Expert Star Battle answer — February 5, 2026

Full written solution

Every deduction from the walkthrough above, in order. Each technique is explained in the Star Battle strategy guide.

1. Starting position — the grid is split into regions (bold outlines). Each row, column, and region needs exactly two stars, and no two stars may touch.
2. Blocking rule: a star here would touch every other open cell in its region, leaving no room for the region's second star (row 5, column 3).
3. Blocking rule: a star here would touch every other open cell in its region, leaving no room for the region's second star (row 6, column 3).
4. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 5, column 2).
5. Mark 6 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 1).
6. Two-option rule: Cell adjacent to both candidates (row 5, column 5).
7. Two-option rule: Cell adjacent to both candidates (row 6, column 5).
8. Blocking rule: a star here would touch every other open cell in its region, leaving no room for the region's second star (row 2, column 1).
9. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 3, column 1).
10. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 2).
11. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 1, column 1).
12. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 2).
13. Column 1 complete: Mark 3 remaining cells as X (row 7, column 1).
14. Blocking rule: a star here would touch every other open cell in its region, leaving no room for the region's second star (row 8, column 3).
15. Clump analysis (Region 5): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 8, column 8).
16. Crowding (Region 8): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 3, column 4).
17. Composite container (rows 6-8): Region 7 is confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 4 of the band's 6 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 7, column 5).
18. Squeeze (rows 6-7): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 7, column 3).
19. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 2).
20. Two-option rule: Cell adjacent to both candidates (row 8, column 4).
21. Crowding (Row 8): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 7, column 6).
22. Clump analysis (Region 3): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 5, column 9).
23. Crowding (Column 3): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 2, column 4).
24. Squeeze (rows 7-8): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 6, column 7).
25. Squeeze (rows 8-9): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 8, column 6).
26. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 3).
27. Squeeze (columns 5-6): each clump in the band must supply its full share of stars (row 6, column 6).
28. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 7).
29. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 8, column 7).
30. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 7).
31. Clump analysis (Region 3): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 3, column 6).
32. Squeeze (columns 7-8): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 6, column 9).
33. Composite container (rows 3-5): Region 8 is confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 3 of the band's 6 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 4, column 5).
34. Crowding (Column 5): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 2, column 6).
35. Joint analysis (Region 8 + Row 3): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 3, column 5).
36. Clump analysis (Column 5): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 1, column 4).
37. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 6).
38. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 7).
39. Two last candidates (column 7): Eliminate 2 cells adjacent to both (row 1, column 8).
40. Clump analysis (Column 8): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 3, column 9).
41. Lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - stars at R1C5 and R2C5 would touch (row 2, column 7).
42. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 1, column 7).
43. Row 1 complete: Mark 3 remaining cells as X (row 1, column 3).
44. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 4, column 8).
45. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 3, column 8).
46. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 8).
47. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 9).
48. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 9).
49. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 3).
50. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 3).
51. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 5).
52. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 4).
53. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 4).
54. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 4).
55. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 5).
56. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 9).
57. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 9).
58. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 5).
59. Solved! Every row, column, and region has its two stars, none touching.