We figured out the metric about an hour after the puzzle reveal, and then we traded solves for a while.

TrottingHeart got us sub-100 with some fantastic area shaves before being banned from thinking for medical reasons. Get well soon.

-- Exception, brushing off the time dust

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We tried some low area solves, and Exc gave a range of values for a sub-100 primary. I managed to top one of those expectations by shaving 1 area off of his solve and felt rather smug. 

Tried to find a layout without an errant swing hex and just couldn't. *sticks critelli in it* There, there, all better now.

-- TrottingHeart, magician's apprentice