diff --git a/ui/docs/battle-viewer-ux.md b/ui/docs/battle-viewer-ux.md
index c82212a..956933a 100644
--- a/ui/docs/battle-viewer-ux.md
+++ b/ui/docs/battle-viewer-ux.md
@@ -47,6 +47,15 @@ hull. The per-bucket label `<className>:<numLeft>` sums NumberLeft
 across the underlying groups; per-tech detail is available in the
 Reports view (Foreign Ship Classes / My Ship Types).
 
+Bucket order inside a cluster is **locked at battle start** by the
+initial ship count (`num` summed across tech variants, descending).
+As ships die during playback only the label number changes — every
+bucket keeps its slot in the Vogel spiral, so the user does not see
+the cluster reshuffle when a class empties. Vogel positions are
+then reassigned per rank by their inward distance toward the
+planet, so the rank-0 bucket (the largest at battle start) always
+sits at the most-inward spiral slot.
+
 Circle radius scales with per-ship FullMass (Empty + Carrying via
 the per-ship `LoadQuantity`). The viewer resolves a
 `(race, className) → ShipClassRef` lookup from the surrounding
@@ -95,6 +104,32 @@ the log instead of watching the SVG. The list is always present
 and never hidden, satisfying the original Phase 27 acceptance "the
 same data is accessible as a static text log".
 
+Each log row is also a `<button>`: a click or Enter/Space jumps
+playback to that shot (pauses and seeks). The list auto-scrolls
+the current row into view as the timeline advances, so the user
+does not have to chase the highlight on long battles.
+
+## Playback details
+
+On play, the shot line + the defender circle's colour flash gate
+on a per-frame timer that blinks them off during the last 10 % of
+the frame's duration. Two consecutive shots from the same attacker
+on the same defender therefore look like two distinct pulses
+rather than one continuous line. On pause the line and flash
+stay drawn so the user can study the current shot.
+
+## Phantom destroys
+
+Legacy emitters (the `dg` engine format that feeds the synthetic-
+report path) occasionally log more `Destroyed` lines against a
+ship-group bucket than the bucket's initial population — the
+emitter keeps recording hits past the moment the group emptied.
+`buildFrames` clamps each per-group remaining count at zero and
+only decrements race totals on a real shrink, so a race stays on
+the scene until its actual ships are gone. The phantom shots still
+draw a line during the frame they belong to; only the running
+counters are protected.
+
 ## Height fit
 
 The viewer is pinned to the viewport: `.active-view` uses
diff --git a/ui/frontend/src/lib/battle-player/battle-scene.svelte b/ui/frontend/src/lib/battle-player/battle-scene.svelte
index 5efcde8..206727d 100644
--- a/ui/frontend/src/lib/battle-player/battle-scene.svelte
+++ b/ui/frontend/src/lib/battle-player/battle-scene.svelte
@@ -3,8 +3,13 @@ BattleScene — radial SVG visualisation of one battle frame.
 
 Layout: planet at the centre, race anchors equally spaced on an
 outer ring, each race rendered as a *cloud* of class circles
-arranged on a Vogel sunflower spiral biased toward the planet.
-Tech-variant groups of the same (race, className) collapse to one
+arranged on a Vogel sunflower spiral. Spiral positions are
+reassigned per rank by their inward distance toward the planet so
+the rank-0 bucket (heaviest by NumberLeft) always sits at the
+most-inward Vogel slot — the cloud visually leans toward the
+planet without the cluster anchor needing a manual offset.
+
+Tech-variant groups of the same `(race, className)` collapse to one
 visual node — the per-tech detail lives in Reports. Each circle's
 radius scales with the per-ship FullMass (sqrt) so heavy ships
 visually dominate.
@@ -39,20 +44,20 @@ collapse to a single visual node.
 		report,
 		frame,
 		shipClassLookup,
+		shotVisible = true,
 	}: {
 		report: BattleReport;
 		frame: Frame;
 		shipClassLookup?: ShipClassLookup;
+		shotVisible?: boolean;
 	} = $props();
 
