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