Expert Star Battle answer — September 8, 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 8, column 8).
3. Clump analysis (Region 5): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 2, column 6).
4. Clump analysis (Region 2): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 4, column 6).
5. Clump analysis (Region 9): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 6, column 8).
6. 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 1, column 5).
7. Joint analysis (Region 5 + Region 2): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 1, column 1).
8. Clump analysis (Region 7): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 3, column 1).
9. Squeeze (rows 1-2): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 3, column 2).
10. Triple analysis (Region 2 + Region 8 + Column 4): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 3, column 4).
11. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - stars at R7C8 and R7C9 would touch (row 2, column 4).
12. Quad analysis (Row 2 + Row 3 + Column 4 + Column 3): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 2, column 2).
13. Squeeze (columns 1-2): each clump in the band must supply its full share of stars (row 2, column 1).
14. Composite container (columns 2-3): Region 7 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 4, column 2).
15. Clump analysis (Column 2): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 6, column 1).
16. Composite container (rows 3-9): Regions 1, 3, 4, 6, 8 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 4).
17. Clump analysis (Region 8): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 6, column 5).
18. Composite container (rows 1-6): Regions 1, 2, 5 and 7 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 2).
19. Clump analysis (Column 2): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 7, column 1).
20. Clump analysis (Column 3): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 5, column 4).
21. Clump analysis (Region 8): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 7, column 5).
22. Squeeze (columns 3-4): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 8, column 5).
23. Composite container (rows 6-9): Regions 4 and 9 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 7, column 7).
24. Blocking rule: a star here would touch every other open cell in its region, leaving no room for the region's second star (row 8, column 9).
25. Clump analysis (Region 9): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 6, column 9).
26. Crowding (Row 6): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 5, column 3).
27. Three candidates in a column: Middle cell can't hold a star (row 3, column 3).
28. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 3).
29. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 4).
30. Row 2 complete: Mark 2 remaining cells as X (row 2, column 5).
31. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 3).
32. Blocking rule: a star here would touch every other open cell in its region, leaving no room for the region's second star (row 3, column 6).
33. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 3, column 7).
34. Mark 3 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 3, column 8).
35. Clump analysis (Column 4): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 9, column 5).
36. Three candidates in a column: Middle cell can't hold a star (row 4, column 5).
37. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 5).
38. Row 3 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 3, column 9).
39. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 5).
40. Mark 3 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 6).
41. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 4).
42. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 4).
43. Row completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 6, column 2).
44. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 1).
45. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 7).
46. Mark 4 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 7).
47. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 6).
48. Mark 3 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 7).
49. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 4).
50. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 9).
51. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 9).
52. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 1).
53. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 9).
54. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 2).
55. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 2).
56. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 1, column 6).
57. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 7).
58. Column completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 1, column 8).
59. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 9).
60. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 8).
61. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 9).
62. Solved! Every row, column, and region has its two stars, none touching.