Star Battle by John Bulten
or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools)
Theme: Lampshade
Author/Opus: This is the 85th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster John Bulten.
Rules: Standard Star Battle rules. Two stars per row, column, and region.
Difficulty: 1 star
Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 0:45, Master = 1:15, Expert = 2:30
Solution: PDF; a solution video is also available here.
Note: Follow this link for other classic Star Battles and this link for Star Battle variations. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Star Battles to get started on. More Star Battle puzzles can be found in The Art of Puzzles, in the books Star Battle by JinHoo Ahn and Star Battle 2 by JinHoo Ahn and Murat Can Tonta, and in our beginner-friendly collection Intro to GMPuzzles by Serkan Yürekli.
1:38. Nice one to start the week
I like how the top managed to still be interesting when it looks so bland at first glance.
Very impressive construction, John! It hardly seems possible when first looking at this puzzle that it can have a unique solution, with over half of the puzzle consisting of full-length rows.
2:12
1.13. Smooth solve.