Expert Star Battle answer — July 13, 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 8, column 7).
3. Clump analysis (Region 1): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 7, column 4).
4. Clump analysis (Region 4): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 4, column 5).
5. Clump analysis (Region 6): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 2, column 6).
6. Clump analysis (Region 7): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 2, column 8).
7. Joint analysis (Region 6 + Row 1): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 1, column 4).
8. Clump analysis (Region 2): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 3, column 4).
9. Joint analysis (Region 4 + Column 4): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 5, column 3).
10. Triple analysis (Region 6 + Region 2 + Row 1): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 3, column 2).
11. Quad analysis (Region 4 + Region 1 + Row 7 + Row 6): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 7, column 2).
12. Quad analysis (Region 7 + Row 4 + Row 5 + Column 8): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 6, column 9).
13. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - columns 6-7 must hold 4 stars but the regions there could only supply 3 (row 2, column 3).
14. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - stars at R6C8 and R7C9 would touch (row 1, column 1).
15. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Region 3 would only have room for 1 of the 2 stars it still needs (row 4, column 3).
16. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Row 8 would only have room for 1 of the 2 stars it still needs (row 1, column 3).
17. Clump analysis (Region 2): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 2, column 1).
18. Clump analysis (Region 5): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 6, column 2).
19. Clump analysis (Region 4): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 6, column 4).
20. Composite container (columns 3-9): Regions 1, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 9 are confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 2 of the band's 14 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 8, column 4).
21. Lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - columns 1-4 must hold 8 stars but the regions there could only supply 7 (row 7, column 3).
22. Squeeze (columns 3-4): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 3, column 3).
23. Region completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 4, column 4).
24. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 3).
25. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 2, column 4).
26. Column 4 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 9, column 4).
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 1, column 7).
28. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 1, column 8).
29. Mark 3 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 9).
30. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 1, column 6).
31. Row 1 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 1, column 2).
32. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 2).
33. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 3, column 1).
34. Blocking rule: a star here would touch every other open cell in its region, leaving no room for the region's second star (row 5, column 1).
35. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 6, column 1).
36. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 1).
37. Row 6 complete: Mark 4 remaining cells as X (row 6, column 5).
38. Three candidates in a column: Middle cell can't hold a star (row 8, column 5).
39. Column completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 7, column 5).
40. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 6).
41. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 5).
42. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 6).
43. 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 9).
44. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 5, column 9).
45. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 8).
46. Blocking rule: a star here would touch every other open cell in its region, leaving no room for the region's second star (row 8, column 8).
47. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 7, column 7).
48. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 8).
49. Row 7 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 7, column 9).
50. Two last candidates (row 5): Eliminate 2 cells adjacent to both (row 4, column 6).
51. Two last candidates (column 3): Eliminate 2 cells adjacent to both (row 8, column 2).
52. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 2).
53. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 1).
54. Clump analysis (Column 1): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 9, column 3).
55. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 3).
56. Region complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 5, column 6).
57. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 7).
58. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 6).
59. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 3, column 7).
60. Region complete: Mark 2 remaining cells as X (row 8, column 9).
61. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 1).
62. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 1).
63. Column 7 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 9, column 7).
64. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 8).
65. Column 8 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 3, column 8).
66. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 9).
67. Solved! Every row, column, and region has its two stars, none touching.