Expert Star Battle answer — June 17, 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 8, column 6).
3. Clump analysis (Region 1): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 8, column 5).
4. Clump analysis (Region 6): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 6, column 8).
5. Clump analysis (Region 7): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 6, column 6).
6. Undercounting: 3 regions fit in cols 7-9, eliminate 2 outside candidates (row 8, column 7).
7. Clump analysis (Region 1): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 6, column 5).
8. Lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - column 1 can only hold 2 stars but the regions there would be forced to place 3 (row 3, column 1).
9. Triple analysis (Region 1 + Region 7 + Region 5): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 8, column 3).
10. Joint analysis (Region 9 + Region 4): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 6, column 2).
11. Triple analysis (Row 8 + Region 4 + Region 9): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 7, column 4).
12. Quad analysis (Row 8 + Region 4 + Region 9 + Column 3): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 6, column 4).
13. Clump analysis (Region 5): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 4, column 5).
14. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Row 5 would only have room for 1 of the 2 stars it still needs (row 2, column 3).
15. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - stars at R4C1 and R5C1 would touch (row 2, column 4).
16. Composite container (columns 1-4): Regions 2, 4 and 9 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 4, column 3).
17. Triple analysis (Region 7 + Region 5 + Row 4): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 3, column 8).
18. Triple analysis (Region 6 + Column 8 + Region 3): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 8, column 9).
19. Joint analysis (Region 1 + Row 8): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 7, column 7).
20. Clump analysis (Region 7): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 5, column 6).
21. Triple analysis (Region 7 + Region 5 + Row 3): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 4, column 4).
22. Composite container (columns 1-4): Regions 2, 4 and 9 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 3).
23. Crowding (Row 6): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 7, column 8).
24. Squeeze (columns 7-8): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 9, column 9).
25. Composite container (rows 1-6): Regions 2, 3, 7 and 8 are confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 4 of the band's 12 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 5, column 9).
26. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 6, column 9).
27. Crowding (Row 7): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 8, column 2).
28. Squeeze (rows 7-8): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 9, column 8).
29. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 8).
30. Squeeze (rows 6-8): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 7, column 2).
31. Lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Row 8 would only have room for 0 of the 1 star it still needs (row 5, column 3).
32. Squeeze (rows 4-5): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 3, column 9).
33. Composite container (columns 1-4): Regions 2, 4 and 9 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 5).
34. Clump analysis (Region 5): each clump must supply its full share of stars (row 4, column 6).
35. Mark 5 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 3, column 5).
36. Region completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 4, column 8).
37. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 9).
38. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 7).
39. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 6).
40. Row 4 complete: Mark 2 remaining cells as X (row 4, column 1).
41. Row 6 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 6, column 1).
42. Column 8 complete: Mark 2 remaining cells as X (row 1, column 8).
43. Three candidates in a row: Middle cell can't hold a star (row 3, column 3).
44. Row completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 3, column 2).
45. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 1).
46. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 4).
47. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 5).
48. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 7, column 5).
49. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 4).
50. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 1).
51. Mark 3 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 1).
52. Region completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 5, column 2).
53. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 1).
54. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 3).
55. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 4).
56. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 1, column 1).
57. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 2).
58. Region complete: Mark 2 remaining cells as X (row 1, column 3).
59. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 3).
60. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 4).
61. Two last candidates (column 7): Eliminate 2 cells adjacent to both (row 1, column 6).
62. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 1, column 5).
63. Row 1 complete: Mark 2 remaining cells as X (row 1, column 7).
64. Region completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 2, column 7).
65. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 9).
66. Column 5 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 9, column 5).
67. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 6).
68. Solved! Every row, column, and region has its two stars, none touching.