Rubik's UFO

II. Solve the Gray Face


1. Connect One Set of Lights Together

Assuming the worst-case senerio; there are NO gray wedges that are matched together. In this case try to find 2 wedges with the same colored lights that are at least NEXT to each other. If you do, then:

Position the wedges
that are "almost together"
at the upper-left sector...
Do the move: ...to end up with
a single set of lights.

/-1/-1/+1/-1
/-1/+2/+1/+1

If you cannot find a pair of wedges that are "almost connected", then try this instead (there is no setup here; just make sure you are looking at the gray face)...

Do the move:

/-1/-1/+1/-1
/-1/+2/+1/+1

Now at least one pair
of wedges with the
same colored lights
are next to each other.

...Guaranteed! Afterwards, go back to the very first chart above to connect at least one set of lights.

What the move does:

It swaps the wedges in the upper-left sector. It also swaps around other wedges as well, but for now we don't care about the fate of those wedges. Here's an interesting note: What would happen if you repeated this move two times, or three times, or even four times?


2. Connect Another Set of Lights

Question: what if I already have THIS?

Look at the diagram at the left; it looks like you already have two sets of lights connected together. But while solving the UFO, you have to keep connecting wedges that are all NEXT to each other, not split apart like in that example. You can only work with one matched pair while sacrificing the other, so continue to:

Position the two wedges
that are solved at the
upper-right sector...
REPEAT the move: ...until half of the
gray face is solved.

/-1/-1/-2
/-1/-2/-2

What the move does:


It keeps the upper-right sector at bay, but rotates the other 4 wedges around. After repeating the move so many times, another matching wedge will eventually land next to that sector, connecting another set of lights. You may have to repeat this sequence three times.


3. Solve the Rest of the Puzzle


CASE I:
Clockwise Swap

Set Up: Do the Move: Result:
Rotate the gray face
until the 3 fixed wedges
are on the left half.

+1/-1/-2/
-1/-2/-1/
-2/-1/+1

The UFO is solved.


CASE II: Counter
Clockwise Swap

Set Up: Do the Move: Result:
Rotate the gray face
until the 3 fixed wedges
are on the left half.

-1/-2/-2/-1/
-2/-2/-1/+1/

The UFO is solved.


CASE III:
Single Swap

Set Up: Do the Move: Result:
Rotate the gray face
until the two wedges
that need to be swapped
are at the upper-left sector.

[/-1/-1/+1/-1
/-1/+2/+1/+1]
... x3

The UFO is solved.
(repeat the move
inside the backets
three times.)


CASE IV:
Wide Swap

Set Up: Do the Move: Result:
Rotate the gray face
until the two wedges
that need to be swapped
are both on the left half.

[/-1/-1/+1/-1
/-1/+2/+1/+1]
... x3

This was the same move
that was used on CASE III.
Three wedges on the
gray face still need to be
swapped counter-clockwise,
so go back to CASE II.


CASE V:
Double Swap

Set Up: Do the Move: Result:
Rotate the gray face
until the 2 fixed wedges
are at the upper-right sector.

[/-1/-1/-2
/-1/-2/-2]
... x2

The UFO is solved.
(repeat the move
inside the backets
twice.)


Solve the Black Face Solve the Gray Face

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