 	const VIEW_BOX = 800;
 	const CENTER = { x: VIEW_BOX / 2, y: VIEW_BOX / 2 };
 	const PLANET_RADIUS = 60;
 	const RACE_RING_RADIUS = 280;
-	// Vogel sunflower step + half-circle bias toward planet.
 	const BASE_STEP = 1.8 * MAX_RADIUS;
 	const GOLDEN_ANGLE = Math.PI * (3 - Math.sqrt(5));
-	const ANCHOR_BIAS = 0.25; // fraction of step pushed toward planet
 	const MAX_CLUSTER_RADIUS = 0.6 * (RACE_RING_RADIUS - PLANET_RADIUS);
 
 	const coreHandle = getContext<CoreHandle | undefined>(CORE_CONTEXT_KEY);
@@ -66,6 +71,7 @@ collapse to a single visual node.
 		race: string;
 		raceId: number;
 		groupKeys: number[];
+		initialNum: number;
 		numLeft: number;
 		mass: number;
 		radius: number;
@@ -79,7 +85,6 @@ collapse to a single visual node.
 	// those nodes.
 	const clustersByRace = $derived.by(() => {
 		const core = coreHandle?.core ?? null;
-		// First pass: build the bucket list per race.
 		const out = new Map<number, ClusterEntry[]>();
 		const bucketIndex = new Map<string, ClusterEntry>();
 		for (const g of allGroups) {
@@ -97,6 +102,7 @@ collapse to a single visual node.
 					race: g.group.race,
 					raceId: g.raceId,
 					groupKeys: [],
+					initialNum: 0,
 					numLeft: 0,
 					mass,
 					radius: MAX_RADIUS,
@@ -107,6 +113,7 @@ collapse to a single visual node.
 				out.set(g.raceId, list);
 			}
 			bucket.groupKeys.push(g.key);
+			bucket.initialNum += g.group.num;
 			bucket.numLeft += frame.remaining.get(g.key) ?? 0;
 		}
 
@@ -120,19 +127,20 @@ collapse to a single visual node.
 			bucket.radius = radiusForMass(bucket.mass, maxMass);
 		}
 
-		// Sort buckets in each cluster by NumberLeft desc → rank 0 is
-		// the biggest group (will be placed closest to planet).
+		// Order is locked by initial ship count, NOT live numLeft:
+		// the user wants every bucket to keep its visual slot through
+		// the battle. Rank 0 = the bucket that *started* with the
+		// most ships, which the legacy game heuristic treats as
+		// "cover" placed in front of more valuable hulls.
 		for (const list of out.values()) {
 			list.sort((a, b) => {
-				if (b.numLeft !== a.numLeft) return b.numLeft - a.numLeft;
+				if (b.initialNum !== a.initialNum) return b.initialNum - a.initialNum;
 				return a.className.localeCompare(b.className);
 			});
 		}
 		return out;
 	});
 
-	// bucketByGroupKey lets shot endpoints look up the aggregated
-	// node by any of its constituent ship-group keys.
 	const bucketByGroupKey = $derived.by(() => {
 		const out = new Map<number, ClusterEntry>();
 		for (const list of clustersByRace.values()) {
@@ -162,11 +170,6 @@ collapse to a single visual node.
 		step: number;
 	};
 
