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The FMC thread

How do you even do fmc?

Okay, for an actual reply.

(1) Firstly, you'll want to know how to solve the cube.. duh. CFOP is a fine start for this - know at least 3 look last layer.
(2) Learn Petrus. This is going to be essential to improving at FMC.. you don't need to learn COLL or anything ( not opposed though, it's a very good algset ) just focus on blockbuilding. Blockbuilding blockbuilding blockbuilding. Learn basic EO here since it'll be in the next step.
(3) Learn ZZ. The big take-away from this is going to be EO. It's going to be the the hardest thing you've learned up until this point but stick with it. Note that Petrus EO and ZZ function differently - so try not to confuse them ( Tip: ZZ EO is just Petrus EO with a y' )

Now for the hard part:
(4) Learn Heise/Commutators. This is the first BIG step up in difficulty and is something I still struggle with. The key takeaways here (a) becoming more flexible with your blockbuilding and (b) learning basic commutators. Commutators are difficult to learn and can often be confusing. You can learn the basic structure of commutators in around 15 algs, however, you'll only ever really need to implement 8-movers. Oh yeah.. Heise step 3 is weird and I still don't really know how to do it - can't really help here ( I think you use 'wide' comms here but I don't really know ) .
(5) Learn insertions. It's too much work to explain now but this should be the basic roadmap to FMC.
 
I do cfop with minor block building for FMC and i really like the event. What should I do to get better? bytheway, i do not know what i average for move count.

(1) See my last post (2) Do lots of example solves/ FMC attempts
 
Scramble: R' U' F L' B2 U L' D L2 B' U R2 D2 B2 U2 B2 R' U2 F2 B2 L' D2 L2 F R' U' F
Solution:

y R' U' D B // EO
D R2 U R' U R U // First Block
L' R2 D2 R D L2 R2 // F2L-1
U R U2 R' // L4C
D B' D' F2 D B D' F2 // COMM-1
U' L D' L' U L D L' U // COMM-2

Ao5 39.2. Officially sub-40!! Possible 33 with proper insertions. Any tips on how to do insertions with L4C - wasted 15 minutes playing around with stickers?
 
I am have been getting more into FMC recently and want to become sub 35. I currently use blockbuilding to get to F2L-1 in Roux Style, in squares, through just F2L pairing, and with psuedo blocks for all of these techniques. I use skeleton half the time and will sometimes do insertions (with rNISS) because it helps me visualize better than insertion stickers), and for the other half I either do some setup to a good ELL, ZBLL, or something else. I think I just need to get better at block building (I usually get to F2L-1 with EO in 15-25 moves) and practice my techniques more, but I am not sure if that is the right way to progress. Is there anything else I can do to improve? Thank you.
 
I am have been getting more into FMC recently and want to become sub 35. I currently use blockbuilding to get to F2L-1 in Roux Style, in squares, through just F2L pairing, and with psuedo blocks for all of these techniques. I use skeleton half the time and will sometimes do insertions (with rNISS) because it helps me visualize better than insertion stickers), and for the other half I either do some setup to a good ELL, ZBLL, or something else. I think I just need to get better at block building (I usually get to F2L-1 with EO in 15-25 moves) and practice my techniques more, but I am not sure if that is the right way to progress. Is there anything else I can do to improve? Thank you.
Learn DR. It might seem complicated but if you know DR and HTR you can be sub 30
 
Scramble: R' U' F L' F2 L D' R U' D L R2 F2 U2 F' B2 D2 R2 F B2 D2 R2 U2 R' U' F

Skeleton:

F (1) D2 U' B' // EO (4)
F2 D2 F2 // 1x2x3 (3/7)
L D F2 R' U' // F2L-1 (5/12)
R2 U R U R' U2 (2) R U' // L4C (8/20)

Insertions:

(1) B R F R' B' R F' R' (8)
(2) L D' L' U' L D L' U (8)

36 HTM. Not bad - found a 34 after the fact and Insertion Finder gave a 32 optimal. Will play around to see if I can find the 32 on my own.
New PB Mo3- 36.67
 
Scramble: R' U' F L' D L2 F2 U2 L2 B D B F2 D2 R' U2 R2 B2 D2 L' B2 D2 F2 R' U' F

Skeleton:

U R' U' R' B R2 // 2x2x2 (6)
F' L' // 2x2x3 (2/8)
D2 F' D' F D' R' D R // Pair 3 (8/16)
D' L D L' // Pair 4 (4/20)
B' (1) D' B D B R' B' R D // OLL (9/29)

"Insert ":

(1) F' L' F2 D2 F2 D2 F2 D2 L F // 2e2e (10/39)

Couldn't find a good 2e2e insert. Frustrated. Still sub-40 which is good for consistency.
 
Last edited:
B2 F2 U' L2 D' F2 D2 U2 F L2 D' R B D' R' F' D B D'

y2 U' R' F D' R' D
y' R' U' R U2 L U L'
U' R' F U' F' R
U' R' U2 R' D' R U2 R' D R2 U'
 
What are the beginner friendly resources?

(1) If you're a part of the discord server I recommend looking at the resource tab
(2) SpeedSkweber just posted a video above - worth a shot

For me - I just learned SSC. Make sure you have a strong grasp on EO. Guimond is also helpful to know since that's where you get a lot of CO triggers - R U R', R U' R', R U2 R', etc. For the CO portion you really just using Corner Influence. If you're lazy you can use WV (SLS for SSC). Of course it is far better to understand/track what these algs do rather than simply just using them.

Note: this is all advice for getting TO a domino reductive state.. not what to do afterwards ( top solvers use HTR - something that I don't know anything about ).
You'll probably have to struggle through it a bit. Like most FMC techniques, it's going to take a bunch of experimentation.

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

F D2 F // EO
D' L // 3 Psuedo Pairs
F2 U2 D2 // Setup into CO
L' U2 L // CO trigger

Also try out this https://cubingapp.com/nissy
 
R' U' F R B2 D2 F2 B2 R' L' B2 U2 R D' F' B' D' L2 D' R L2 F2 B R' U' F

Skeleton:

F2 U D L' F' R' F2 // 2x2x2 (7)
R' @ U R L' U L // 2x2x3 (6/13)
U2 B R' U' R B R' U2 R // 1x2x2 + EO (9/22)
U' B L U L' U L U2 L' U' // 3c (10/32)

@ R' U L U' R U L' U' // Insert

Final Solution: F2 U D L' F' R' F2 R2 U L U' R U L2 R U L U2 B R' U' R B R' U2 R U' B L U L' U L U2 L' U'

First optimal insert :)
 
Got a really good solve (21) for an old fewest-moves.info weekly scramble #381:

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

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

(U F R' D' B') //DR-4C2E 5/21
(D2 R' D2 L' F L2 F) //DR(2qt) 12/21
B2 R B2 R' //HTR 16/21
F2 U2 D2 F2 D2 F2 //Direct finish 22/21

1 move cancels between normal and inverse. 21/21

First found F2 B2 D2 B2 U2 D2 for the ending but then did it in different order to end in F2 in order to cancel that 1 extra move.


Also accidentally found a 20-move 3 corners skeleton from the same DR. :D
After DR: (U2 F2 B2 U2 L' B2 L U2)
 
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