Expert Star Battle answer — July 26, 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: This position would block too many candidates (row 5, column 2).
3. Clump analysis (Region 4): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 4, column 3).
4. Clump analysis (Region 8): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 2, column 6).
5. Lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - row 1 can only hold 2 stars but the regions there would be forced to place 3 (row 3, column 3).
6. Lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - rows 1-3 can only hold 6 stars but the regions there would be forced to place 7 (row 3, column 5).
7. Lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - row 4 can only hold 2 stars but the regions there would be forced to place 3 (row 4, column 9).
8. Lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - stars at R4C4 and R5C3 would touch (row 5, column 1).
9. Clump analysis (Region 4): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 7, column 1).
10. Joint analysis (Region 1 + Row 3): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 4, column 8).
11. Squeeze (rows 3-4): each clump in the band must supply its full share of stars (row 3, column 9).
12. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 9).
13. Composite container (rows 1-2): Region 6 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 1, column 6).
14. Squeeze (columns 5-6): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 1, column 4).
15. Joint analysis (Row 2 + Region 3): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 1, column 2).
16. Joint analysis (Column 2 + Column 3): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 3, column 1).
17. Joint analysis (Column 4 + Region 9): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 8, column 3).
18. Joint analysis (Column 3 + Region 5): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 6, column 4).
19. Generalized counting (rows 6-9): region star limits exclude these cells (row 5, column 9).
20. Squeeze (rows 4-5): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 3, column 2).
21. Joint analysis (Row 5 + Column 6): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 6, column 7).
22. Composite container (columns 6-9): Regions 6, 7 and 8 are confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 2 of the band's 8 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 5, column 5).
23. Crowding (Row 5): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 4, column 7).
24. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 5, column 8).
25. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 8).
26. Squeeze (rows 6-7): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 8, column 8).
27. Joint analysis (Region 4 + Region 1): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 5, column 4).
28. Crowding (Column 4): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 8, column 5).
29. Crowding (Region 3): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 2, column 5).
30. Squeeze (rows 5-6): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 6, column 2).
31. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 6, column 1).
32. Squeeze (columns 2-3): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 7, column 4).
33. Clump analysis (Column 4): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 4, column 5).
34. Clump analysis (Column 5): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 6, column 6).
35. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 7, column 7).
36. Mark 3 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 8).
37. Clump analysis (Column 5): each clump must supply its full share of stars (row 1, column 5).
38. Clump analysis (Column 6): each clump must supply its full share of stars (row 9, column 6).
39. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 7).
40. Clump analysis (Region 6): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 1, column 3).
41. Clump analysis (Region 8): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 1, column 7).
42. Star claim: Region 5 must place a star in row 8; cells touching all its options are eliminated (row 7, column 3).
43. Clump analysis (Column 3): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 3, column 4).
44. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 3).
45. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 2).
46. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 7).
47. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 7).
48. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 6).
49. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 5).
50. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 1).
51. Row 5 complete: Mark 1 remaining cells as X (row 5, column 3).
52. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 2).
53. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 1).
54. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 4).
55. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 3).
56. Column 1 complete: Mark 2 remaining cells as X (row 8, column 1).
57. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 5).
58. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 4).
59. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 2).
60. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 2).
61. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 4).
62. Row 7 complete: Mark 1 remaining cells as X (row 7, column 9).
63. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 9).
64. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 8).
65. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 1, column 8).
66. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 9).
67. Solved! Every row, column, and region has its two stars, none touching.