-	// clusterBasisById carries the local frame for every active
-	// race's cluster: `u` points from the race anchor toward the
-	// planet, `v` is `u` rotated 90° clockwise, and `step` is the
-	// adaptive Vogel-spiral step (scaled down when many class
-	// buckets share a cluster to stay inside MAX_CLUSTER_RADIUS).
 	const clusterBasisById = $derived.by(() => {
 		const out = new Map<number, ClusterBasis>();
 		for (const anchor of raceLayout) {
@@ -175,27 +178,60 @@ collapse to a single visual node.
 			const len = Math.hypot(dx, dy) || 1;
 			const ux = dx / len;
 			const uy = dy / len;
-			const vx = uy; // (ux, uy) rotated 90° clockwise → (uy, -ux);
-			const vy = -ux; // use mirror to keep label below cluster.
+			const vx = uy;
+			const vy = -ux;
 			const count = (clustersByRace.get(anchor.raceId) ?? []).length;
-			const baseStep = BASE_STEP;
 			const denom = Math.max(1, Math.sqrt(Math.max(count, 1)));
-			const step = Math.min(baseStep, MAX_CLUSTER_RADIUS / denom);
-			const anchorX = anchor.x + ANCHOR_BIAS * step * ux;
-			const anchorY = anchor.y + ANCHOR_BIAS * step * uy;
-			out.set(anchor.raceId, { anchorX, anchorY, ux, uy, vx, vy, step });
+			const step = Math.min(BASE_STEP, MAX_CLUSTER_RADIUS / denom);
+			out.set(anchor.raceId, {
+				anchorX: anchor.x,
+				anchorY: anchor.y,
+				ux,
+				uy,
+				vx,
+				vy,
+				step,
+			});
 		}
 		return out;
 	});
 
-	function nodePosition(basis: ClusterBasis, rank: number) {
-		const radius = basis.step * Math.sqrt(rank);
-		const angle = rank * GOLDEN_ANGLE;
-		const offsetU = radius * Math.cos(angle);
-		const offsetV = radius * Math.sin(angle);
+	// vogelLocalsByRace generates Vogel sunflower positions for each
+	// cluster and reassigns them by inward dot product (`offsetU`
+	// descending) so the rank-0 bucket always lands at the most-
+	// inward spiral point. With the original `r * GOLDEN_ANGLE` angle
+	// scheme, ranks with r ≥ 2 can land further toward the planet
+	// than r = 0; the reassignment makes the "biggest group near the
+	// planet" invariant exact.
+	const vogelLocalsByRace = $derived.by(() => {
+		const out = new Map<number, { offsetU: number; offsetV: number }[]>();
+		for (const [raceId, cluster] of clustersByRace) {
+			const basis = clusterBasisById.get(raceId);
+			if (!basis) continue;
+			const positions = Array.from({ length: cluster.length }, (_, r) => {
+				const radius = basis.step * Math.sqrt(r);
+				const angle = r * GOLDEN_ANGLE;
+				return {
+					offsetU: radius * Math.cos(angle),
+					offsetV: radius * Math.sin(angle),
+				};
+			});
+			positions.sort((a, b) => {
+				if (b.offsetU !== a.offsetU) return b.offsetU - a.offsetU;
+				return a.offsetV - b.offsetV;
+			});
+			out.set(raceId, positions);
+		}
+		return out;
+	});
+
+	function worldPosition(
+		basis: ClusterBasis,
+		local: { offsetU: number; offsetV: number },
+	) {
 		return {
-			x: basis.anchorX + offsetU * basis.ux + offsetV * basis.vx,
-			y: basis.anchorY + offsetU * basis.uy + offsetV * basis.vy,
+			x: basis.anchorX + local.offsetU * basis.ux + local.offsetV * basis.vx,
+			y: basis.anchorY + local.offsetU * basis.uy + local.offsetV * basis.vy,
 		};
 	}
 
@@ -206,8 +242,9 @@ collapse to a single visual node.
 		if (!basis) return null;
 		const cluster = clustersByRace.get(bucket.raceId) ?? [];
 		const rank = cluster.indexOf(bucket);
-		if (rank === -1) return null;
-		return nodePosition(basis, rank);
+		const locals = vogelLocalsByRace.get(bucket.raceId);
+		if (rank === -1 || locals === undefined) return null;
+		return worldPosition(basis, locals[rank]);
 	}
 
