Expert Star Battle answer — July 1, 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 3, column 3).
3. Clump analysis (Region 7): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 9, column 6).
4. Clump analysis (Region 1): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 8, column 2).
5. Undercounting: 2 regions fit in rows 8-9, eliminate 3 outside candidates (row 8, column 1).
6. Crowding (Row 8): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 7, column 5).
7. Clump analysis (Region 7): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 7, column 6).
8. Squeeze (rows 7-8): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 6, column 1).
9. Squeeze (columns 5-6): each clump in the band must supply its full share of stars (row 8, column 6).
10. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 7).
11. Composite container (columns 1-5): Regions 1, 3, 4 and 5 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 2, column 4).
12. Clump analysis (Region 3): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 3, column 2).
13. Composite container (columns 1-7): Regions 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 are confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 3 of the band's 14 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 3, column 6).
14. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 6, column 5).
15. Squeeze (columns 4-5): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 9, column 3).
16. Squeeze (columns 2-3): each clump in the band must supply its full share of stars (row 9, column 2).
17. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 1).
18. Generalized counting (columns 1-1): region star limits exclude these cells (row 1, column 2).
19. Composite container (columns 4-7): Regions 1 and 2 are confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 3 of the band's 8 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 3, column 5).
20. Lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Region 9 would only have room for 0 of the 1 star it still needs (row 6, column 9).
21. Joint analysis (Row 3 + Region 3): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 2, column 8).
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 4, column 7).
23. Clump analysis (Region 6): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 2, column 7).
24. Crowding (Column 7): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 2, column 6).
25. Joint analysis (Region 2 + Row 1): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 1, column 8).
26. Region confined to column: Eliminate other column candidates (row 9, column 9).
27. Joint analysis (Column 3 + Column 4): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 7, column 2).
28. Squeeze (rows 7-8): each clump in the band must supply its full share of stars (row 7, column 1).
29. Triple analysis (Row 2 + Row 3 + Column 4): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 4, column 3).
30. 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 3).
31. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 7).
32. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 7).
33. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 7, column 3).
34. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 4).
35. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 4).
36. Row 7 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 7, column 9).
37. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 8).
38. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 8).
39. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 8).
40. Mark 4 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 9).
41. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 6).
42. Region completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 1, column 9).
43. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 9).
44. Column 6 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 1, column 6).
45. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 1, column 7).
46. Row 1 complete: Mark 3 remaining cells as X (row 1, column 1).
47. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 5).
48. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 3, column 4).
49. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 1).
50. Mark 4 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 1).
51. Region completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 2, column 3).
52. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 4).
53. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 3).
54. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 2).
55. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 1).
56. Solved! Every row, column, and region has its two stars, none touching.