Cross is the intuitive step every method shares: place all four bottom-color edges before anything else. There's no case set to memorize — just learn where an edge can be and the shortest path home. The pictures below show every situation for one edge (white–blue); the same ideas apply to the other three. Gray stickers don't matter — focus only on the edge you're placing.
Placing the white–blue edge
On top, white up
F2
On top, flipped
U' R' F
Middle layer, white right
F
Middle layer, white front
R' D'
On bottom, wrong spot
D'
In its spot, flipped
F' R' D'
Tips
- These solutions assume nothing else is placed yet. Once other cross edges are in, route around them — usually by doing the D turns first or last.
- Aim for 8 moves or fewer total — most scrambles allow it once you stop solving edges one at a time.
- Keep cross pieces' colors facing outward (not upward) as you place them, so the following first-layer corner step doesn't need extra moves to re-align them.
- Rotate the whole cube as little as possible — each rotation costs recognition time even though it doesn't cost moves.
- Practice solving cross without looking at the bottom layer once it's placed — this trains the "look-ahead" habit you'll need for F2L.
- Plan the entire cross during inspection, before the timer starts — start with one edge, then build up.