 	const shotLine = $derived.by(() => {
@@ -216,7 +253,13 @@ collapse to a single visual node.
 		const from = findClassCircleCenter(action.sa);
 		const to = findClassCircleCenter(action.sd);
 		if (!from || !to) return null;
-		return { from, to, destroyed: action.x };
+		return { from, to, destroyed: action.x, defenderKey: action.sd };
+	});
+
+	const flashDefenderBucketKey = $derived.by(() => {
+		if (!shotLine || !shotVisible) return null;
+		const bucket = bucketByGroupKey.get(shotLine.defenderKey);
+		return bucket?.bucketKey ?? null;
 	});
 
 	const raceLabelById = $derived.by(() => {
@@ -224,15 +267,34 @@ collapse to a single visual node.
 		for (const g of allGroups) {
 			out.set(g.raceId, g.group.race);
 		}
-		// `groupRace` covers protocol-derived races even when no group
-		// is left to read from `allGroups` (shouldn't happen with
-		// `inBattle: true` rosters, but keeps the label resolver
-		// defensive).
 		for (const [, raceId] of groupRace) {
 			if (!out.has(raceId)) out.set(raceId, `race ${raceId}`);
 		}
 		return out;
 	});
+
+	// raceLabelYById computes a label position that sits above the
+	// cluster's bounding top so the race name never hides inside the
+	// cloud. The label is also clamped to a minimum distance from the
+	// race anchor so a single-bucket cluster still has its label
+	// rendered just above the only circle.
+	const raceLabelYById = $derived.by(() => {
+		const out = new Map<number, number>();
+		for (const [raceId, cluster] of clustersByRace) {
+			const basis = clusterBasisById.get(raceId);
+			const locals = vogelLocalsByRace.get(raceId);
+			if (!basis || !locals) continue;
+			let topY = basis.anchorY;
+			for (let i = 0; i < cluster.length; i++) {
+				const world = worldPosition(basis, locals[i]);
+				const y = world.y - cluster[i].radius;
+				if (y < topY) topY = y;
+			}
+			const fallback = basis.anchorY - MAX_RADIUS - 12;
+			out.set(raceId, Math.min(topY - 12, fallback));
+		}
+		return out;
+	});
 </script>
 
 <svg
@@ -260,6 +322,7 @@ collapse to a single visual node.
 	{#each raceLayout as anchor (anchor.raceId)}
 		{@const cluster = clustersByRace.get(anchor.raceId) ?? []}
 		{@const basis = clusterBasisById.get(anchor.raceId)}
+		{@const locals = vogelLocalsByRace.get(anchor.raceId) ?? []}
 		<g
 			class="race-cluster"
 			data-testid="battle-race-cluster"
@@ -267,18 +330,26 @@ collapse to a single visual node.
 		>
 			<text
 				x={anchor.x}
-				y={anchor.y - MAX_RADIUS - 12}
+				y={raceLabelYById.get(anchor.raceId) ?? anchor.y - MAX_RADIUS - 12}
 				text-anchor="middle"
 				class="race-label"
 			>{raceLabelById.get(anchor.raceId) ?? `race ${anchor.raceId}`}</text>
 			{#if basis}
 				{#each cluster as entry, rank (entry.bucketKey)}
-					{@const pos = nodePosition(basis, rank)}
+					{@const local = locals[rank]}
+					{@const pos = local ? worldPosition(basis, local) : { x: anchor.x, y: anchor.y }}
+					{@const flash =
+						entry.bucketKey === flashDefenderBucketKey
+							? shotLine?.destroyed
+								? "destroyed"
+								: "shielded"
+							: null}
 					<g
 						class="class-marker"
 						data-testid="battle-class-marker"
 						data-bucket-key={entry.bucketKey}
 						data-class-name={entry.className}
+						data-flash={flash}
 					>
 						<circle cx={pos.x} cy={pos.y} r={entry.radius} />
 						<text
@@ -293,7 +364,7 @@ collapse to a single visual node.
 		</g>
 	{/each}
 
