YuXin Petal Icosahedron

YuXin Petal Icosahedron

In this puzzle you don't turn faces, you turn edges. The YuXin Petal Icosahedron is an edge-turning icosahedron. Each of its 20 triangular faces carries a petal pattern. The puzzle is based on the Leaf Icosahedron designed by Kevin Uhrik, and YuXin released it as a mass-produced version. We offer the stickerless bright version with matte plastic.

How it solves

The basic move is a 180° edge turn. The edges stay in place, so the petals only travel along fixed orbits. This makes the solving method similar to the Curvy Copter. You don't need to memorize the color scheme, because the edges don't move around. You simply turn them until the colors on a given face match. Solving without jumbling relies mainly on 3-cycles of petals on adjacent edges, familiar from puzzles such as the Pyraminx or the Dino Cube. On top of that come center swaps. If you know edge-turners, you'll manage without a long list of algorithms.

Jumbling and shape-shifting

The Petal Icosahedron belongs to the shape-shifting puzzle category, because it allows jumbling. After such moves, pieces move to different positions and the puzzle loses its regular shape. The standard version then behaves like a classic Curvy Copter: some moves are blocked (bandaging). The Ultimate version has an extra cut on each petal. This makes those moves possible and lets the pieces separate even further. Opinions on which version is harder are divided. If you only want to solve without jumbling, the difference doesn't matter.

Build quality

The plastic is matte and the colors are bright and vivid. With 20 faces, however, some shades are quite similar to each other and you'll need to look closely at first. The edges turn smoothly when they are well aligned. If they are misaligned, the move can catch. This is typical for this type of puzzle, not a defect of the individual piece. It's not a puzzle for timed speedcubing, but one for relaxed solving and for your collection.

Who is it for?

For people who have already mastered NxN cubes and want to try something other than face turning. It's also a great pick for collectors and fans of the Curvy Copter, the Helicopter or the Petal Dodecahedron from YuXin. For a child's first puzzle, it's better to choose something simpler, unless they enjoy figuring out new mechanisms on their own.

Specifications

• Type: edge-turning icosahedron (20 faces), shape-shifting puzzle
• Manufacturer: YuXin
• Design: based on the Leaf Icosahedron by Kevin Uhrik
• Movement: 180° edge turns, jumbling possible
• Version: standard (petals without the extra cut of the Ultimate version)
• Color scheme: stickerless bright, matte finish