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