WitEden Octahedral Mixup II

WitEden Octahedral Mixup II

WitEden Octahedral Mixup II is a shape-shifting puzzle from WitEden's octahedral mixup series. Inside, it runs on a 3x3 mixup cube mechanism, but the body is a pure octahedron, i.e. two pyramids joined at their bases. Body colour: black. It's a puzzle for collectors and fans of unusual twisty puzzles, not a speedcubing cube.

How a mixup works

On a regular 3x3 cube, the centers stay in place. On a mixup, you can turn the middle layers by 45 degrees, so edges and centers can swap places. When solving, you can no longer rely on the centers as reference points. The octahedral shell adds shape-shifting on top of that: after a few moves, the puzzle looks completely different from its solved state.

How it solves

You can scramble the octahedron like a regular 3x3 octahedron using face turns only, and it works without any problems. Mixup moves are trickier. According to user reviews, a layer only goes 45 degrees in either direction, and then a piece catches on an edge at the back. After a few such moves, the puzzle becomes blocked (bandaging). At that point, all that's left is to undo them in reverse order, so the solve itself can be easier than it looks. Lockups and catching are normal on mixups, but they happen more often here than on most puzzles of this type. This isn't a puzzle for fast turning. It's best to turn it calmly and precisely.

Which Octahedral Mixup version?

WitEden makes several similarly named mixup octahedra. This product is the basic II version, a pure octahedron. Octahedral Mixup II Plus is a separate design by Mike Armbrust. Octahedral Mixup 30 II (Type II, 30 Degree Turn) has a different mechanism with 30-degree turns. Solutions for one version don't transfer directly to the others.

Who is it for?

For people who collect shape mods and mixup puzzles and want an octahedral take on the idea. Think of it as an interesting, unusual puzzle for your shelf and relaxed solving rather than a tough challenge. For a child's first puzzle, it's better to choose a simpler model.

Specifications

• Manufacturer: WitEden
• Type: shape-shifting puzzle, octahedron based on a 3x3 mixup mechanism
• Shape: pure octahedron (two pyramids joined at their bases)
• Weight: approx. 165 g
• Colour: black (Black)