I did a bit of a trade: A yushi v2 and a bell v2 for this puzzle, the Gan 356 M.
Here are my thoughts on the cube:
First turns, the puzzle was rough. But that was because of shipping. After some more usage, the puzzle began to smooth out and speed up. The tensions were weird, so I set them to some lighter tensions, and they work.
2-3 hours before this post, I wiped the lube from the puzzle, added my own angstrom set-up + max command in the core, broke the puzzle in, and now it feels good.
Pros:
-Smooth
-Stable
-Nice exterior plastic

Cons:
-Corner twists like crazy
-Corner-cutting is not the best
-Minimal spring adjustment features, probably have to buy some from TC.
Overall, I think the puzzle is good, but it isn't the best it could be. It might be my main for 3x3, but not for 3-bld.

That's strange that it doesn't corner cut well, when I had it it would easily cut 50 and a line to line in reverse.

 

[Garf]

That's strange that it doesn't corner cut well, when I had it it would easily cut 50 and a line to line in reverse.

Well, I feel the reverse corner cutting is awesome. I had trouble with normal, though.

 

[OtterCuber]

Well, I feel the reverse corner cutting is awesome. I had trouble with normal, though.

How does it compare with the GAN 11 M Pro, if you have one?

 

[Garf]

Don't have one, but the 11 M pro is probably a lot lighter and has more stability. And has more adjustments.

 

[Garf]

Alright, since it is March, and I promised to make a commitment to 3-style corners, here is what I plan to do this week:
-Review all the commutators and make sure I can do them intuitively
-Work on using 3-style in my solves
-Also, as you know it, better memo for corners. So creating and reviewing a letter pair sheet/cards.
I will work on 12 speed solves a day for 3-bld, and many slow solves to actually work on 3-styles. Also work on think-ahead.

 

[Garf]

Megaminx AO5:
Generated By csTimer on 2022-03-03
avg of 5: 1:18.50

Time List:
1. (1:26.07) R-- D-- R-- D-- R-- D-- R++ D++ R++ D-- U'
R++ D-- R++ D-- R++ D++ R-- D-- R++ D++ U
R-- D-- R++ D++ R++ D-- R-- D++ R++ D++ U
R++ D++ R-- D-- R-- D-- R-- D-- R-- D++ U
R-- D-- R-- D-- R++ D++ R-- D-- R-- D-- U'
R++ D++ R++ D++ R-- D++ R-- D++ R++ D++ U
R++ D-- R-- D-- R-- D++ R-- D-- R++ D-- U'

2. 1:22.86 R-- D-- R-- D++ R-- D-- R++ D++ R++ D++ U
R-- D++ R++ D++ R-- D++ R++ D++ R-- D++ U
R-- D++ R++ D-- R-- D-- R-- D-- R++ D++ U
R-- D-- R-- D-- R++ D-- R++ D-- R++ D-- U'
R++ D++ R++ D++ R-- D++ R++ D++ R++ D-- U'
R-- D++ R++ D++ R++ D-- R-- D++ R-- D++ U
R++ D-- R++ D-- R-- D-- R-- D++ R-- D++ U

3. 1:19.14 R++ D++ R++ D-- R-- D++ R-- D++ R-- D-- U'
R++ D-- R++ D-- R-- D-- R-- D-- R-- D++ U
R-- D-- R++ D++ R-- D-- R++ D++ R++ D-- U'
R++ D-- R-- D-- R++ D-- R++ D++ R-- D++ U
R++ D-- R++ D-- R-- D-- R++ D-- R++ D-- U'
R-- D++ R-- D-- R-- D-- R++ D++ R++ D++ U
R-- D-- R++ D++ R++ D-- R-- D++ R-- D-- U'

4. (1:09.67) R-- D-- R++ D-- R++ D-- R-- D++ R++ D++ U
R++ D-- R++ D++ R-- D-- R-- D-- R-- D++ U
R++ D-- R-- D-- R-- D++ R++ D++ R++ D-- U'
R++ D++ R++ D-- R-- D++ R++ D++ R-- D++ U
R-- D++ R++ D++ R-- D-- R-- D-- R++ D-- U'
R-- D-- R++ D-- R++ D-- R++ D-- R++ D-- U'
R-- D-- R-- D++ R-- D++ R-- D++ R-- D++ U

