Expert Star Battle answer — June 23, 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. Clump analysis (Region 3): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 9, column 5).
3. Clump analysis (Region 4): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 7, column 4).
4. Clump analysis (Region 5): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 4, column 9).
5. Clump analysis (Region 6): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 3, column 5).
6. Clump analysis (Region 7): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 6, column 3).
7. Undercounting: 3 regions fit in rows 8-10, eliminate 7 outside candidates (row 8, column 1).
8. Squeeze (rows 8-9): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 10, column 8).
9. Squeeze (rows 9-10): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 8, column 9).
10. Lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - column 6 can only hold 2 stars but the regions there would be forced to place 3 (row 6, column 6).
11. Lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - row 10 can only hold 2 stars but the regions there would be forced to place 3 (row 10, column 3).
12. Joint analysis (Column 1 + Region 7): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 4, column 2).
13. Triple analysis (Region 4 + Region 3 + Row 10): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 10, column 6).
14. Quad analysis (Row 8 + Column 3 + Row 7 + Region 9): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 6, column 2).
15. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Column 5 would end up with more than 2 stars (row 1, column 5).
16. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - column 6 can only hold 2 stars but the regions there would be forced to place 3 (row 1, column 6).
17. Lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - columns 1-4 can only hold 8 stars but the regions there would be forced to place 9 (row 2, column 5).
18. Joint analysis (Column 5 + Column 6): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 2, column 7).
19. Triple analysis (Row 8 + Row 9 + Column 5): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 7, column 6).
20. Joint analysis (Column 6 + Column 5): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 5, column 5).
21. Triple analysis (Row 7 + Row 6 + Region 9): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 5, column 4).
22. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Column 7 would only have room for 1 of the 2 stars it still needs (row 2, column 9).
23. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - stars at R1C1 and R1C2 would touch (row 3, column 2).
24. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - stars at R8C5 and R9C6 would touch (row 3, column 4).
25. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Column 5 would only have room for 1 of the 2 stars it still needs (row 2, column 1).
26. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - stars at R8C5 and R9C6 would touch (row 2, column 2).
27. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Region 7 would only have room for 1 of the 2 stars it still needs (row 4, column 5).
28. Crowding (Column 5): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 9, column 6).
29. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 10, column 7).
30. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 8).
31. Clump analysis (Row 9): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 8, column 10).
32. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 8, column 7).
33. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 7).
34. Column 7 complete: Mark 4 remaining cells as X (row 1, column 7).
35. Clump analysis (Row 9): each clump must supply its full share of stars (row 9, column 3).
36. Mark 3 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 4).
37. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 10, column 5).
38. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 5).
39. Column 5 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 6, column 5).
40. Star claim: Region 1 must place a star in column 8; cells touching all its options are eliminated (row 5, column 8).
41. Crowding (Column 2): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 6, column 1).
42. Crowding (Row 6): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 7, column 9).
43. Crowding (Column 4): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 5, column 3).
44. Squeeze (rows 6-7): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 6, column 9).
45. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 6, column 8).
46. Crowding (Column 9): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 2, column 8).
47. Blocking rule: a star here would touch every other open cell in its region, leaving no room for the region's second star (row 4, column 10).
48. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 5, column 10).
49. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 10).
50. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 10).
51. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 4).
52. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 3).
53. Column 10 complete: Mark 3 remaining cells as X (row 1, column 10).
54. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 9).
55. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 3, column 8).
56. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 9).
57. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 1, column 8).
58. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 9).
59. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 4).
60. Mark 4 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 3).
61. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 6).
62. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 3, column 6).
63. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 1).
64. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 1).
65. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 3).
66. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 4).
67. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 2).
68. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 1).
69. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 1).
70. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 6).
71. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 6).
72. Column 1 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 1, column 1).
73. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 1, column 2).
74. Solved! Every row, column, and region has its two stars, none touching.