Megaminx: layers, S2L and last-layer systems

The Megaminx is a dodecahedron with 12 faces. Speed solvers build a 'star' (five edges around the first face), insert its five corners, then build the second layer of F2L-like pairs and the 'S2L' block by block up to the last face. The last layer uses CFOP-like steps: EO, CO (OLL), then EP and CP (PLL), in two to four looks.

Notation: the faces are U, F, R, L, BR and BL on the top half and D, B, DR, DL, DBR and DBL below; a letter turns its face a fifth of a turn clockwise, R2 two of those, R2' the same back. y turns the whole puzzle about U. Face-v notation such as Rv is a whole-puzzle rotation about that face, not a wide turn.

Plan the star's edge order before starting, then insert its corners with pairs where useful. The star is not a face-only colour target: each side colour must match its centre. Avoid repeatedly changing the face held on top; a consistent grip makes the next pair easier to locate.

S2L extends the completed first region block by block. Westlund and Yu Da-Hyun name organised orders for building the remaining pairs and blocks, reducing the need to search every face for each insertion. They share the layer method's last-layer sets, not separate algorithm databases. Choose an order that keeps useful unsolved space facing you and brings the next pieces into view. Bálint Bodor's method is a distinct block-building alternative; it should not be confused with a new last-layer algorithm set.

Read edge orientation before corner orientation, and side colours before permutation. EO then CO makes the top face uniform; EP then CP puts the pieces home. Full OLL and full PLL combine each pair of looks. On a pentagonal face a double turn and its inverse are different moves: do not import a cube's half-turn intuition.

Grant's smaller orientation set handles selected corner patterns after EO. Edge control during the last pairs can leave most edges oriented, restricting the OLL finish. ELL orients and permutes edges together while leaving corners free; 3ELL and 3CLL finish restricted last-edge or last-corner cases while preserving the rest. Learn these because a solve repeatedly reaches their starting condition, not simply because the list is shorter.