SSC (Shadowslice Snow Columns) 3x3x3 Method

[Terence Tan]

Sorry, for bumping this thread, but I do believe this method has potential. I’ve been using No More PLL method for a while now (a method created by CriticalCubing, check it out please), but I’ve realised that the method is not my style and I’m getting quite depressed using it (jk, but you know what I mean). Plus, this method looks better than it too. The SSC-M method is more like what I’m looking at and seems great! I’ve looked at the ECE thread too and I’m currently practising the Original variant, the best for me. Please check that one out too. I’m trying to switch to this as a main method as I’ve been eyeing it off for a week now and I’m getting sub-30 times already. I WILL be posting a YouTube video on this method soon as I can (a week from now). Hopefully, I can be the one to prove this method’s potential eventually! Thank you to those who created this method as now I’m on a journey of my own!!

EDIT:The video II’ll be posting will be quite in depth with parts to it as well since there aren’t many videos with the metho in-depth.

EDIT 2: I’ve personally also thought columns first methods could be fast, but PCMS and others just aren’t my style. This method is just perfect!

Wish you luck! I've wanted to learn this method for awhile but I never got to it, I'll be learning too!

 

[The Pocket Cuber]

Wish you luck! I've wanted to learn this method for awhile but I never got to it, I'll be learning too!

Great!

This method was invented in 2015, got popularity in 2016 and it slowly died in 2017. This thread barely has any life anymore but I’m willing to bring it back! The best SSC and ECE solvers seem to not be either using the method or not really competiting. (Many would disagree, but this is just my opinion). I believe this method can be brought back to life. I will do everything to try to make this method viable again. Hopefully, more can use this method than ever!

 

[sqAree]

I know at least someone else who is learning the method right now.

 

[The Pocket Cuber]

I know at least someone else who is learning the method right now.

Great! SSC looks like it can come back to life!! Can’t wait to get decent at it though.. Maybe by Australian Nats.

 

[1001010101001]

Snip

Did you try NMP-ZZ where you do EOLine with ULUR at the start? That one is quite fun, more fun than CFOP NMP

 

[The Pocket Cuber]

Did you try NMP-ZZ where you do EOLine with ULUR at the start? That one is quite fun, more fun than CFOP NMP

I haven’t. I will look at it. I will try to stick to this method though, I believe the potential is wild!

EDIT: I understand what ZZ NMP is now and that was what I was doing earlier. No More PLL is still a great method and I recommend everyone checks it out. I can get 20 second times with it at the moment. But of course, this thread is about SSC, and I do think SSC is as good as CFOP and so is NMP. Overall, I do think SSC has more potential than he others so that’s why I’m switching.

 

[SomeRandomZZUser]

How well researched is the last eight edges step? At the time when this method was being developed, the thing that was holding me back from learning this method was the fact that I couldn't find the alg-set that permuted corners and put edges in the correct layers (I don't remember what it's name is atm).

 

[sqAree]

How well researched is the last eight edges step? At the time when this method was being developed, the thing that was holding me back from learning this method was the fact that I couldn't find the alg-set that permuted corners and put edges in the correct layers (I don't remember what it's name is atm).

Not at all I believe, as everyone uses the two blocks -> PLL variant instead of the Square-1 -> LEE approach.

 

[Terence Tan]

I actually use the square-1 LEE variant

CP algorithms are just Square 1 algs.

 

[shadowslice e]

Not at all I believe, as everyone uses the two blocks -> PLL variant instead of the Square-1 -> LEE approach.

I do CP->LEE on the occasion I actually do SSC

 

[Greenfrog]

Hey!

Couple of questions, what is the alg set name of the algs that permute the corners while separating the edges? Where can I find them?
Can OL5c be learned intuitively, by tracking certain pieces?

Thanks!

 

[shadowslice e]

Hey!

Hi!

Couple of questions, what is the alg set name of the algs that permute the corners while separating the edges? Where can I find them?

This sort of rings a bell but I'm not sure I've ever specifically heard of it. Where did you?

Can OL5c be learned intuitively, by tracking certain pieces?

There is probably a way to do this though I would lean to just learning the algs as that would probably be easier than any such system of tracking that would be akin to lse or VHLS. If you want to develop your own system though, go for it!

 

[Greenfrog]

Permute (solve in relation to each other) the corners while separating the edges (so yellow edges face down and white edges face up): this has 48 algorithms and can all be learnt.

Thanks for the reply man!
The quote is from page 1 of this post and is in the last 'Spoiler', step 4.
Awesome thanks, they are only short algs so won't be too hard to remember.
There aren't many tutorials out there on these cool methods but I love noodling around with abstract ways of solving. May try to figure out a system!

 

[chronondecay]

Hi all, sorry for the massive necropost, but I've generated the full sets of algs for all steps in the EZD variant, available in this spreadsheet.

