Expert Star Battle answer — November 4, 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 3): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 3, column 6).
3. Clump analysis (Region 6): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 3, column 2).
4. 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 4).
5. Clump analysis (Region 8): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 6, column 8).
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 8, column 6).
7. Clump analysis (Region 1): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 5, column 4).
8. Squeeze (columns 7-8): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 6, column 6).
9. Undercounting: 6 regions fit in rows 4-9, eliminate 1 outside candidate (row 4, column 1).
10. 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 1).
11. 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 2).
12. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 3, column 1).
13. Lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - column 1 can only hold 2 stars but the regions there would be forced to place 3 (row 5, column 3).
14. Joint analysis (Row 2 + Region 7): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 1, column 8).
15. Crowding (Column 8): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 3, column 9).
16. Clump analysis (Row 3): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 4, column 4).
17. Composite container (rows 3-5): Region 3 is confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 3 of the band's 6 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 4, column 6).
18. Blocking rule: a star here would touch every other open cell in its region, leaving no room for the region's second star (row 4, column 8).
19. Column completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 2, column 8).
20. Mark 4 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 7).
21. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 8).
22. Mark 4 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 7).
23. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 4, column 7).
24. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 7, column 7).
25. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 7).
26. Two-option rule: Cell adjacent to both candidates (row 9, column 5).
27. Clump analysis (Row 8): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 7, column 2).
28. Clump analysis (Column 6): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 1, column 5).
29. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 6).
30. Clump analysis (Row 8): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 7, column 1).
31. Clump analysis (Column 5): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 6, column 4).
32. Star claim: Region 1 must place a star in row 4; cells touching all its options are eliminated (row 3, column 4).
33. Column completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 1, column 4).
34. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 3).
35. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 6).
36. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 6).
37. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 3).
38. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 3).
39. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 4).
40. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 5).
41. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 2).
42. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 1).
43. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 9).
44. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 9).
45. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 3).
46. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 2).
47. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 1, column 2).
48. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 1).
49. Three candidates in a column: Middle cell can't hold a star (row 5, column 5).
50. Region completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 4, column 5).
51. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 5).
52. Row 4 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 4, column 9).
53. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 9).
54. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 1).
55. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 1).
56. Solved! Every row, column, and region has its two stars, none touching.