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