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