MF8 Starminx II

MF8 Starminx II

MF8 Starminx II is a twelve-sided puzzle (dodecahedron) from the Chinese manufacturer MF8. Each of its 12 faces shows a five-pointed star inscribed in a pentagon, which is where the name comes from. You turn whole faces, just like on a Megaminx. The difference is that the cuts are deep (deep cut), so a single turn moves far more pieces than on a regular minx. In 2021, the manufacturer released an improved version of this puzzle.

Starminx I or Starminx II?

In photos, the two puzzles look almost identical, but they work in completely different ways. Starminx I turns around its corners, similar to a Dino Cube. Its face centers stay in place, and solving it is fairly simple. Starminx II turns by faces and has deep cuts, so the pieces get scrambled much more thoroughly. If you look closely, you can also see that the edges on version II are larger. There is also the Curvy Starminx, which turns the same way as the Starminx II but has rounded star points.

How to solve it

If you can solve a Megaminx, you will quickly get used to the moves, because each face turns by 1/5 of a full rotation. Solving it is harder, though. The deep cuts mean that many types of pieces are involved in every turn, so you cannot solve the whole puzzle with Megaminx algorithms alone. You need to learn how it is built and master some additional sequences. Starminx II is a good choice if you want to figure out a new puzzle rather than chase record times.

It is a typical MF8 puzzle: large, collectible and not designed for high TPS. Don't approach the Starminx II with the expectations you would have of a flagship 3x3 cube. The turning usually gets smoother after breaking it in and applying lube.

Who is it for?

Starminx II is for cubers who can already solve a Megaminx and are looking for something more challenging, as well as for collectors of unusual dodecahedrons. It is not a good first puzzle, including for a child. To get started, a regular Megaminx or a 3x3 cube is a better choice. The puzzle contains small parts and is not intended for children under 7 years of age.

Specifications

• Manufacturer: MF8
• Type: face-turning dodecahedron, deep cut
• Body color: black (Black)
• Material: ABS plastic
• Category: non-WCA puzzle