-	{#if shotLine}
+	{#if shotLine && shotVisible}
 		<line
 			x1={shotLine.from.x}
 			y1={shotLine.from.y}
@@ -315,12 +386,12 @@ collapse to a single visual node.
 		display: block;
 	}
 	.planet {
-		fill: #2a345f;
-		stroke: #5b6aa3;
-		stroke-width: 2;
+		fill: #2a2f40;
+		stroke: #4a5066;
+		stroke-width: 1.5;
 	}
 	.planet-label {
-		fill: #c4caea;
+		fill: #6d7388;
 		font-size: 18px;
 		font-family: ui-sans-serif, system-ui, sans-serif;
 	}
@@ -334,6 +405,17 @@ collapse to a single visual node.
 		fill: #1a2042;
 		stroke: #6d7bb5;
 		stroke-width: 1.5;
+		transition:
+			fill 80ms ease-in,
+			stroke 80ms ease-in;
+	}
+	.class-marker[data-flash="destroyed"] circle {
+		fill: #ee3344;
+		stroke: #ee3344;
+	}
+	.class-marker[data-flash="shielded"] circle {
+		fill: #44dd66;
+		stroke: #44dd66;
 	}
 	.class-label {
 		fill: #b8c0e6;
diff --git a/ui/frontend/src/lib/battle-player/battle-viewer.svelte b/ui/frontend/src/lib/battle-player/battle-viewer.svelte
index c7387ac..debdd45 100644
--- a/ui/frontend/src/lib/battle-player/battle-viewer.svelte
+++ b/ui/frontend/src/lib/battle-player/battle-viewer.svelte
@@ -6,8 +6,6 @@ is logically isolated: feed it any `BattleReport` matching
 `pkg/model/report/battle.go` and it plays back.
 -->
 <script lang="ts">
-	import { onDestroy } from "svelte";
-
 	import { i18n } from "$lib/i18n/index.svelte";
 	import type { BattleReport } from "../../api/battle-fetch";
 	import type { ShipClassLookup } from "./mass";
@@ -28,35 +26,67 @@ is logically isolated: feed it any `BattleReport` matching
 	let frameIndex = $state(0);
 	let playing = $state(false);
 	let speed = $state<1 | 2 | 4>(1);
+	// shotVisible blinks off for the last 10% of each frame so two
+	// consecutive shots from the same attacker on the same defender
+	// look like two distinct flashes, not one continuous line. On
+	// pause the line stays drawn so the user can study it.
+	let shotVisible = $state(true);
+	let logEl = $state<HTMLOListElement | null>(null);
 
 	const frame = $derived(frames[Math.min(frameIndex, frames.length - 1)]);
 
-	// 1x = 400 ms per frame, 2x = 200 ms, 4x = 100 ms. The timer is
-	// rescheduled whenever `speed` or `playing` flips.
-	let timer: ReturnType<typeof setInterval> | null = null;
+	// Schedule one tick per frame instead of a long-running
+	// setInterval so the blink and the frame-advance share the same
+	// timeline. The effect re-runs whenever frameIndex / playing /
+	// speed changes; on each run we (re)arm the blink + advance
+	// timers and let the previous run's timers be cleared by the
+	// cleanup return.
 	$effect(() => {
-		if (timer !== null) {
-			clearInterval(timer);
-			timer = null;
-		}
+		// Track changes via direct reads.
+		void frameIndex;
+		void speed;
+		shotVisible = true;
 		if (!playing) return;
 		const intervalMs = 400 / speed;
-		timer = setInterval(() => {
+		const blinkOff = setTimeout(() => {
+			shotVisible = false;
+		}, intervalMs * 0.9);
+		const advance = setTimeout(() => {
 			if (frameIndex >= frames.length - 1) {
 				playing = false;
 				return;
 			}
 			frameIndex = frameIndex + 1;
 		}, intervalMs);
+		return () => {
+			clearTimeout(blinkOff);
+			clearTimeout(advance);
+		};
 	});
 
