A Pyraminx needs very few algorithms. The beginner method has one algorithm step at the end: 5 cases for the last three edges. The L4E method (last 4 edges) leaves one more edge for its algorithm step and has 35 cases, and those include the same 5. This page has every case with a diagram, an algorithm and a short recognition note.
The algorithms are established ones as listed by SpeedCubeDB, each linked to its source. They aren't the only good choices, and which ones feel fastest depends on your hands. Every algorithm here is checked on our Pyraminx model: it solves the case shown and puts back everything that was already solved.
Pyraminx Notation
Hold the Pyraminx with yellow on the bottom and green in front. Each letter names a corner, and a turn moves that corner and the layer under it by a third of a turn:
| Turn | Corner | Clockwise, its front side moves |
|---|---|---|
| U | top | onto the left face |
| L | front-left | down onto the bottom |
| R | front-right | onto the right face |
| B | back | (its left side moves down onto the bottom) |
Clockwise means clockwise as you look straight at that corner. A ' (prime) means counterclockwise. Lowercase letters (u, l, r, b) turn only the small tip, which you can fix at any time, so the algorithms below never need them. Two clockwise turns are the same as one counterclockwise turn, so you won't see a 2 here. More on how turns are written in notation.
How to Read the Diagrams
Each diagram unfolds the Pyraminx flat. The front face is in the middle, pointing up. The left and right faces sit beside it, and the bottom face is underneath. The point at the top of the front face is the top corner.
Before you look for your case, turn the top (U or U') until its center matches the faces. That is the small triangle of each face just under the top tip. Then your Pyraminx looks exactly like one of the diagrams. Some cases can look two more ways. Those are shown in small under the main diagram, with the turn to do before the algorithm. When an algorithm leaves the top turned, the card says how to line it up.
Press Watch on a card to play its algorithm on the net, one move at a time, starting from the card's diagram. The stickers the next move turns are outlined, and the last step is the solved Pyraminx.
Beginner Last Layer (5 Cases)
In the beginner method you solve the tips, then the bottom layer: the yellow face and the three edges around it. What's left is the three edges of the top layer. Line up the top center, and you'll see one of these five cases, or a solved puzzle. If every position were equally likely, the top would already be solved 1 time in 12.
- Sune and AntiSune: no edge is flipped, but all three top edges are in the wrong spots. Each one has to move one spot around the top, all in the same direction.
- 2 Flip: all three edges are in their spots and two of them are flipped. This one has three looks, one for each edge that's already right.
- Lefty Bars and Righty Bars: all three edges are in the wrong spots, and two of them are also flipped.
Two edges are never simply swapped, with the third one solved. A Pyraminx can't get into that position, so there's no algorithm for it.
Sune 7 moves
R U R' U R U R'
Front edge solved; the three top edges need to move counterclockwise (seen from above).
Algorithm: SpeedCubeDBAntiSune 7 moves
R' U' R U' R' U' R
Front edge solved; the three top edges need to move clockwise (seen from above).
Algorithm: SpeedCubeDBLefty Bars 6 moves
R' U' L' U L R
Front edge solved; the three top edges need to move counterclockwise (seen from above).
Algorithm: SpeedCubeDBThe same case can also look like this:
Righty Bars 7 moves
U' R' L' U' L U R
Front edge solved; the three top edges need to move clockwise (seen from above). Then U to line up the top.
Algorithm: SpeedCubeDBThe same case can also look like this:
2 Flip 8 moves
L R' L' R U' R U R'
Front and top-back edges solved; top-left and top-right edges flipped in place.
Algorithm: SpeedCubeDBThe same case can also look like this:
L4E: Last 4 Edges
L4E solves less before its algorithm step. You solve the tips, line up the three bottom centers, and solve the two bottom edges at the back, the left-back and the right-back one. That's the block. Four edges are left: the three on top and the front edge, the only loose edge with yellow on it. L4E algorithms use U, L and R turns and put the block back where it was.
Look at the front edge first:
- Solved: it's one of the five beginner cases above.
- Flipped in its spot: one of the 6 cases in the next section.
- In the top layer: one of the 24 cases after that.
That makes 35 cases, and they cover every position L4E can leave you with. If every position were equally likely, you'd skip L4E (everything already solved once the top is lined up) 1 time in 96.
