DaYan Bermuda Mercury

DaYan Bermuda Mercury

Mercury is the simplest of the eight "planet" cubes in DaYan's Bermuda set, which makes it a great first puzzle from this series. DaYan Bermuda Mercury is a 3x3-type cube with a Bermuda mechanism. On one face, the regular center is replaced by a small triangular piece joined to the neighboring pieces (bandaging). The other faces look and turn just like on a classic 3x3 cube. This version has a black body.

How it differs from a regular 3x3

The Bermuda series was created in 2011 by designer Daqing Bao. Each of the eight planets combines regular 3x3 faces, faces with a small or large triangle and Fisher-type faces in different proportions. Mercury has only one triangle, and a small one at that, so it is not very different from a regular cube. Still, the triangular piece blocks some moves, and single turns can temporarily change the shape of the cube. Sometimes you need to turn another layer first so the triangle doesn't get in the way.

The black Mercury turns like a regular 3x3, not like a Fisher Cube. This matters because the white version of this model turns Fisher-style and has to be solved differently.

How to solve it

All you need is any 3x3 method. You usually start with the face that has the triangle, then use standard algorithms, sometimes in a modified form. Along the way you need to keep track of how the triangular center is oriented. The puzzle is fairly easy for a shape mod and lets you see how bandaging works in practice. Mercury is not a speedcubing cube. Here it's all about figuring things out, not TPS.

Who is it for?

For anyone who can already solve a 3x3 and wants to try something unusual without jumping straight into the harder planets, such as Jupiter or Uranus. Mercury is also a good start to a collection of all the Bermuda cubes. If you can't solve a regular 3x3 cube yet, you will probably find it frustrating.

Specifications

• Manufacturer: DaYan
• Series: Bermuda (8 planets)
• Type: 3x3 cube with a triangle on one face (bandaged, shape mod)
• Turning: 3x3-type (black version)
• Body color: black
• Size: approx. 57 mm
• Dimensions: 63 x 61.6 x 61 mm
• Weight: approx. 105 g