-	onDestroy(() => {
-		if (timer !== null) {
-			clearInterval(timer);
-			timer = null;
+	// Auto-scroll the log so the current row stays visible as the
+	// timeline advances. `block: "nearest"` keeps the scroll movement
+	// gentle — the row lands at the closest edge of the visible
+	// portion instead of jumping to the centre.
+	$effect(() => {
+		void frame.shotIndex;
+		if (logEl === null) return;
+		const current = logEl.querySelector(
+			'li[data-current="true"]',
+		) as HTMLElement | null;
+		if (current !== null) {
+			current.scrollIntoView({ block: "nearest", behavior: "smooth" });
 		}
 	});
 
+	function seekToShot(actionIndex: number) {
+		playing = false;
+		frameIndex = Math.max(
+			0,
+			Math.min(frames.length - 1, actionIndex + 1),
+		);
+	}
+
 	function describeAction(index: number): string {
 		const action = report.protocol[index];
 		const attackerGroup = report.ships[String(action.sa)];
@@ -88,7 +118,7 @@ is logically isolated: feed it any `BattleReport` matching
 	</header>
 
 	<div class="scene">
-		<BattleScene {report} {frame} {shipClassLookup} />
+		<BattleScene {report} {frame} {shipClassLookup} {shotVisible} />
 	</div>
 
