Expert Star Battle answer — July 22, 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 4, column 3).
3. Clump analysis (Region 9): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 4, column 2).
4. Blocking rule: This position would block too many candidates (row 8, column 2).
5. Clump analysis (Region 6): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 3, column 5).
6. Joint analysis (Region 9 + Column 1): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 2, column 1).
7. Triple analysis (Region 9 + Region 1 + Column 1): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 4, column 1).
8. Joint analysis (Region 6 + Row 2): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 3, column 6).
9. Joint analysis (Region 6 + Row 4): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 5, column 6).
10. Triple analysis (Region 9 + Column 2 + Region 1): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 1, column 1).
11. Quad analysis (Region 1 + Row 8 + Region 7 + Row 9): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 7, column 4).
12. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Region 4 would end up with more than 2 stars (row 1, column 6).
13. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - stars at R8C4 and R9C4 would touch (row 2, column 3).
14. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - stars at R5C4 and R6C4 would touch (row 2, column 5).
15. Squeeze (rows 1-2): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 3, column 3).
16. Composite container (rows 3-9): Regions 1, 2, 3, 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 4, column 8).
17. Triple analysis (Row 2 + Column 6 + Column 5): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 1, column 7).
18. Squeeze (rows 3-4): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 5, column 7).
19. Quad analysis (Region 8 + Row 4 + Column 6 + Column 5): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 5, column 4).
20. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - stars at R6C8 and R7C8 would touch (row 1, column 3).
21. Clump analysis (Column 3): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 6, column 4).
22. Clump analysis (Region 5): each clump must supply its full share of stars (row 1, column 2).
23. Squeeze (columns 4-5): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 6, column 6).
24. Lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - columns 1-2 can only hold 4 stars but the regions there would be forced to place 5 (row 9, column 4).
25. Clump analysis (Column 4): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 1, column 5).
26. Clump analysis (Column 5): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 8, column 6).
27. Squeeze (columns 5-6): each clump in the band must supply its full share of stars (row 2, column 6).
28. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 7).
29. Composite container (columns 7-8): Region 8 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).
30. Composite container (columns 7-9): Regions 2, 4 and 8 are confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 1 of the band's 6 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 7, column 6).
31. Crowding (Column 7): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 5, column 8).
32. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 7).
33. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 3, column 8).
34. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 6).
35. Mark 4 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 5).
36. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 7).
37. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 8).
38. Three candidates in a column: Middle cell can't hold a star (row 6, column 5).
39. Column completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 5, column 5).
40. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 4).
41. Region complete: Mark 2 remaining cells as X (row 6, column 3).
42. Region completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 3, column 4).
43. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 4).
44. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 1, column 4).
45. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 3).
46. Row 1 complete: Mark 2 remaining cells as X (row 1, column 8).
47. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 8).
48. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 3, column 9).
49. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 9).
50. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 9).
51. Row 5 complete: Mark 1 remaining cells as X (row 5, column 1).
52. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 5).
53. Region complete: Mark 1 remaining cells as X (row 9, column 3).
54. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 3).
55. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 2).
56. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 2).
57. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 3, column 1).
58. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 1).
59. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 1).
60. Row 6 complete: Mark 1 remaining cells as X (row 6, column 9).
61. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 9).
62. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 8).
63. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 1).
64. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 1).
65. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 8).
66. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 9).
67. Solved! Every row, column, and region has its two stars, none touching.