MF8 Crazy Octahedron II Plus Mercury

MF8 Crazy Octahedron II Plus Mercury

The MF8 Crazy Octahedron II Plus Mercury is an eight-sided puzzle from the Crazy series, released by MF8 together with DaYan. It is based on the Face-Turning Octahedron (FTO), an octahedron where each of the eight faces turns. The Crazy series adds circles to the faces, and the Mercury version has circles on all eight of them. We sell it in the stickerless bright version.

What makes it "crazy"

A circle divides a face into an inner and an outer part. In the Crazy series, on some faces the circle turns together with the layer, while on others it stays in place. In the puzzle community these faces are marked as "1" and "0". The "planet" names depend on how these faces are arranged: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Each version solves a little differently. The circle pieces have to be placed separately, so a standard FTO method is not enough here. In practice, a lot of the work relies on commutators.

What the II Plus version is

The II Plus label refers to a specific design from the line MF8 released with DaYan. Don't confuse it with the newer, smaller mf8 Crazy Octahedron I, II and III models. Those are a separate series with a different construction and a different number of pieces in the circles. The Crazy Octahedron II Plus is noticeably larger and heavier, so it sits well in your hands for calm, thoughtful solving.

How it turns

This is a collector's puzzle, not a speedcube. It has no magnets, and corner cutting is limited because the layers need to be well aligned before turning. Fast turning easily leads to catching. It's best to solve it at a steady pace, and lube helps make the turning looser over time.

Who is it for?

For those who have already solved the FTO or other puzzles from the Crazy series (e.g. Crazy 3x3 Plus) and are looking for a tougher octahedron challenge. If you're just starting out, we recommend trying a classic FTO or simpler non-WCA puzzles first. Mercury also looks great on a collection shelf next to the other "planets" from this series.

Specifications

• Type: Face-Turning Octahedron with circles (Crazy series), non-WCA puzzle
• Manufacturer: MF8 (in cooperation with DaYan)
• Version: Mercury, circles on all faces
• Colour: stickerless bright
• Dimensions: approx. 98 x 98 x 82 mm
• Weight: approx. 220 g
• Magnets: none