 	<PlaybackControls
@@ -103,12 +133,18 @@ is logically isolated: feed it any `BattleReport` matching
 		aria-label={i18n.t("game.battle.accessibility.protocol_heading")}
 	>
 		<h3>{i18n.t("game.battle.accessibility.protocol_heading")}</h3>
-		<ol data-testid="battle-protocol-log">
+		<ol bind:this={logEl} data-testid="battle-protocol-log">
 			{#each report.protocol as _action, i (i)}
 				<li
 					data-testid="battle-protocol-log-item"
 					data-current={i + 1 === frame.shotIndex ? "true" : "false"}
-				>{describeAction(i)}</li>
+				>
+					<button
+						type="button"
+						class="log-row-btn"
+						onclick={() => seekToShot(i)}
+					>{describeAction(i)}</button>
+				</li>
 			{/each}
 		</ol>
 	</section>
@@ -180,11 +216,26 @@ is logically isolated: feed it any `BattleReport` matching
 		min-height: 0;
 	}
 	.log li {
-		padding: 0.15rem 0;
 		border-bottom: 1px solid #1c2240;
 	}
-	.log li[data-current="true"] {
+	.log-row-btn {
+		display: block;
+		width: 100%;
+		text-align: left;
+		padding: 0.15rem 0.4rem;
+		background: transparent;
+		border: 0;
+		color: inherit;
+		font: inherit;
+		cursor: pointer;
+	}
+	.log-row-btn:hover,
+	.log-row-btn:focus-visible {
+		background: #131a36;
+	}
+	.log li[data-current="true"] .log-row-btn {
 		color: #ffe27a;
 		font-weight: 600;
+		background: #1a2240;
 	}
 </style>
diff --git a/ui/frontend/src/lib/battle-player/playback-controls.svelte b/ui/frontend/src/lib/battle-player/playback-controls.svelte
index f5ef0ea..87f40c6 100644
--- a/ui/frontend/src/lib/battle-player/playback-controls.svelte
+++ b/ui/frontend/src/lib/battle-player/playback-controls.svelte
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ already at its end.
 		disabled={frameIndex === 0}
 		aria-label={i18n.t("game.battle.controls.step_backward")}
 		data-testid="battle-control-step-back"
-	>◀︎</button>
+	>◀︎◀︎</button>
 	<button
 		type="button"
 		onclick={togglePlay}
diff --git a/ui/frontend/src/lib/battle-player/timeline.ts b/ui/frontend/src/lib/battle-player/timeline.ts
index f72916c..267eb79 100644
--- a/ui/frontend/src/lib/battle-player/timeline.ts
+++ b/ui/frontend/src/lib/battle-player/timeline.ts
@@ -105,13 +105,25 @@ export function buildFrames(report: BattleReport): Frame[] {
 	for (let i = 0; i < report.protocol.length; i++) {
 		const action = report.protocol[i];
 		if (action.x) {
+			// Decrement only when the targeted group actually has
+			// ships left. Legacy emitters (the `dg` text format used
+			// by the synthetic-report path) sometimes ship more
+			// `Destroyed` lines than the group's initial population —
+			// looks like the engine keeps logging hits against an
+			// already-empty ship-group bucket. Without this guard
+			// `runningRaceTotals` decrements on every phantom and the
+			// race vanishes from `activeRaceIds` long before its
+			// real groups were all destroyed (KNNTS041 battle on
+			// planet 7, frame ≈ 406 of 2317). The line still draws
+			// for that frame so the user sees the shot happen.
 			const left = current.get(action.sd) ?? 0;
-			const next = Math.max(0, left - 1);
-			current.set(action.sd, next);
-			const raceId = groupRaceByKey.get(action.sd);
-			if (raceId !== undefined) {
-				const t = (runningRaceTotals.get(raceId) ?? 0) - 1;
-				runningRaceTotals.set(raceId, Math.max(0, t));
+			if (left > 0) {
+				current.set(action.sd, left - 1);
+				const raceId = groupRaceByKey.get(action.sd);
+				if (raceId !== undefined) {
+					const t = (runningRaceTotals.get(raceId) ?? 0) - 1;
+					runningRaceTotals.set(raceId, Math.max(0, t));
+				}
 			}
 		}
 		frames.push({
diff --git a/ui/frontend/src/routes/games/[id]/+layout.svelte b/ui/frontend/src/routes/games/[id]/+layout.svelte
index 5d2b9c5..289fb6f 100644
--- a/ui/frontend/src/routes/games/[id]/+layout.svelte
+++ b/ui/frontend/src/routes/games/[id]/+layout.svelte
@@ -326,7 +326,19 @@ fresh.
 					return;
 				}
 				try {
-					const { cache } = await loadStore();
+					// Synthetic mode still needs the wasm `Core` so
+					// components that bridge to `pkg/calc/ship.go`
+					// (designer preview, BattleViewer mass radii) can
+					// resolve their math against the same engine helpers
+					// the live path uses. The live branch below also
+					// calls `loadCore()`; without it here the Battle
+					// Viewer rendered every ship-class circle at
+					// MAX_RADIUS in synthetic mode.
+					const [{ cache }, core] = await Promise.all([
+						loadStore(),
+						loadCore(),
+					]);
+					coreHolder.set(core);
 					await Promise.all([
 						gameState.initSynthetic({ cache, gameId, report }),
 						orderDraft.init({ cache, gameId }),
diff --git a/ui/frontend/tests/battle-player.test.ts b/ui/frontend/tests/battle-player.test.ts
index ecd0d37..b2572b0 100644
--- a/ui/frontend/tests/battle-player.test.ts
+++ b/ui/frontend/tests/battle-player.test.ts
@@ -150,6 +150,128 @@ describe("buildFrames", () => {
 	});
 });
 
