The first stage was the longest, because I had to detail the entire method. From here on out, though, stages will consist of a few improvements to steps you already know.
Step 1: New Cubeshapes
First of all, I’m going to teach you a few new cubeshapes. In stage 1, I taught you how to do a few of the easiest cubeshapes. Now I’m going to teach you a few more easy ones.
Shield/Square: do/3,0/1,0/6,0 to generate this shape. To solve, hold it like this and slice to get fist/fist. Remember that the mirror solves the same way.
Muffin/Square: Do /3,0/1,3/6,0. Hold like pictured and slice to get fist/fist. The trick is to make sure that the flat side of the muffin is not aligned with a flat side of the square.
Scallop/Kite: do 1,1/-3,0/-1,-2/ to generate. It’s symmetric, so split it down the middle You’ll end up with fist/fist.
Step 2: Adjacent/Adjacent EO
Here’s an easy step: adjacent/adjacent EO.
Position it like this and do (1,0)/(3,0)/(-1,-1)/(-3,0)
Step 3: CP Tweaking
As you may have noticed, every CP alg is made up of 90 degree turns, or multiples of 3. As such, each alg does combinations of N and J permutations.The great thing about these algorithms is that they can be “tweaked” in order to change edge permutation. Take, for example, J/J. This algorithm as you know it is /-3,0/3,3/0,-3/. It permutes the puzzle like this:
But what if you run into its mirror, like this?
If you applied the algorithm as you know it, you would end up with U/U. Instead, what you can do is misalign both layers by preceding the algorithm with (1,-1). So the full algorithm is 1,-1/-3,0/3,3/0,-3/. With next to no effort, you turned a U/U into an EP skip.
How about this:
If you did the normal algorithm, you’d have an H perm left. But by misaligning U (with (1,0)), you can skip EP altogether.
There are 2 possible alignments of each layer, for a total of 4 different permutations with the same algorithm. This means that without learning any additional algorithms, you just QUADRUPLED your number of EP skips.
But that isn’t all. What if you get this case?
Look at the blocks. If you misalign both layers before performing the CP algorithm, you can preserve two edges in each layer, and end up with adj/adj EP instead of a nasty W/W.
This trick can be applied to nearly every permutation. Every connected block you preserve is a solved edge in EP. There is no square-1 technique that can cut so much time with so little effort. Between the 4 times likelihood of EP skips and the ability to force easy EPs, you will see seconds drop off your average in no time.
Step 4: New EPs
Now it’s time to learn a few more EPs. The eventual goal is to know full (nonparity) EP, but it takes a while. I’m going to teach you a few algs at a time, from most common to least common. This stage there are 6.
Opposite/Adjacent:
This alg swaps UF and UB, and DR and DB. Hold the puzzle like shown and do 1,0/0,-1/0,-3/-1,0/6,0/1,0/0,3/0,1/
Next to learn are the U perms.
Counter Clockwise U-Perm: Hold it like so (solved side on front, opposite edge on left) and do 1,0/0,-3/-1,0/3,0/1,0/0,3/-1,0/-3,0/
Clockwise U-perm is similar. Hold it like this and do /3,0/1,0/0,-3/-1,0/-3,0/1,0/0,3/. Notice that both U-perm algorithms consist of the same two conjugates. Both times, the D move is -3 the first time and 3 the second time.
This EP is called O/Opposite. The O perm can go in either direction, but the solution is basically the same. The alg is nice and intuitive. Remember M2? Do M2 U M2 U M2. That will solve the case pictured above. If you want an actual alg, it’s 1,0/-1,-1/3,0/1,1/3,0/-1,-1/. The clockwise version is done the same but with (-3,0)s instead (U’s instead of Us)
H perm: This alg is exactly like the 3×3 alg. Do M2 U M2 U2 M2 U M2, or 1,0/-1,-1/3,0/1,1/6,0/-1,-1/3,0/1,1/
Z perm: This alg is the same as the Z perm on a Void Cube, but it messes up centers on a regular 3×3. Do M2 U M2 U’ M2, or 1,0/-1,-1/3,0/1,1/-3,0/-1,-1/
Continue to use multiple algorithms to solve each EP if necessary, but throw these ones in to turn some 3 alg cases into 2 alg cases (and obviously solve all these cases in 1)
Step 5: Opp//opp and Adj//Adj
As I progressed, I began to HATE having to flip the E slice after half my solves. For every optimal algorithm on square-one, there is an algorithm exactly one twist longer that has the opposite effect on the E slice. At this point, since you should be doing nearly every EP as a combination of opp/opp and adj/adj, it will make your life a lot easier if you learn an alg for each that flips E. I denote these cases with a double slash.
Opp//opp is solved with 1,0/5,-1/-5,1/ . Note that this is actually one twist SHORTER than the alg you know. This is the true optimal opp/opp.
Adj//adj is done with 0,-1/-3,0/1,1/-4,-1/6,0/ .
Try to fix E with the first EP alg you perform, then finish with normal algs.