Expert Star Battle answer — April 30, 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 2).
3. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 6, column 1).
4. Mark 4 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 1).
5. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 3).
6. Mark 6 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 2).
7. 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 6).
8. Clump analysis (Region 5): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 5, column 6).
9. Crowding (Column 2): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 2, column 1).
10. Squeeze (columns 1-2): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 1, column 3).
11. Composite container (rows 1-4): Regions 1, 2 and 3 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 3, column 4).
12. Clump analysis (Row 5): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 4, column 8).
13. Clump analysis (Region 3): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 2, column 6).
14. Crowding (Column 4): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 8, column 3).
15. Crowding (Column 6): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 8, column 7).
16. Squeeze (columns 4-5): each clump in the band must supply its full share of stars (row 4, column 5).
17. Composite container (rows 1-2): Region 3 is confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 2 of the band's 4 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 1, column 5).
18. Composite container (columns 8-9): Region 7 is confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 2 of the band's 4 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 8, column 8).
19. Composite container (rows 1-7): Regions 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 are confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 1 of the band's 14 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 8, column 4).
20. 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 2).
21. Generalized counting (columns 3-3): region star limits exclude these cells (row 3, column 3).
22. Crowding (Row 3): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 2, column 8).
23. Squeeze (rows 2-3): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 1, column 4).
24. Squeeze (columns 3-4): each clump in the band must supply its full share of stars (row 2, column 4).
25. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 5).
26. Squeeze (columns 5-6): each clump in the band must supply its full share of stars (row 1, column 6).
27. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 7).
28. Squeeze (rows 2-3): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 4, column 7).
29. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 7).
30. Clump analysis (Region 5): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 9, column 7).
31. Joint analysis (Row 6 + Region 5): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 6, column 7).
32. Joint analysis (Row 8 + Row 7): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 9, column 1).
33. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 9).
34. Mark 3 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 3, column 9).
35. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 2).
36. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 2).
37. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 1, column 2).
38. Row 1 complete: Mark 2 remaining cells as X (row 1, column 8).
39. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 9).
40. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 7).
41. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 1).
42. Column 7 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 7, column 7).
43. Column completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 7, column 8).
44. Mark 3 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 9).
45. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 5).
46. Mark 3 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 4).
47. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 6).
48. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 5).
49. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 3).
50. Region complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 9, column 3).
51. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 4).
52. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 8).
53. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 9).
54. Solved! Every row, column, and region has its two stars, none touching.