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