Since receiving my 4x4x6 the other day, I've been enjoying it immensely. It turns well and is a nice challenge.

I made some video tutorials showing my method of solving it. It's based on the ultimate solution. It's a simple method, namely

• Solve centers
• Pair edges of inner 444
• Place edges of inner 444 [and invert last edge pair if needed]
• Solve corners of inner 444 [and swap corners of inner 444 if needed]
• Pair outer edges
• Place outer edges
• Solve outer corners [and swap outer corners if needed]

You can find it at rubiksultimatesolution.blogspot.com OR My youtube

While it's not a speedcubing method, I think it's quite straightforward and there are no long algorithms to remember.

I hope others will post their solutions here as well.

I solve from the scramble like a 4x4x4 ignoring the wing layers (so centres, edge pairing, cross, F2L, LL). It only becomes cuboid once all the corners are done. I then stand the cuboid on it's 4x4 end and solve the wing layers (and ends) like a 3x3x4 ignoring the middle 2 layers. There is a clever intuitive method for pairing the wing centres that I learned from CrazyBadCuber on YouTube. Otherwise, the algs are all from 4x4x4 and 3x3x4.

I think that edge pairing the discombobulated shape is a blast .

For those who prefer to reduce: it follows that it can be reduced to a 444 and solved as such. It's easier than the 345 in this respect because it's more uniform.

Cheers,
Burgo.

That's a good thought, Burgo. I've solved it like that a few times now and it's a nice method. I feel like it cuts down on the potential parity problems as well. I could be imagining that. Should've made videos using that method.

I wait with baited breath!

Actually, I'm still waiting for you crazy 3x3 reductions for Mars and Saturn! Have you hit a wall?

No. Had some gardening to do...

Mars is coming. Neptune's coming. Saturn's coming but I'm not wonderfully happy with saturn. Another problem is these pentahedrons due to arrive.

Hello all!
I've been working on solving this fantastic puzzle.
Ran into an issue though. On my first scramble a few peices popped out and I'm not sure if I put the back into the right positions, would anyone be able to tell me if this is a solvable position or am I going to have to pop the puzzle again to fix it.

Hi Gotter! Yes, that is a solvable position. I was able to put my 4x4x6 in the same state.

Thanks Pete!

I'll keep working at it

Actually, does anyone know how to solve that position? I've been working on a solution for that but I come up with any. Any algorithms?

I don't have a single algorithm to fix this, but I can provide my strategy. The issue is a pair of swapped edge pieces on two edges, sometimes called "edge parity", which happens regularly on 4x4 cubes at the end of edge pairing. The 4x4 algorithm to fix swapped edges works on the 4x4x6, but first you have to get the two edges onto the left and right side of a 4x4 face. For example, turn the puzzle so that one of the swapped edges is on the left of a 4x4 face. With the 4x4 face as "F" do: B2 R2 to bring the other swapped edge to the right side of the 4x4 face. Now use the algorithm (a snip from my4x4 notes):


Where "Dw"is a 2-layer turn.

This fixes the swapped edges, but breaks the cuboid form. At this point the 4x4x6 is at the "edge pairing finished" stage. The next steps would be: bottom cross, first two layers, last layer (returns to cuboid) and then the last bit of solving the wing layers. It goes quickly, because the puzzle is not very scrambled.

Please feel free to ask questions.

You need to look this cube like a 4x4x4.
If you turn the right inner face clockwise : MR ( or maybe r )

you've got a parity position


(I guess you know how to solve it)

Does anyone have some tips for solving the 2nd and 5th layer centers? They are giving me a lot of trouble.

-Doug

For those i hold the cube with a 4x6 face as F, and 4x4 as U. Put unsolved centers on F and B, turn one of the middle L or R slices to solve them, then exchange for other unsolved ones, then slice back. When i have no more unsolved ones to exchange for, i put centers of the same color opposite eachother, then slice back.

I use the same technique as I do for my 5x5x4.

The best tutorial (which is split into appropriate sections) comes from Dan Fast (Crazybadcuber). It can be found at:
http://youtu.be/GZVEUSIpEOo

Hope this helps - it looks difficult but really isn't to bad. This is one of my favourite puzzles!

Another approach is to 3-cycle them using commutators. I personally like finding and using commutators over doing any sort of pairing or reduction techniques. The commutators I use are 8 twists. Sometimes a 1 or 2 twist setup move is required at the beginning and end.

Here are two commutators that do 3-cycles:
1. B2 [r2 d' R2 d]x2 B2 = B2 r2 d' R2 d r2 d' R2 d B2 = [B2:[r2,[d':R2]]] (This last shorthand shows how it is built out of conjugations and a commutator. You do not need to understand this notation, but it is quite useful and used very often in the forum.)
Hold U as a 4x4 face.
I use WCA notation where d is the inner layer above D and turns like D. r is the inner layer below R and turns like R.
It cycles three centre pieces in the U layer: Fur -> Bul -> Rub -> Fur
The setup move B2 is not really necessary but it achieves that the 3 pieces are in the same (u) layer.

A 3-cycle between two adjacent 4x6 faces:
2. [R2 u' r2 u]x2 = R2 u' r2 u R2 u' r2 u = [R2,[u':r2]]
Fdr -> Rdb -> Ruf -> Fdr