Expert Star Battle answer — July 6, 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 4, column 2).
3. Clump analysis (Region 2): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 3, column 1).
4. Clump analysis (Region 6): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 9, column 6).
5. Clump analysis (Region 10): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 4, column 5).
6. Composite container (rows 1-2): Region 5 is confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 2 of the band's 4 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 1, column 7).
7. Composite container (rows 6-10): Regions 1, 3, 4 and 6 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 5, column 9).
8. Composite container (rows 6-10): Regions 1, 3, 4 and 6 are confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 2 of the band's 10 stars - impossible without stars on these cells (row 6, column 10).
9. 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 10).
10. Two-option rule: Cell adjacent to both candidates (row 4, column 7).
11. Two-option rule: Cell adjacent to both candidates (row 4, column 8).
12. Two-option rule: Cell adjacent to both candidates (row 6, column 7).
13. Two-option rule: Cell adjacent to both candidates (row 6, column 8).
14. Composite container (columns 7-8): Region 9 is confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 3 of the band's 4 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 2, column 9).
15. Lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Region 8 would only have room for 1 of the 2 stars it still needs (row 4, column 9).
16. Joint analysis (Region 2 + Row 4): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 3, column 4).
17. Joint analysis (Region 10 + Row 6): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 6, column 2).
18. Region dichotomy: Region 2 has only two ways to place its stars, and both rule these cells out (row 2, column 3).
19. Generalized counting (columns 1-5): region star limits exclude these cells (row 6, column 6).
20. Clump analysis (Region 3): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 6, column 4).
21. Crowding (Column 7): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 9, column 8).
22. Squeeze (columns 6-7): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 9, column 7).
23. Clump analysis (Region 6): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 10, column 1).
24. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 9, column 5).
25. Mark 3 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 4).
26. Column completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 2, column 6).
27. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 5).
28. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 6).
29. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 5).
30. Region complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 3, column 8).
31. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 8).
32. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 2).
33. Mark 4 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 1).
34. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 2).
35. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 1).
36. Region completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 4, column 4).
37. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 3).
38. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 2).
39. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 5).
40. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 5).
41. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 1).
42. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 1).
43. Column 2 complete: Mark 2 remaining cells as X (row 1, column 2).
44. Column completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 8, column 7).
45. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 10, column 7).
46. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 10, column 8).
47. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 10, column 9).
48. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 10).
49. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 8).
50. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 9).
51. Row 2 complete: Mark 2 remaining cells as X (row 2, column 4).
52. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 10).
53. Region complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 1, column 10).
54. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 1, column 4).
55. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 3).
56. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 1, column 1).
57. Column 1 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 9, column 1).
58. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 3).
59. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 9).
60. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 10).
61. Solved! Every row, column, and region has its two stars, none touching.