Clue 6: (E1, E2) same number. So E1 = E2 = x. But rows must have 1..5 each exactly once. So x can be 1..5, but that means E3, E4, E5 are the other four numbers.
The rules were projected in golden light: "You have 25 cells: 5 rows (A, B, C, D, E) and 5 columns (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). Place numbers 1 through 5 in each row and each column exactly once (like a Sudoku base). Additionally, symbols (★, ◆, ▲, ●, ■) are placed one per cell, each appearing exactly five times total." But the twist—the one that separated the elites from the pretenders—was this: Elites Grid LRDI 2023 Matrix Arrangement lesson...
But clue 8: A4 and B4 have different symbols. So if A4=★, then B4≠★. Clue 6: (E1, E2) same number