Exocet
Extreme
Reference only
Two "base" cells constrain two "target" cells elsewhere on the board so tightly that the targets' candidates must come entirely from the base cells' digits.
The solver does not attempt this technique, so Smart Hint will never suggest it. It is documented because you may still want to spot it yourself.
- Cells that establish the pattern
- Where the conclusion lands
- Candidate ruled out
How it works
- B2 and C2 (the base cells) together hold exactly {2, 5, 8} — and geometry elsewhere on the board proves H2 and B5 (the target cells) can only ever be filled from that same set, never anything else.
- Any candidate at H2 or B5 outside {2, 5, 8} — like 9 or 4 — can be eliminated immediately. Recognizing a valid Exocet pattern in the first place is the hard part; the elimination itself is simple once found.