Expert Star Battle answer — June 18, 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 10, column 8).
3. Clump analysis (Region 7): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 2, column 4).
4. Clump analysis (Region 10): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 9, column 6).
5. Clump analysis (Region 9): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 7, column 8).
6. Clump analysis (Region 8): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 5, column 9).
7. Generalized counting (columns 1-5): region star limits exclude these cells (row 6, column 6).
8. Composite container (columns 1-5): Regions 2, 3, 5 and 6 are confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 2 of the band's 10 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 3, column 4).
9. Lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - columns 8-10 can only hold 6 stars but the regions there would be forced to place 7 (row 5, column 8).
10. Joint analysis (Region 7 + Row 1): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 1, column 8).
11. Generalized counting (columns 9-10): region star limits exclude these cells (row 6, column 9).
12. 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).
13. Star claim: Region 9 must place a star in row 8; cells touching all its options are eliminated (row 9, column 7).
14. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 10, column 7).
15. Composite container (columns 1-8): Regions 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9 are confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 1 of the band's 16 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 2, column 9).
16. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Column 8 would only have room for 0 of the 1 star it still needs (row 1, column 3).
17. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - row 1 can only hold 2 stars but the regions there would be forced to place 3 (row 1, column 10).
18. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Row 4 would only have room for 0 of the 1 star it still needs (row 3, column 6).
19. Deep 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 4, column 9).
20. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - row 1 can only hold 2 stars but the regions there would be forced to place 3 (row 1, column 1).
21. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - row 1 can only hold 2 stars but the regions there would be forced to place 3 (row 1, column 2).
22. 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).
23. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Column 8 would only have room for 0 of the 1 star it still needs (row 1, column 5).
24. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Column 8 would only have room for 0 of the 1 star it still needs (row 4, column 7).
25. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Row 1 would end up with more than 2 stars (row 5, column 7).
26. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Region 5 would end up with more than 2 stars (row 7, column 2).
27. Joint analysis (Row 7 + Region 6): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 8, column 4).
28. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - stars at R7C1 and R8C2 would touch (row 1, column 7).
29. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 1, column 6).
30. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 5).
31. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 1, column 4).
32. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 3).
33. Row 1 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 1, column 9).
34. Clump analysis (Column 9): each clump must supply its full share of stars (row 7, column 9).
35. Mark 5 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 8).
36. Three candidates in a column: Middle cell can't hold a star (row 3, column 8).
37. Column completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 2, column 8).
38. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 8).
39. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 6, column 7).
40. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 6).
41. Column 7 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 8, column 7).
42. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 6).
43. Mark 3 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 5).
44. Column 6 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 4, column 6).
45. Clump analysis (Row 8): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 9, column 2).
46. Squeeze (rows 8-9): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 7, column 3).
47. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 9).
48. Generalized counting (rows 2-4): region star limits exclude these cells (row 4, column 10).
49. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 10).
50. Composite container (rows 2-3): Region 1 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 4, column 4).
51. Lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Column 4 would end up with more than 2 stars (row 8, column 2).
52. Composite container (columns 2-5): Regions 4 and 5 are confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 4 of the band's 8 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 5, column 3).
53. Triple analysis (Row 7 + Row 6 + Column 4): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 5, column 4).
54. 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 2).
55. Generalized counting (columns 1-1): region star limits exclude these cells (row 2, column 1).
56. 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 3).
57. Row completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 3, column 5).
58. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 5).
59. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 10).
60. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 10).
61. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 2).
62. Two-option rule: Cell adjacent to both candidates (row 5, column 2).
63. Composite container (columns 2-3): Region 2 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 7, column 4).
64. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 1).
65. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 1).
66. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 3).
67. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 3).
68. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 1).
69. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 10, column 2).
70. Column 1 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 5, column 1).
71. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 3).
72. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 4).
73. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 5).
74. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 5).
75. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 2).
76. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 3).
77. Column 3 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 10, column 3).
78. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 10, column 4).
79. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 10, column 5).
80. Solved! Every row, column, and region has its two stars, none touching.