Can't be a coincidence - nyancharov must have made this deliberately thinking about the solving style that I happen to use.
Now I'm curious... Do you think there's room for different solving styles in Star Battle puzzles? Certainly there are different types of deductions, but doesn't the puzzle usually mandate which ones you use when solving?
I think it's best not to reveal my method, so I don't spoil anybody's joy in inventing it themselves. Often it helps, but not a long way, so then I have to get to bifurcating again and work from that. But in this puzzle those opportunities were "handed on the platter" all the time, not a single bifurcation needed.