# Axis cube Hardware: YJ KingKong/New Axis, QiYi 3x3x3 Axis I definitely underestimated this one. It's supposed to be merely a funny-looking 3x3x3, right? However, there's a few complications: - The center pieces look like pointy corners, have two colors and can be twisted. This requires an extra algorithm to fix twisted centers. Alternatively, the center caps can be removed and put back with the correct orientation, but that'd be cheating. - The corner and edge pieces look different depending which side of the cube you're working on, making recognition of a partially solved state a lot more difficult. The last layer is particularly annoying since it's hard to tell whether a face is correctly oriented or not. - Due to the weird axes and pointy bits, the cube does not move smoothly and locks up regularly. This happened both with the YJ and QiYi cubes and it messes with my solves. - This cube convinced me that I will not bother getting a ghost cube # Maltese Gear Cube Hardware: Meffert's Maltese Gear Cube When I saw this one on Oskar van Deventen's YouTube channel, I pretty much had to get it. So pretty. In terms of looks it resembles a holey 2x2x2 with swirly petals. In terms of difficulty, it's just evil for several reasons: - The 8 corners solve just like a 2x2x2, but besides 24 flower petals, there's also a 6 square centers and 12 edges to consider and they all move independently - The flower petals and the edges have four possible orientations - The center and edge pieces can be swapped - Turning a side four times doesn't result in the original position, you need to turn another four times. This makes algorithms very long. - Turning is smoother than with the LanLan void cube, but it still locks up occasionally, which messes with the long algorithms. - There are parity issues with the edge orientation step. I've found [a solution on Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/Cubers/comments/10ndide/maltese_gear_cube_full_solution/) and it still took me two days to solve it. Below is a reproduction of the solution with some additional notes, corrections and findings: ## Step 1: Solve the 8 corners Do this as with a 2x2x2. For example: - Solve the first layer - Permute the corners of the second layer - Orient the corners of the second layer ## Step 2: Permute/orient the 24 flower petals. The following algorithms serve as building blocks: A : R U R' U' R' F R F' A': F R' F' R U R U' R' (this is just A in reverse) Â : L' U' L U L F' L' F (the symmetric version of A) Â': F' L F L' U' L' U L (Â in reverse) XL: R4 D R4 D' R4 XR: R4 D' R4 D R4 XB: R4 U2 R4 U'2 D R4 U2 R4 U'2 D' W : R4 U R4 U' R4 U R4 U' R4 U R4 U' W*: R4 U' R4 U R4 U' R4 U R4 U' R4 U (a flipped version of W) Notation: The `UR` petal is on the `U` face and touches the `R` face, whereas `RU` petal is on the `R` face and touches the `U` face. Using the above algorithms, the following 3-cycle algorithms are created: RF-DF-DL 3-cycle: A' XL A XL RF-DF-DR 3-cycle: A' XR A XR RF-DF-DB 3-cycle: A' XB A XB RF-DF-DL 3-cycle (RF180): A XL A' XL RF-DF-DR 3-cycle (RF180): A XR A' XR RF-DF-DB 3-cycle (RF180): A XB A' XB LF-DF-DL 3-cycle: Â' XL Â XL LF-DF-DR 3-cycle: Â' XR Â XR LF-DF-DB 3-cycle: Â' XB Â XB LF-DF-DL 3-cycle (LF180): Â XL Â' XL LF-DF-DR 3-cycle (LF180): Â XR Â' XR LF-DF-DB 3-cycle (LF180): Â XB Â' XB For example, the `RF-DF-DL` 3-cycle moves the petals at `RF`, `DF` and `DL` in naming order without changing their orientation. There is a `RF180` variant which turns the `RF` petal by 180 degrees. The second half of 3-cycles has been created by mirroring the `A` and `A'` algorithms and is useful to avoid the 3-cycles involving the `DB` petal (due to their greater length compared to the `DL` and `DR` ones). For other petal orientations it's necessary to perform setup moves, with `U` and `U'` being the recommendation. ## Step 3: Place the edges in the edge position. Notation: `L` refers to the center on the `L` face, whereas `LF` refers to the edge between the `L` and `F` faces. The `W` algorithm is useful here, which does the following: - Swap `F` with `B` - Swap `RF` with `LB` - Turn `U` and `D` by 90 degrees It's used with the following setup moves: U-LB swap: F R' W R F' To perform other swaps, use either `XL` or `XR` as setup move rather than `F R'` and `R F'`. ## Step 4: Correct edge parity Count the number of quarter turns necessary to orient all the edges. If this number is even, move on to step 5, if this number is odd do this: R' U F' W F U' R ## Step 5: Orient edges (1/2) This step ensures the cube is back to cube shape. Edges are allowed to be flipped by 180 degrees. Algorithms: BL-FR swap: W BR-FL swap: W* BL-FU swap: (R4 F' R4 F R4) W (R4 F' R4 F R4) BR-FB swap: (R4 F' R4 F R4) W* (R4 F' R4 F R4) BL-FB swap: (R4 F R4 F' R4) W (R4 F R4 F' R4) BR-FU swap: (R4 F R4 F' R4) W* (R4 F R4 F' R4) Rotate both UB and DF: R' W R Due to parity correction in step 4, it's always possible to pair up two edges to be rotated and rotate them both at the same time. ## Step 6: Permutate edges Use the swaps from step 6 to permutate the remaining edges. ## Step 7: Solve centers L-F-R 3-cycle: (U L'2) W (L2 U') B4 (U L'2) W (L2 U') B4 ## Step 8: Orient edges (2/2) DL edge flip: U' R F' W W F R' U # Gear Shift Hardware: Meffert's Gear Shift This one looks like a 2x2x2, with the extra twist that one can pull it apart on each axis to twist the sides independently. Not too hard of a solve. I got lucky initially (just intuitively twist it to line up the first layer, then twist the second layer), but needed a tutorial for a subsequent scramble. [The KewbzUK](https://ukspeedcubes.co.uk/blogs/solutions/how-to-solve-a-gear-2x2-gearshift) one is pretty good, summarized below. Note that "twist a layer" means to pull a layer out, twist it and pull it back in. ## Step 1: Intuitive solve - Align two corners by twisting a layer until any of them match up - Put layers together, pull them apart on an unsolved axis and twist it until a full layer is solved - If done correctly, either one big and/or one small corner remain to be solved - For the case of both a big and small corner, perform both step 2a and 2b ## Step 2a: Solve a small corner - Determine into which direction it needs to be twisted and how many times (typically by 2 teeth) - Rotate cube so that the twisted small corner is on the front-bottom-right - Twist the front layer until the big corner on the front-up-right has been turned that many full rotations (so 2 full revolutions) - Twist the right layer until the big corner on the front-up-right has been turned that many full rotations (again 2 full revolutions) - Twist the top layer as often as needed until the front-up-right sides are solved ## Step 2b: Solve a big corner Analogous to step 2a, but to rotate the twisted big piece by 2 teeth, 1 revolution is necessary. Any odd number of teeth is not solvable.