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