+describe("buildFrames phantom-destroy clamp", () => {
+	it("does not drop a race when destroyed shots exceed initial counts", () => {
+		// Race "Phantom" has a single group with 2 ships; the engine
+		// emits five Destroyed shots against it (legacy emitter quirk
+		// reproduced in KNNTS041 planet #7). The group goes to 0
+		// after two real destroys; the remaining three are phantoms
+		// and must not push raceTotals into negatives or drop the
+		// race from activeRaceIds prematurely. Race "Survivor" keeps
+		// its single ship throughout so it stays active alongside
+		// Phantom until Phantom legitimately empties.
+		const report: BattleReport = {
+			id: "phantom-battle",
+			planet: 1,
+			planetName: "P",
+			races: { "0": "phantom-uuid", "1": "survivor-uuid" },
+			ships: {
+				"10": {
+					race: "Phantom",
+					className: "Drone",
+					tech: {},
+					num: 2,
+					numLeft: 0,
+					loadType: "",
+					loadQuantity: 0,
+					inBattle: true,
+				},
+				"20": {
+					race: "Survivor",
+					className: "Hawk",
+					tech: {},
+					num: 1,
+					numLeft: 1,
+					loadType: "",
+					loadQuantity: 0,
+					inBattle: true,
+				},
+			},
+			protocol: [
+				{ a: 1, sa: 20, d: 0, sd: 10, x: true }, // real kill #1
+				{ a: 1, sa: 20, d: 0, sd: 10, x: true }, // real kill #2 → group=0
+				{ a: 1, sa: 20, d: 0, sd: 10, x: true }, // phantom #1
+				{ a: 1, sa: 20, d: 0, sd: 10, x: true }, // phantom #2
+				{ a: 1, sa: 20, d: 0, sd: 10, x: true }, // phantom #3
+			],
+		};
+		const frames = buildFrames(report);
+		expect(frames[2].remaining.get(10)).toBe(0);
+		// After the 2nd real destroy Phantom has 0 ships in its only
+		// group and must drop out of activeRaceIds.
+		expect(frames[2].activeRaceIds).toEqual([1]);
+		// Phantoms past frame 2 must NOT keep decrementing — group
+		// stays at 0, totals don't go negative, and Survivor remains
+		// the only active race for the remainder of the protocol.
+		expect(frames[5].remaining.get(10)).toBe(0);
+		expect(frames[5].activeRaceIds).toEqual([1]);
+	});
+
+	it("keeps a race active while phantom destroys hit one of its empty groups", () => {
+		// One race ("Doublet"), two groups of different class. Class
+		// A gets all five Destroyed shots; class B never gets hit.
+		// Class A only has 2 ships → 3 phantoms. The race must stay
+		// active because class B's single ship is intact.
+		const report: BattleReport = {
+			id: "doublet-battle",
+			planet: 2,
+			planetName: "P2",
+			races: { "0": "doublet-uuid", "1": "attacker-uuid" },
+			ships: {
+				"10": {
+					race: "Doublet",
+					className: "A",
+					tech: {},
+					num: 2,
+					numLeft: 0,
+					loadType: "",
+					loadQuantity: 0,
+					inBattle: true,
+				},
+				"11": {
+					race: "Doublet",
+					className: "B",
+					tech: {},
+					num: 1,
+					numLeft: 1,
+					loadType: "",
+					loadQuantity: 0,
+					inBattle: true,
+				},
+				"20": {
+					race: "Attacker",
+					className: "Gun",
+					tech: {},
+					num: 1,
+					numLeft: 1,
+					loadType: "",
+					loadQuantity: 0,
+					inBattle: true,
+				},
+			},
+			protocol: [
+				// Open the protocol with a shot that names class B so
+				// normaliseGroups picks it up (groups never referenced
+				// in the protocol are filtered out of the visual
+				// roster); the shot misses so class B stays intact.
+				{ a: 1, sa: 20, d: 0, sd: 11, x: false },
+				{ a: 1, sa: 20, d: 0, sd: 10, x: true },
+				{ a: 1, sa: 20, d: 0, sd: 10, x: true },
+				{ a: 1, sa: 20, d: 0, sd: 10, x: true },
+				{ a: 1, sa: 20, d: 0, sd: 10, x: true },
+				{ a: 1, sa: 20, d: 0, sd: 10, x: true },
+			],
+		};
+		const frames = buildFrames(report);
+		// After all 6 actions: Doublet:A is at 0 (group capped at 2
+		// real destroys + 3 phantoms), Doublet:B unchanged at 1, so
+		// race totals = 1 → race stays active.
+		expect(frames[6].remaining.get(10)).toBe(0);
+		expect(frames[6].remaining.get(11)).toBe(1);
+		expect(frames[6].activeRaceIds.sort()).toEqual([0, 1]);
+	});
+});
+
 describe("radiusForMass", () => {
 	it("returns MAX_RADIUS when mass is zero", () => {
 		expect(radiusForMass(0, 100)).toBe(MAX_RADIUS);