Expert Star Battle answer — September 18, 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 7, column 6).
3. Clump analysis (Region 2): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 2, column 3).
4. Clump analysis (Region 3): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 5, column 3).
5. Clump analysis (Region 5): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 4, column 7).
6. Quad analysis (Region 5 + Region 9 + Row 5 + Column 7): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 8, column 8).
7. Clump analysis (Region 7): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 9, column 1).
8. Clump analysis (Region 8): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 5, column 2).
9. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Region 9 would only have room for 0 of the 1 star it still needs (row 2, column 1).
10. Quad analysis (Region 3 + Region 6 + Column 4 + Column 5): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 8, column 6).
11. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Region 1 would end up with more than 2 stars (row 2, column 4).
12. Quad analysis (Region 1 + Row 2 + Region 6 + Row 3): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 3, column 2).
13. Joint analysis (Column 2 + Column 1): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 7, column 1).
14. Triple analysis (Region 2 + Region 1 + Row 1): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 4, column 4).
15. Quad analysis (Region 3 + Region 8 + Column 2 + Row 6): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 6, column 5).
16. Joint analysis (Region 9 + Region 5): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 5, column 7).
17. Quad analysis (Region 3 + Region 8 + Row 5 + Column 2): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 4, column 5).
18. Quad analysis (Region 3 + Row 5 + Row 4 + Column 2): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 6, column 3).
19. Triple analysis (Region 6 + Row 2 + Row 3): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 3, column 6).
20. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Column 1 would end up with more than 2 stars (row 1, column 3).
21. Crowding (Column 3): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 8, column 2).
22. Squeeze (columns 2-3): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 1, column 1).
23. Triple analysis (Region 2 + Region 6 + Region 1): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 2, column 7).
24. Joint analysis (Region 2 + Row 2): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 1, column 5).
25. Triple analysis (Region 6 + Column 5 + Column 4): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 9, column 6).
26. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Row 5 would only have room for 1 of the 2 stars it still needs (row 1, column 4).
27. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 3, column 3).
28. Mark 4 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 2).
29. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 1, column 2).
30. Three candidates in a column: Middle cell can't hold a star (row 6, column 4).
31. Column completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 5, column 4).
32. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 4).
33. Mark 4 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 3).
34. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 3).
35. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 4, column 6).
36. Mark 3 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 3, column 5).
37. Column completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 2, column 5).
38. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 6).
39. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 1, column 7).
40. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 8).
41. Row 1 complete: Mark 1 remaining cells as X (row 1, column 9).
42. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 9).
43. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 3, column 8).
44. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 1).
45. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 1).
46. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 5).
47. Region complete: Mark 3 remaining cells as X (row 9, column 7).
48. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 6).
49. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 7).
50. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 7).
51. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 8).
52. Three candidates in a column: Middle cell can't hold a star (row 5, column 8).
53. Region completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 4, column 8).
54. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 9).
55. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 8).
56. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 9).
57. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 9).
58. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 1).
59. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 1).
60. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 2).
61. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 1).
62. Solved! Every row, column, and region has its two stars, none touching.