Expert Star Battle answer — June 21, 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 2).
3. Clump analysis (Region 2): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 2, column 8).
4. Clump analysis (Region 6): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 3, column 6).
5. Composite container (columns 1-7): Regions 1, 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8 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 8, column 6).
6. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - stars at R7C8 and R8C8 would touch (row 1, column 5).
7. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - stars at R3C1 and R3C2 would touch (row 2, column 6).
8. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Column 5 would only have room for 0 of the 1 star it still needs (row 1, column 4).
9. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - stars at R7C8 and R8C8 would touch (row 2, column 7).
10. Joint analysis (Row 2 + Region 8): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 3, column 4).
11. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Row 4 would only have room for 1 of the 2 stars it still needs (row 5, column 4).
12. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Row 8 would only have room for 1 of the 2 stars it still needs (row 2, column 1).
13. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Region 4 would only have room for 0 of the 1 star it still needs (row 5, column 5).
14. Squeeze (columns 4-5): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 3, column 5).
15. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Column 5 would only have room for 0 of the 1 star it still needs (row 4, column 3).
16. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - stars at R7C8 and R8C8 would touch (row 3, column 1).
17. Squeeze (rows 2-3): each clump in the band must supply its full share of stars (row 3, column 7).
18. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 7).
19. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Region 5 would end up with more than 2 stars (row 5, column 2).
20. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Row 8 would only have room for 1 of the 2 stars it still needs (row 6, column 5).
21. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Region 6 would only have room for 0 of the 1 star it still needs (row 5, column 3).
22. Squeeze (rows 4-5): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 6, column 6).
23. Squeeze (rows 5-6): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 7, column 3).
24. Squeeze (columns 5-6): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 8, column 5).
25. 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 3).
26. Clump analysis (Region 7): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 8, column 1).
27. Composite container (columns 3-9): Regions 2, 3, 4, 6 and 9 are confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 4 of the band's 14 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 1, column 2).
28. Crowding (Column 6): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 8, column 7).
29. Crowding (Row 8): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 9, column 3).
30. Squeeze (rows 2-3): each clump in the band must supply its full share of stars (row 2, column 5).
31. Squeeze (rows 8-9): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 7, column 9).
32. Squeeze (columns 2-3): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 9, column 1).
33. Clump analysis (Region 1): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 6, column 2).
34. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 4).
35. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 3, column 3).
36. Two last candidates (column 5): Eliminate 1 cell adjacent to both (row 8, column 4).
37. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 9, column 4).
38. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 5).
39. Column 4 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 6, column 4).
40. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 5).
41. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 6).
42. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 3).
43. Column completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 5, column 6).
44. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 7).
45. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 6).
46. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 7).
47. Row 9 complete: Mark 3 remaining cells as X (row 9, column 2).
48. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 2).
49. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 1).
50. Two-option rule: Cell adjacent to both candidates (row 7, column 8).
51. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 7).
52. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 8).
53. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 9).
54. Column 7 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 1, column 7).
55. Column completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 1, column 8).
56. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 9).
57. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 9).
58. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 9).
59. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 3).
60. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 3).
61. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 1, column 1).
62. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 2).
63. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 1).
64. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 1).
65. Row 6 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 6, column 9).
66. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 8).
67. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 9).
68. Solved! Every row, column, and region has its two stars, none touching.