Expert Star Battle answer — October 23, 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 2).
3. Clump analysis (Region 6): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 2, column 8).
4. Clump analysis (Region 9): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 2, column 1).
5. 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 6).
6. Generalized counting (columns 1-4): region star limits exclude these cells (row 7, column 5).
7. Clump analysis (Region 5): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 8, column 3).
8. Composite container (rows 3-9): Regions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 8 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 2, column 5).
9. Crowding (Row 2): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 1, column 8).
10. Clump analysis (Column 8): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 6, column 7).
11. Clump analysis (Region 1): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 8, column 6).
12. Clump analysis (Region 6): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 5, column 9).
13. Crowding (Region 8): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 4, column 7).
14. Blocking rule: a star here would touch every other open cell in its region, leaving no room for the region's second star (row 6, column 6).
15. Squeeze (rows 7-8): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 7, column 7).
16. Squeeze (rows 6-7): each clump in the band must supply its full share of stars (row 7, column 6).
17. Generalized counting (rows 4-6): region star limits exclude these cells (row 3, column 1).
18. Squeeze (rows 2-3): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 2, column 4).
19. Region completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 1, column 1).
20. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 3).
21. 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 2).
22. Clump analysis (Column 4): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 6, column 3).
23. Squeeze (rows 2-3): each clump in the band must supply its full share of stars (row 3, column 5).
24. Generalized counting (rows 7-9): region star limits exclude these cells (row 7, column 8).
25. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 3, column 7).
26. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 7).
27. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 9).
28. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 9).
29. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 9).
30. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 8).
31. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 8).
32. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 7).
33. Two last candidates (column 8): Eliminate 1 cell adjacent to both (row 9, column 7).
34. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 1, column 7).
35. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 6).
36. Region complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 1, column 5).
37. Squeeze (rows 7-8): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 9, column 8).
38. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 8).
39. Squeeze (columns 4-5): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 6, column 4).
40. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 4).
41. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 1).
42. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 1).
43. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 3).
44. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 4).
45. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 4).
46. Mark 3 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 3).
47. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 6).
48. Row 5 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 5, column 1).
49. Column 1 complete: Mark 2 remaining cells as X (row 4, column 1).
50. Region completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 4, column 2).
51. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 2).
52. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 5).
53. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 6).
54. Solved! Every row, column, and region has its two stars, none touching.