Expert Star Battle answer — October 30, 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. Clump analysis (Region 7): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 8, column 8).
3. Clump analysis (Region 9): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 3, column 5).
4. Lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - row 9 can only hold 2 stars but the regions there would be forced to place 3 (row 7, column 4).
5. Joint analysis (Region 7 + Region 4): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 8, column 6).
6. 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).
7. Triple analysis (Region 2 + Region 8 + Row 4): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 5, column 2).
8. Triple analysis (Region 8 + Region 9 + Column 3): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 3, column 6).
9. Triple analysis (Row 3 + Row 2 + Region 6): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 1, column 5).
10. Composite container (columns 1-6): Regions 1, 3, 5, 8 and 9 are confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 2 of the band's 12 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 4, column 5).
11. Squeeze (columns 4-5): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 3, column 3).
12. 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).
13. Clump analysis (Region 8): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 7, column 2).
14. Composite container (rows 1-4): Regions 5, 6 and 9 are confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 2 of the band's 8 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 3, column 1).
15. Clump analysis (Region 5): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 2, column 4).
16. Crowding (Row 3): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 2, column 3).
17. Squeeze (rows 2-3): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 1, column 8).
18. Composite container (columns 1-3): Region 1 is confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 4 of the band's 6 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 8, column 2).
19. Composite container (columns 1-5): Regions 1, 5 and 8 are confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 4 of the band's 10 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 5, column 4).
20. Joint analysis (Region 9 + Row 1): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 2, column 2).
21. Joint analysis (Row 3 + Region 9): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 2, column 1).
22. Clump analysis (Region 5): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 1, column 7).
23. Squeeze (rows 2-3): each clump in the band must supply its full share of stars (row 3, column 2).
24. Clump analysis (Region 1): each clump must supply its full share of stars (row 1, column 1).
25. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 2).
26. Composite container (columns 2-8): Regions 2, 3, 5, 8 and 9 are confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 4 of the band's 14 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 3, column 7).
27. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 4).
28. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 5).
29. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 6).
30. Clump analysis (Row 4): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 5, column 6).
31. Clump analysis (Column 5): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 6, column 4).
32. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 1, column 4).
33. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 3).
34. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 7, column 3).
35. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 2).
36. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 3).
37. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 2).
38. Mark 3 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 1).
39. Clump analysis (Region 2): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 7, column 7).
40. Clump analysis (Region 7): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 9, column 5).
41. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 5).
42. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 6).
43. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 6).
44. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 7).
45. Region completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 6, column 5).
46. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 7).
47. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 8).
48. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 1).
49. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 1).
50. Region complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 7, column 1).
51. Row 6 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 6, column 9).
52. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 9).
53. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 9).
54. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 7).
55. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 7).
56. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 9).
57. Column completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 2, column 8).
58. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 9).
59. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 8).
60. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 9).
61. Solved! Every row, column, and region has its two stars, none touching.