How to Solve a Megaminx

How to Solve a Megaminx

The Megaminx is intrinsically similar to the Rubik’s cube but features a dodecahedron-shaped face. Its solution requires much of the same algorithms of the 3x3x3 cube with a few extra ones thrown in at later stages. Here’s what you’ll need to do to solve a Megaminx.

To start solving the Megaminx you are going to want to use the ‘white cross method’ used when starting a Rubik’s Cube. The difference here is that you are aiming for a white star instead. Let’s use the standard FRU (front, right, upper) notation you are probably used to, to denote the turns required for each algorithm with apostrophes marking anticlockwise turns. Note the inclusion of left, down and back sides contained within the FRU notation as we will be using these moving forward.

Build a white star on top by filling in the gaps between the white and side centers with the matching colors. Next up, you’ll need to fill in the edge pieces, which should be easy enough given that it is the same premise as a Rubik’s Cube. With only the corners of your white star remaining, follow the Rubik’s method of moving the white corners into place.

Up until now, you should have been able to follow the Rubik’s Cube methods in order to build a white star on one face of the Megaminx. Now, we move onto the second layer. Place the solved star face-down and follow the left and right algorithms listed below in order to place the edges of the second face.

Left algorithm:

U’ L’ U L U F U’ F’

Right algorithm:

U R U’ R’ U’ F’ U F

You may run into a problem where the piece you need is in the correct place but oriented wrong. In this case, follow this algorithm to move it into place:

U R U’ R’ U’ F’ U F U2 U R U’ R’ U’ F’ U F

Once these edges are completed you can move the corners into place as before. Now onto the third layer of the Megaminx. This marks the first part of the solution in which you may need a little help. By using the following left/right algorithms you can move the edge pieces into place.

Left algorithm (2):

F’ R’ F’2 R F

Right algorithm (2):

F L F2 L’ F’

Again, once your edges are complete, use the same method used for the white corners to complete your third layer. At this point, we need to revisit the methods used previously to place the first layer corners and second layer. This is simply done exactly the same as before.

Now onto the top star, we can use what is known as the ‘yellow cross method’ when solving a Rubik’s Cube, except here, we make a cross. Here, you look for three shapes: a dot, a horizontal line and an L. Follow the algorithm below repeating it three times for a dot, twice for an L, and once for a line.

Yellow Cross algorithm:

F R U R’ U’ F’

Once you have a star formed on top, it’s a matter of cycling the edges. Use the ‘yellow cross method’ for swapping edges but with one tweak as listed below:

Clockwise:

 R U R’ U R U3 R’ U

Anticlockwise:

U’ R U2 R’ U’ R U’ R’

Just two more steps to complete before you master the Megaminx. First, let’s cycle the corners on the last layer. Follow these two algorithms to get them in place:

Clockwise:

 L’ U2 R U’2 – L U2 R’ U’2

Anticlockwise:

R U’2 L’ U2 – R’ U’2 L U2

Annoyingly, this final step is the hardest one of this method. Orienting the corners of the final side involves using the same method for the 3×3 cube using the following algorithm (D denoting down as used in the standard FRU notation described earlier)

R’ D’ R D (repeat over and over until you find the correct placement of each corner)

After you have all corners in place, it’s just a matter of rotating the top layer to complete the puzzle.

Doing so will result in a finished Megaminx, well done.