Expert Star Battle answer — April 9, 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 7, column 7).
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 8, column 8).
4. Blocking rule: a star here would touch every other open cell in its region, leaving no room for the region's second star (row 9, column 8).
5. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 9, column 7).
6. Mark 3 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 6).
7. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 7, column 6).
8. Mark 5 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 5).
9. Two-option rule: Cell adjacent to both candidates (row 6, column 9).
10. Two-option rule: Cell adjacent to both candidates (row 7, column 9).
11. Blocking rule: a star here would touch every other open cell in its region, leaving no room for the region's second star (row 3, column 2).
12. Clump analysis (Region 2): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 4, column 9).
13. Clump analysis (Region 9): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 5, column 2).
14. Generalized counting (columns 6-9): region star limits exclude these cells (row 3, column 6).
15. Clump analysis (Region 8): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 2, column 4).
16. Composite container (rows 1-3): Regions 4 and 8 are confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 2 of the band's 6 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 2, column 2).
17. Clump analysis (Region 8): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 1, column 7).
18. Squeeze (rows 1-2): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 3, column 8).
19. Composite container (rows 2-8): Regions 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 and 9 are confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 2 of the band's 14 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 7, column 3).
20. Joint analysis (Region 9 + Row 3): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 4, column 4).
21. Joint analysis (Row 6 + Row 5): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 4, column 6).
22. Joint analysis (Region 9 + Region 7): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 1, column 1).
23. Clump analysis (Row 1): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 2, column 3).
24. Triple analysis (Column 8 + Row 3 + Row 4): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 3, column 4).
25. Squeeze (rows 5-6): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 4, column 5).
26. Composite container (columns 2-5): Regions 1, 6 and 8 are confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 2 of the band's 8 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 5, column 4).
27. Squeeze (columns 4-6): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 6, column 3).
28. Composite container (columns 2-5): Regions 1, 6 and 8 are confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 2 of the band's 8 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 6, column 1).
29. Crowding (Row 6): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 5, column 3).
30. Clump analysis (Region 7): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 8, column 2).
31. Clump analysis (Region 6): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 9, column 9).
32. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 9).
33. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 8).
34. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 8).
35. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 8).
36. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 5, column 6).
37. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 7).
38. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 8).
39. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 3, column 9).
40. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 1).
41. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 1).
42. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 3).
43. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 3, column 3).
44. Region completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 3, column 5).
45. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 6).
46. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 4).
47. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 4).
48. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 1).
49. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 1).
50. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 2).
51. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 1).
52. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 4).
53. Mark 3 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 3).
54. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 2).
55. Column 2 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 1, column 2).
56. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 1, column 3).
57. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 4).
58. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 1, column 5).
59. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 7).
60. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 8).
61. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 9).
62. Solved! Every row, column, and region has its two stars, none touching.