Expert Star Battle answer — June 19, 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 2, column 4).
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 5, column 9).
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 2, column 2).
5. Clump analysis (Region 1): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 4, column 2).
6. Clump analysis (Region 6): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 1, column 2).
7. Clump analysis (Region 7): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 4, column 9).
8. Generalized counting (rows 1-5): region star limits exclude these cells (row 4, column 3).
9. 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 4).
10. Generalized counting (columns 1-1): region star limits exclude these cells (row 8, column 1).
11. Composite container (rows 8-10): Regions 3 and 5 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 7, column 5).
12. Clump analysis (Region 3): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 9, column 7).
13. Composite container (rows 6-10): Regions 3, 5, 8 and 10 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 5, column 8).
14. Composite container (rows 5-10): Regions 3, 5, 8 and 10 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 4, column 1).
15. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 5, column 1).
16. Clump analysis (Region 9): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 7, column 1).
17. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 2).
18. Mark 3 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 3).
19. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 6, column 4).
20. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 5).
21. Clump analysis (Region 7): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 6, column 6).
22. Squeeze (rows 4-6): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 3, column 5).
23. Squeeze (columns 2-3): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 2, column 3).
24. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 1, column 3).
25. Generalized counting (columns 10-10): region star limits exclude these cells (row 1, column 10).
26. Composite container (columns 6-9): Regions 2 and 3 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 8, column 6).
27. Triple analysis (Region 6 + Region 9 + Region 4): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 1, column 8).
28. Triple analysis (Region 6 + Row 1 + Region 9): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 1, column 5).
29. Squeeze (columns 5-6): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 3, column 6).
30. Joint analysis (Column 6 + Column 7): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 7, column 10).
31. Triple analysis (Row 9 + Region 5 + Row 10): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 10, column 9).
32. Clump analysis (Column 9): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 2, column 8).
33. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 9).
34. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 10).
35. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 10).
36. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 3, column 9).
37. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 7).
38. Mark 3 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 6).
39. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 9).
40. Region complete: Mark 2 remaining cells as X (row 2, column 7).
41. Three candidates in a column: Middle cell can't hold a star (row 9, column 8).
42. Column completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 8, column 8).
43. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 7).
44. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 6).
45. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 5).
46. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 4).
47. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 3).
48. Row 8 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 8, column 10).
49. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 10).
50. Column 4 complete: Mark 3 remaining cells as X (row 3, column 4).
51. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 5).
52. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 6).
53. Region completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 1, column 7).
54. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 5).
55. Row 1 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 1, column 1).
56. Row 2 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 2, column 1).
57. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 1).
58. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 3, column 2).
59. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 3).
60. Column 3 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 10, column 3).
61. Column 5 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 10, column 5).
62. Column 7 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 10, column 7).
63. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 10, column 8).
64. Region complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 10, column 6).
65. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 10, column 2).
66. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 2).
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.