Many cases come in left-right pairs. Their algorithms are mirror images: swap L and R and turn every move the other way. Sledge and Hedge are one pair. Right and Left Polish Flip are another. Once you know one, you can work out the other.
L4E: Front Edge Flipped
The front edge is in its spot, but upside down: its yellow side is on the front.
DR Flip 7 moves
L' U L U' R U' R'
Top-left and top-back edges solved; front and top-right edges flipped in place. Then U to line up the top.
Algorithm: SpeedCubeDBThe same case can also look like this:
Right Polish Flip 6 moves
R U' R' L' U' L
Front edge flipped in place; the three top edges need to move clockwise (seen from above). Then U' to line up the top.
Algorithm: SpeedCubeDBThe same case can also look like this:
Left Polish Flip 6 moves
L' U L R U R'
Front edge flipped in place; the three top edges need to move counterclockwise (seen from above). Then U to line up the top.
Algorithm: SpeedCubeDBThe same case can also look like this:
SUS 9 moves
R' L R L' U' R' L R L'
Front edge flipped in place; the three top edges need to move counterclockwise (seen from above). Then U to line up the top.
Algorithm: SpeedCubeDBAnti SUS 9 moves
L R' L' R U L R' L' R
Front edge flipped in place; the three top edges need to move clockwise (seen from above). Then U' to line up the top.
Algorithm: SpeedCubeDBL4E: Front Edge on Top
The front edge is up in the top layer. The note on each card says where it sits and which face its yellow is on, and that narrows the 24 cases down to a few. The diagram tells those apart.
Sledge 4 moves
R' L R L'
Top-back edge solved; the front edge (green and yellow) is in the top-right spot with yellow on the front face.
Algorithm: SpeedCubeDBThe same case can also look like this:
Hedge 4 moves
L R' L' R
Top-back edge solved; the front edge (green and yellow) is in the top-left spot with yellow on the front face.
Algorithm: SpeedCubeDBThe same case can also look like this:
Clockwise 7 moves
R U' R' U' L' U' L
Top-back edge solved; the front edge (green and yellow) is in the top-right spot with yellow on the right face.
Algorithm: SpeedCubeDBThe same case can also look like this:
Counterclockwise 8 moves
U L' U L R' L R L'
Top-back edge solved; the front edge (green and yellow) is in the top-left spot with yellow on the left face. Then U to line up the top.
Algorithm: SpeedCubeDBThe same case can also look like this:
Righty 3 moves
R U' R'
Top-back edge solved; the front edge (green and yellow) is in the top-left spot with yellow on the left face. Then U to line up the top.
Algorithm: SpeedCubeDBThe same case can also look like this:
Lefty 3 moves
L' U L
Top-back edge solved; the front edge (green and yellow) is in the top-right spot with yellow on the right face. Then U' to line up the top.
Algorithm: SpeedCubeDBThe same case can also look like this:
Sexy 4 moves
U' R U R'
Top-back edge solved; the front edge (green and yellow) is in the top-right spot with yellow on the front face.
Algorithm: SpeedCubeDBThe same case can also look like this:
Left Sexy 4 moves
U L' U' L
Top-back edge solved; the front edge (green and yellow) is in the top-left spot with yellow on the front face.
Algorithm: SpeedCubeDBThe same case can also look like this:
Good Niky 6 moves
R U' R' L' U L
The front edge (green and yellow) is in the top-right spot with yellow on the right face.
Algorithm: SpeedCubeDBThe same case can also look like this:
Good Sochi 6 moves
L' U L R U' R'
The front edge (green and yellow) is in the top-left spot with yellow on the left face.
Algorithm: SpeedCubeDBThe same case can also look like this:
Super Sledge 7 moves
R U' R' R' L R L'
The front edge (green and yellow) is in the top-right spot with yellow on the front face. Then U to line up the top.
Algorithm: SpeedCubeDBThe same case can also look like this:
Super Hedge 8 moves
U R' L R L' L' U' L
The front edge (green and yellow) is in the top-left spot with yellow on the front face.
Algorithm: SpeedCubeDBThe same case can also look like this:
Bad Niky 7 moves
R U' R' U' L' U L
The front edge (green and yellow) is in the top-back spot with yellow on the left face. Then U to line up the top.
Algorithm: SpeedCubeDBThe same case can also look like this:
Bad Sochi 7 moves
L' U L U R U' R'
The front edge (green and yellow) is in the top-back spot with yellow on the right face. Then U' to line up the top.
Algorithm: SpeedCubeDBThe same case can also look like this:
Right Spam 8 moves
R U R' U R' L R L'
Top-back edge flipped in place; the front edge (green and yellow) is in the top-left spot with yellow on the left face. Then U to line up the top.
Algorithm: SpeedCubeDBThe same case can also look like this:
Left Spam 8 moves
L' U' L U' L R' L' R
Top-back edge flipped in place; the front edge (green and yellow) is in the top-right spot with yellow on the right face. Then U' to line up the top.
Algorithm: SpeedCubeDBThe same case can also look like this:
Bad Sledge 8 moves
L R' L' R U' R U' R'
Top-left edge flipped in place; the front edge (green and yellow) is in the top-back spot with yellow on the right face. Then U' to line up the top.
Algorithm: SpeedCubeDBThe same case can also look like this:
Bad Hedge 8 moves
R' L R L' U L' U L
Top-right edge flipped in place; the front edge (green and yellow) is in the top-back spot with yellow on the left face. Then U to line up the top.
Algorithm: SpeedCubeDBThe same case can also look like this:
Bad Sexy 7 moves
L' U' L U' R U' R'
Top-back edge flipped in place; the front edge (green and yellow) is in the top-right spot with yellow on the front face.
Algorithm: SpeedCubeDBThe same case can also look like this:
Bad Ugly 7 moves
R U R' U L' U L
Top-back edge flipped in place; the front edge (green and yellow) is in the top-left spot with yellow on the front face.
Algorithm: SpeedCubeDBThe same case can also look like this:
Bad Righty 7 moves
L' U L U' R U R'
Top-right edge flipped in place; the front edge (green and yellow) is in the top-back spot with yellow on the right face. Then U' to line up the top.
Algorithm: SpeedCubeDBThe same case can also look like this:
Bad Lefty 7 moves
R U' R' U L' U' L
Top-left edge flipped in place; the front edge (green and yellow) is in the top-back spot with yellow on the left face. Then U to line up the top.
Algorithm: SpeedCubeDBThe same case can also look like this:
Double Sexy 7 moves
R U' R' U' R U R'
The front edge (green and yellow) is in the top-right spot with yellow on the front face. Then U to line up the top.
Algorithm: SpeedCubeDBThe same case can also look like this:
Double Ugly 7 moves
L' U L U L' U' L
The front edge (green and yellow) is in the top-left spot with yellow on the front face. Then U' to line up the top.
Algorithm: SpeedCubeDBThe same case can also look like this:
FAQ
How many algorithms do I need for the Pyraminx?
Five for the beginner method, and fewer if you count mirror pairs once: Sune and AntiSune are mirrors, and so are Lefty and Righty Bars. L4E has 35 cases, the same 5 plus 30 more.
Should I learn L4E?
It's optional. L4E is a bigger set to learn, and you can take it a few cases at a time. Until you know a case, solve the front edge another way and finish with a beginner algorithm.
What about the tips?
Tips are the small corners. Each one turns on its own, so one turn of that tip (u, l, r or b, or the same with a prime) lines it up with its center. You can do them first or last.
Can I check a scramble?
Yes. The Pyraminx solver solves any position you enter, move by move. The timer has random-state Pyraminx scrambles for practice. For other puzzles, see the algorithms hub.
The algorithms and case names are SpeedCubeDB's (each card links to its source), from its Pyraminx Last Layer and Last 4 Edges lists, Front Slot tab. On each card we use the first algorithm listed that our model confirms and that is written without 2s. Every one is checked on our Pyraminx model, which matches the published table of how many moves each position needs. Each diagram is the exact position its algorithm solves, and each algorithm puts back the bottom layer (beginner cases) or the block (L4E). The cases are counted from first principles: all 36 last-layer positions and all 288 positions L4E can leave, grouped by what a top turn before and after the algorithm can change. Each case appears exactly once here. Two notes on the source: SpeedCubeDB lists DR, DL and DB Flip separately, but they're one case seen from three sides, so it appears here once. And the setup pictured for its Bad Hedge doesn't match that entry's algorithms. We kept the name and show the case those algorithms solve.