MF8 12-Axis Heaven's Eyes cube

MF8 12-Axis Heaven's Eyes cube

MF8 Heaven's Eyes is shaped like a rhombic dodecahedron. Each of its twelve rhombic faces has a different color and its own axis of rotation, giving twelve axes in total. The puzzle was designed by Mr. Fok and released by MF8 in 2018. It is a large, heavy shape-shifting puzzle, better suited to a collection and long solving sessions than to speedsolving.

How the mechanism works

Heaven's Eyes is derived from the Sunminx (MF8 12-Axis Sun cube) and uses the same pieces, but it has a different core. It belongs to the family of so-called sun puzzles: each face turns by half the angle typical of a dodecahedron, i.e. 36° instead of 72°. A rhombus turned by 36° does not return to its original position, so the puzzle loses its regular shape after the very first move. When solving it, you have to restore not only the colors but also the original shape.

A distinctive feature is the six concave corners, each made up of four pieces. They sit where four faces meet. The puzzle is not a perfect rhombic dodecahedron. The design relies on assembly tolerances to allow moves that exact geometry would not permit.

Difficulty and who it is for

There is no simple step-by-step method for this puzzle like there is for a 3x3 cube. Knowledge of commutators and experience with shape-shifting puzzles will come in handy. On difficulty scales, Heaven's Eyes usually gets the highest rating. It is a good choice for collectors of MF8 puzzles or for anyone who has already tackled the Megaminx, Sunminx or other unusual multi-axis puzzles. For a first puzzle or a gift for a young child, choose something simpler, especially since Heaven's Eyes contains small parts.

The same MF8 family also includes the Big Dipper (6 rhombi and 6 trapezoids) and The Cullinan (2 pentagons and 10 trapezoids). The models differ mainly in the shape of their faces. Heaven's Eyes is the most symmetrical of them, as all its faces are rhombi.

Specifications

• Manufacturer: MF8 (code mf8x002)
• Designer: Mr. Fok
• Release year: 2018
• Shape: rhombic dodecahedron, 12 faces in 12 colors
• Axes of rotation: 12, face turn of 36°
• Type: face-turning shape-shifting puzzle
• Body: black, with stickers
• Material: ABS
• Weight: approx. 553 g (approx. 638 g with packaging)