Expert Star Battle answer — July 5, 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 1): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 7, column 6).
3. Clump analysis (Region 2): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 8, column 4).
4. Clump analysis (Region 1): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 4, column 6).
5. Clump analysis (Region 8): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 6, column 8).
6. Clump analysis (Region 9): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 6, column 2).
7. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - stars at R4C1 and R4C2 would touch (row 2, column 2).
8. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Column 7 would only have room for 0 of the 1 star it still needs (row 2, column 5).
9. Generalized counting (rows 1-2): region star limits exclude these cells (row 3, column 9).
10. Generalized counting (columns 6-7): region star limits exclude these cells (row 3, column 6).
11. Composite container (columns 1-5): Regions 4, 6, 7 and 9 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 4, column 4).
12. 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 2).
13. Joint analysis (Column 2 + Column 3): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 8, column 3).
14. Joint analysis (Column 2 + Region 9): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 8, column 1).
15. Triple analysis (Row 3 + Row 4 + Region 5): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 5, column 8).
16. Quad analysis (Row 8 + Column 2 + Column 3 + Row 7): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 7, column 8).
17. Joint analysis (Column 8 + Column 7): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 6, column 6).
18. Quad analysis (Region 1 + Region 2 + Row 8 + Column 8): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 1, column 7).
19. Clump analysis (Region 3): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 1, column 5).
20. Composite container (columns 3-5): Region 4 is confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 4 of the band's 6 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 3, column 4).
21. Squeeze (rows 2-3): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 1, column 3).
22. Squeeze (columns 2-3): each clump in the band must supply its full share of stars (row 4, column 3).
23. Squeeze (columns 4-5): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 5, column 6).
24. Clump analysis (Column 6): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 8, column 5).
25. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 9, column 4).
26. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 3).
27. 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 4).
28. Clump analysis (Column 7): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 4, column 8).
29. Squeeze (columns 2-3): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 9, column 1).
30. Joint analysis (Row 3 + Row 4): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 5, column 1).
31. Generalized counting (rows 3-4): region star limits exclude these cells (row 4, column 7).
32. Three candidates in a column: Middle cell can't hold a star (row 6, column 7).
33. Region completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 5, column 7).
34. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 7).
35. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 6).
36. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 6).
37. Row completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 8, column 2).
38. Mark 4 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 1).
39. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 1).
40. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 9).
41. Mark 3 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 9).
42. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 1, column 2).
43. Mark 3 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 1).
44. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 4).
45. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 3, column 5).
46. Row completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 3, column 1).
47. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 1).
48. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 8).
49. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 8).
50. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 5).
51. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 5).
52. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 6).
53. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 6).
54. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 1, column 8).
55. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 9).
56. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 9).
57. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 3).
58. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 4).
59. Row 6 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 6, column 5).
60. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 5).
61. Solved! Every row, column, and region has its two stars, none touching.