5. 1:13.49 R++ D-- R++ D-- R-- D-- R++ D-- R++ D++ U
R-- D-- R++ D++ R-- D++ R++ D-- R-- D-- U'
R++ D++ R++ D-- R-- D-- R++ D-- R++ D-- U'
R-- D-- R-- D-- R++ D-- R-- D++ R++ D++ U
R-- D++ R++ D++ R-- D++ R++ D++ R-- D-- U'
R++ D-- R-- D-- R++ D++ R-- D++ R++ D-- U'
R-- D++ R-- D++ R-- D++ R-- D-- R-- D++ U

 

[Garf]

I haven't solved this yet, but for a roux solver who wants a PB: D2 L2 B2 U2 R F2 R F2 U2 R2 B2 D F' D B F2 D' B R' B

 

[Garf]

This was tough:
Generated By csTimer on 2022-03-04
avg of 5: 9.79

Time List:
1. (9.67) D' R2 B2 U F2 U2 R2 U' F2 U R F' D U' B' F' D L2 D' R'
2. 9.79 L2 R2 B2 U' B2 F2 L2 U B2 L2 D2 B R F' L B R2 U' F' D F2
3. (11.77) F L' U' D2 B2 D2 L2 B2 L2 B' L2 B R2 B2 U L2 F' R D U2
4. 9.74 D2 L2 B2 U2 R F2 R F2 U2 R2 B2 D F' D B F2 D' B R' B
5. 9.83 F2 D2 L2 U2 L2 F D2 B2 R2 U2 F L' B2 R' B' D' L' F L2 D2

 

[OtterCuber]

Alright, since it is March, and I promised to make a commitment to 3-style corners, here is what I plan to do this week:
-Review all the commutators and make sure I can do them intuitively
-Work on using 3-style in my solves
-Also, as you know it, better memo for corners. So creating and reviewing a letter pair sheet/cards.
I will work on 12 speed solves a day for 3-bld, and many slow solves to actually work on 3-styles. Also work on think-ahead.

Have you already memorized all the 3-style algs?

 

[Garf]

Have you already memorized all the 3-style algs?

I know how to do most of them intuitively, but I want to speed-optimize them so that I can do them like how I do advanced F2L. Right now, it's like doing intuitive F2L.

 

[Garf]

My 3-bld letter pairs: https://quizlet.com/675590608/flash-cards/
This will help me get good at using them in solves. Also the match is awesome

 

[Garf]

New squan AO5 pb:
Generated By csTimer on 2022-03-08
avg of 5: 18.85

Time List:
1. 19.49 (-3,2)/ (-3,0)/ (0,-3)/ (-2,-5)/ (3,0)/ (-4,-4)/ (-2,0)/ (-3,0)/ (-1,0)/ (0,-5)/ (-4,-4)/ (0,-4)/ (-2,0)/
2. 20.23 (3,-1)/ (4,1)/ (-3,0)/ (5,-1)/ (-5,-2)/ (-4,-3)/ (0,-3)/ (4,0)/ (0,-3)/ (0,-4)/ (-2,0)/ (-4,0)/
3. 16.84 (-5,-3)/ (0,6)/ (-1,-1)/ (0,-3)/ (-2,-5)/ (-3,0)/ (0,-4)/ (3,0)/ (3,0)/ (-1,-3)/ (1,-4)/ (6,-4)
4. (26.61) (-2,0)/ (-3,0)/ (2,-1)/ (1,-5)/ (3,-3)/ (-3,0)/ (5,0)/ (6,-3)/ (2,0)/ (4,0)/ (-4,-3)/ (2,0)/
5. (14.64) (1,0)/ (-4,2)/ (-3,6)/ (3,0)/ (-2,-2)/ (-4,0)/ (0,-3)/ (0,-1)/ (0,-4)/ (4,-2)/ (2,0)/ (5,0)/ (-3,-3)/