• There are several algs which seem to be new (at least in the context of SSC). Some of my favourites are:
  • R2U'F2U2R2U'R2F2 for J/J corner perm + FR/BR swap
  • F2r2UM2U'R2F2 for Ua/Ub PBL
• OL5C cases are different from sqAree's set for better recognition, while retaining optimal STM movecount.
• Several CPBL cases have shorter algs than their Sq-1 CP counterparts.
• As far as I can tell, this is the first complete set of EZD algs, including parity. (Maybe people familiar with Roux would know these? Let me know)

Having these alg sets also makes it possible to calculate average movecounts for each substep from OL5C onwards:

• OL5C: 7.2
• CPBL: 13.7
• LEE (EZD): 16.8
• LEE (Roux-style): 15.8

Note that these figures would vary slightly from person to person, depending on which moves you want to count as 1 ETM (eg. U'D' is 1 move for me), how many angles you can do the algs from (for CPBL and EZD), and whether you can predict and cancel moves between substeps. However, these figures show that Roux-style LEE turn out to be more efficient than edge separation+EZD, which I think some people have already suspected.

Also, this shows that CPBL+LEE takes over 29 moves on average to finish the solve from Domino reduction; this puts my estimate for the average movecount of SSC close to 50; or maybe I'm just really bad at making pseudotriple+pseudopair?

A side note about the CPETL proposal earlier in this thread: I'm pretty doubtful about the claim that there are only 48 cases. The skip probability is 1/5040, so each CPETL case has probability at most 16/5040 = 1/315 (16 comes from U/D rotations), and so there should be slightly more than 315 cases, comparable to some large F2L LL sets, and so probably much less feasible than previously thought.

(Yes, you don't have to inform me that I'm working on a long-dead method; I'm enjoying myself anyway. Domino reduction is just way too cool as an intermediate state for me to stop thinking about SSC.)

 

[GodCubing]

• LEE (EZD): 16.8
• LEE (Roux-style): 15.8

I assume these movecount are for SCC-O, but I wonder what they would be like for SSC-M

 

[Silky]

Hi all, sorry for the massive necropost, but I've generated the full sets of algs for all steps in the EZD variant, available in this spreadsheet.

• There are several algs which seem to be new (at least in the context of SSC). Some of my favourites are:
  • R2U'F2U2R2U'R2F2 for J/J corner perm + FR/BR swap
  • F2r2UM2U'R2F2 for Ua/Ub PBL
• OL5C cases are different from sqAree's set for better recognition, while retaining optimal STM movecount.
• Several CPBL cases have shorter algs than their Sq-1 CP counterparts.
• As far as I can tell, this is the first complete set of EZD algs, including parity. (Maybe people familiar with Roux would know these? Let me know)

Having these alg sets also makes it possible to calculate average movecounts for each substep from OL5C onwards:

• OL5C: 7.2
• CPBL: 13.7
• LEE (EZD): 16.8
• LEE (Roux-style): 15.8

Note that these figures would vary slightly from person to person, depending on which moves you want to count as 1 ETM (eg. U'D' is 1 move for me), how many angles you can do the algs from (for CPBL and EZD), and whether you can predict and cancel moves between substeps. However, these figures show that Roux-style LEE turn out to be more efficient than edge separation+EZD, which I think some people have already suspected.

Also, this shows that CPBL+LEE takes over 29 moves on average to finish the solve from Domino reduction; this puts my estimate for the average movecount of SSC close to 50; or maybe I'm just really bad at making pseudotriple+pseudopair?

A side note about the CPETL proposal earlier in this thread: I'm pretty doubtful about the claim that there are only 48 cases. The skip probability is 1/5040, so each CPETL case has probability at most 16/5040 = 1/315 (16 comes from U/D rotations), and so there should be slightly more than 315 cases, comparable to some large F2L LL sets, and so probably much less feasible than previously thought.

(Yes, you don't have to inform me that I'm working on a long-dead method; I'm enjoying myself anyway. Domino reduction is just way too cool as an intermediate state for me to stop thinking about SSC.)

Welp awesome! I've been deving some stuff for SSC in the last few months so this is perfect timing (I'm the current best SSC user..well more like only)! Regenned SLS and made a sheet. We can make a megadocx if you'd like. Also genning Edge Orientation + Separation algs. EOS may make EZD more efficient so that's something to consider. Feel free to DM me!!

For future developments I've been looking at TLSE, EZD+1, and possible some PBL stuff.

On a personal note I super appreciate what you've done. I fell in love with this method a few years ago and I'm so glad to see people interested in its development <3

 

[Silky]

Mini-update: I just finished genning EZD+1 algs for SSC (shout out to batch solver). There are 288 in total (337 with EZD) and averages 8.33 moves. Movecount is based on it being genned with <U M D S R r> so this could change with optimization of algs. Will start working on a docx for it and will also work to cross-reference the algs with cubexplorer. With an average 3 move edge separation it looks to average 13-14 moves after CPBL. EZD+1 looks like it has the most potential for the SSC-O variant. Fixes the edge separation problem which is awesome. I'm also genning EOS. Not sure sure how many algs it will be but there are 19 EO cases so it will be 150+ algs at least. With edge control the cases will be reduced (e.g. 3-1 and 1-3 cases are just an x2 or M2 D M2 away). Think both of these will be very good addition to the method as it gives alg lovers some options. I'm especially excited for EZD+1, watch out Squan solvers

 

[Silky]

So here's my final Shadowslice Last Slot algsheet. It's in PDF format so it can be easily downloaded/printed. Enjoy! If anyone wants to add it to the wiki be my guest. For each case, algs are listed based on MCC. Algs which are in bold preserve EO.

Cheers!!