This SengSo (ShengShou) Pyraminx is part of the HuanCai series and is recognisable by its metallised exterior, with mirror-shine colours instead of matte plastic. It comes with factory-fitted magnets.

• BrandSengSo (ShengShou)
• TypePyraminx (3 layers)
• MagnetsYes, factory-fitted
• FinishShiny metallised
• InteriorPlastic

How it works

The Pyraminx, devised and patented by Uwe Mèffert in the early 1980s, is a tetrahedron with three layers per axis, four tips, four axial pieces beneath them and six edges; it has no centres. The tips turn separately and the large layers turn around four axes. The magnets pull the pieces so that each layer stops in alignment at the end of a turn, with a light click, which gives a more controlled feel than a non-magnetic Pyraminx.

Design

The outer pieces have a metallised coating, while the inside is conventional plastic, which is what ensures smooth turning. The mirror finish reflects a lot of light: it looks striking on display, although under direct lighting some colours can be slightly harder to tell apart than on a matte finish.

Which level

It works just like any magnetic Pyraminx, so it’s good both for learning and for practising the event, which is official in the WCA. Its main appeal is aesthetic: it tends to interest those who already have a Pyraminx and want a different version.