Step 4: Last Layer

In the final step, solve the last layer. The major advantage of ending in LL is that recognition for each step is easy. Most of the stickers are on the sides of the last layer, with two out of three sides in view.

Part 1: Last Six Centers

Solve the last six center pieces. In the basic version, this step is accomplished in 2 sub steps. First, solve two adjacent centers. Then solve the remaining four center pieces.

To position center pieces, only five algorithms are required. Make use of these algorithms two swap centers to solve an adjacent pair of center pieces. Then swap the final two centers.

U' F' r U R' U' r' F R

Swap LF and RB

U' R' F' r U R U' r' F

Swap LB and RB

BR r' U' R U r BR' R'

Swap LB and RF

L U' r' F R F' r U R' L'

Swap LF and RF

U BR' R r' F r U' r U' r' F R' BR

Four Swap

Additional Useful Algorithms

BR U' BR' U' BR U' BR'

Cycle all clockwise

Alt: r' F' r U' r' F' r

BL' U BL U BL' U BL

Cycle all counterclockwise

Alt: r' F r U r' F r

One Look

At the advanced level, algorithms can be learned to solve all cases in one step. A one look algorithm document will be developed and provided here.

Part 2: Last Three Corners (L3C)

Finally, the last three corners will be solved. In the basic version, the corners are oriented then permuted. There is just one algorithm for orientation and two for permutation. In the one look version, there are only five algorithms.

Orient Corners

R U R' U' F' U r U R U' r' U' F R'

Permute Corners

br' R br' U' br R' br' U br'

Clockwise permutation

Alt: R' D R U' R' D' R U' R' D R U' R' D' R

br U' br R br' U br R' br

Counterclockwise permutation

Alt: R' D R U R' D' R U R' D R U R' D' R

One Look

One look L3C is only five algorithms. Combine the following three algorithms with the two corner permutation algorithms for a one look L3C finish. You will already know the first of the following algorithms. So only two additional algorithms are needed.

R U R' U' F' U r U R U' r' U' F R'

Two flip clockwise permutation

(U) R F' U r U R' U' r' U' F U R U' R'

Two flip counterclockwise permutation

r' U' R' F' U r' F r U' F U' R U r

Pure two flip

PLL Variant

An even more advanced variant is to orient the corners then permute all pieces of the last layer. There is only one algorithm for orienting the corners, so it will likely be best to combine the corner orientation with solving the last triple of the first two layers. This will then lead directly into PLL.

The corners can be easily and intuitively oriented while placing the bottom triple. It may also be viable to combine it with solving the second center of the triple or in a much larger set of one look last triple and corner orientation. Combining corner orientation with the last triple leads to a one look last layer similar to reducing to ZBLL.

1LLL

The ultimate goal for the last layer is to learn 1LLL. This set contains 377 algorithms. Sets can be learned while using the two look last layer method.

Other Last Layer Ideas

Outside of 1LLL and the last layer methods presented above, below are some other interesting ideas: