ui/phase-27: viewer layout pass + static cluster + duel layout

Layout reshuffle so the scene captures the maximum viewer area:

- Header collapses three rows into one: `back to map` / `back to
  report` on the left, the centred title `Battle on planet <name>
  (#<number>)` (new i18n key `game.battle.header_title`), and the
  frame counter on the right. The wrapper `.active-view` no longer
  renders its own back-row; routes flow through props.
- Viewer drops the `max-width: 880px` cap so on a wide monitor the
  scene scales up across the full active-view-host.
- A drag-seek `<input type="range">` sits between the scene and the
  controls; dragging pauses playback and lands `frameIndex` on the
  chosen shot.
- Speed control is one cycling button: `1x → 2x → 4x → 6x → 1x`.
  The label shows the current speed; the new 6x adds a 67 ms frame
  interval for skimming a long timeline.
- The text protocol log is now collapsible behind a `Log ▲▼`
  toggle in the controls bar. The toggle is its own button; the
  default state stays expanded. Collapsing the log hands the
  remaining height to the scene.
- Numerical list markers (`1. 2. 3.`) are dropped from the log;
  `list-style: none` keeps each row visually clean.

Static cluster + visibility filter:

- `staticBucketsByRace` now locks bucket order, mass, radius and
  local Vogel-spiral positions for the lifetime of the viewer; it
  only re-derives when `report` or the wasm `core` change.
- `renderedByRace` overlays the per-frame `remaining` map and drops
  buckets whose `numLeft` hits zero. The surviving buckets keep
  their slots, so a class emptying never reshuffles the cluster —
  the empty bucket simply disappears.
- A shot whose attacker or defender bucket is no longer visible
  draws no line (phantom shots into already-empty buckets are
  silently skipped, matching the user expectation that pup at 0
  should stop attracting fire visually).
- Race label clamps to a minimum y inside the SVG viewport so
  three-or-more-race layouts with a north anchor never clip the
  top race name off-canvas.

Duel layout (user suggestion):

- `layoutRaces` rotates the radial start angle by 90° when only
  two participants remain, so race 0 lands at 9 o'clock and race 1
  at 3 o'clock. The pair faces off horizontally; neither label
  pushes against the SVG top edge. The existing test for two-race
  positions is updated accordingly.

Tests: the existing `layoutRaces` two-race case is rewritten for
the horizontal duel; the `game-shell-stubs` battle case checks the
loading placeholder (back buttons now live in the loaded viewer,
not the wrapper). 644 Vitest cases stay green; 4 Playwright
battle-viewer cases stay green.

Docs: `ui/docs/battle-viewer-ux.md` documents the static cluster /
visibility filter, the duel layout, the scrubber, the cycling
speed button and the collapsible log.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

ui/docs/battle-viewer-ux.md

@@ -48,13 +48,22 @@ 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.
+initial ship count (`num` summed across tech variants, descending),
+together with mass, radius and local position. The static layout
+lives in `staticBucketsByRace`; the per-frame derivation
+`renderedByRace` overlays the live `NumberLeft` and drops buckets
+once they hit zero. The remaining buckets keep their slots in the
+cloud, so the cluster does not reshuffle when a class empties — the
+empty bucket simply disappears.
+
+Vogel positions are reassigned per rank by their inward distance
+toward the planet, so the rank-0 bucket (the largest by initial
+ship count) always sits at the most-inward spiral slot.
+
+When two races remain in battle the radial layout switches to the
+horizontal duel: race 0 at 9 o'clock, race 1 at 3 o'clock. This
+keeps both race labels clear of the SVG top edge and reads as the
+two sides facing off naturally.
 
 Circle radius scales with per-ship FullMass (Empty + Carrying via
 the per-ship `LoadQuantity`). The viewer resolves a
@@ -80,20 +89,25 @@ produces the "shot-shot-shot" pulse the user wanted.
 
 ## Playback controls
 
-`lib/battle-player/playback-controls.svelte` ships the full set:
+`lib/battle-player/playback-controls.svelte` ships:
 
 | Control            | Effect                                                  |
-| ------------- | ------------------------------------------ |
+| ------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------- |
 | ⏮ rewind           | Stop, jump to frame 0                                   |
-| ◀︎ step back  | Stop, frame ← frame − 1                    |
+| ◀︎◀︎ step back     | Stop, frame ← frame − 1                                 |
 | ▶︎ / ⏸ play        | Toggle continuous playback                              |
-| ▶︎▶︎ step fwd | Stop, frame ← frame + 1                    |
-| 1x / 2x / 4x  | Speed switch: 400 / 200 / 100 ms per frame |
+| ▶︎▶︎ step forward  | Stop, frame ← frame + 1                                 |
+| `Nx` cycle speed   | Single button, cycles 1x → 2x → 4x → 6x → 1x; the label shows the current speed (400 / 200 / 100 / 67 ms per frame) |
+| `Log ▲▼` toggle    | Collapses / expands the always-visible text protocol so the user can give the scene the full viewer height |
 
 When the timeline is at its end and the user hits play, the frame
 counter wraps to 0 and continues. Step buttons disable themselves at
 their boundary.
 
+A drag-seek slider sits between the scene and the controls. Dragging
+pauses playback and lands `frameIndex` on the chosen shot — handy
+for jumping to the moment a particular race started losing ground.
+
 ## Accessibility
 
 Below the scene the viewer renders a static `<ol>` text protocol —
@@ -130,12 +144,24 @@ 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.
 
+## Header + layout
+
+The viewer header carries three rows of chrome in a single line:
+the back-navigation buttons (`back to map` / `back to report`) on
+the left, a centred title — `Battle on planet <name> (<#number>)`,
+i18n key `game.battle.header_title` — and the frame counter on the
+right. Pulling navigation into the header frees the entire viewer
+area for the scene; the `.viewer` container has no `max-width` cap,
+so on wide monitors the scene scales up while the log keeps its
+internal 30 dvh scroll.
+
 ## Height fit
 
 The viewer is pinned to the viewport: `.active-view` uses
 `calc(100dvh − 80px)` so the in-game-shell header + optional
 HistoryBanner do not push the scene below the fold. Inside the
-viewer, the scene grows (`flex: 1`) and the log shrinks to a
+viewer, the scene grows (`flex: 1`), the scrubber + controls hold
+their natural height, and the log (when expanded) shrinks to a
 30 dvh ceiling with its own internal scroll, so the page itself
 never scrolls vertically. The 80 px allowance maps to the current
 Header + HistoryBanner total on desktop; mobile breakpoints reuse

ui/frontend/src/lib/active-view/battle.svelte

@@ -6,9 +6,10 @@ not-found state.
 
 This wrapper also bridges the surrounding GameReport's ship-class
 tables into a `(race, className) → ShipClassRef` lookup the viewer
-needs to size class circles by ship mass. The viewer remains
-prop-driven; we just resolve the lookup once here so the lower
-component does not have to know about `RenderedReportSource`.
+needs to size class circles by ship mass. The back-navigation
+buttons (`back to map` / `back to report`) live INSIDE the viewer
+header now — we just hand the routes down as callbacks so the
+viewer keeps its prop-driven contract.
 -->
 <script lang="ts">
 	import { getContext } from "svelte";
@@ -46,12 +47,6 @@ component does not have to know about `RenderedReportSource`.
 		RENDERED_REPORT_CONTEXT_KEY,
 	);
 
-	// shipClassLookup turns `(race, className)` into the five class
-	// parameters required by `calc.EmptyMass`. Local classes belong
-	// to the report recipient (`report.race`); foreign classes carry
-	// their own `race` field. Lookup is cheap to rebuild whenever the
-	// report changes — the active-view-host re-renders on turn flips
-	// anyway.
 	const shipClassLookup = $derived.by<ShipClassLookup>(() => {
 		const map = new Map<string, ShipClassRef>();
 		const report = rendered?.report;
@@ -115,28 +110,22 @@ component does not have to know about `RenderedReportSource`.
 	}
 </script>
 
-<section class="active-view" data-testid="active-view-battle" data-battle-id={battleId}>
-	<nav class="back-row">
-		<button
-			type="button"
-			class="back-btn"
-			onclick={backToMap}
-			data-testid="battle-back-to-map"
-		>{i18n.t("game.battle.back_to_map")}</button>
-		<button
-			type="button"
-			class="back-btn"
-			onclick={backToReport}
-			data-testid="battle-back-to-report"
-		>{i18n.t("game.battle.back_to_report")}</button>
-	</nav>
-
+<section
+	class="active-view"
+	data-testid="active-view-battle"
+	data-battle-id={battleId}
+>
 	{#if state.kind === "loading"}
 		<p class="status" data-testid="battle-loading">
 			{i18n.t("game.battle.loading")}
 		</p>
 	{:else if state.kind === "ready"}
-		<BattleViewer report={state.report} shipClassLookup={shipClassLookup} />
+		<BattleViewer
+			report={state.report}
+			{shipClassLookup}
+			onBackToMap={backToMap}
+			onBackToReport={backToReport}
+		/>
 	{:else if state.kind === "not_found"}
 		<p class="status" data-testid="battle-not-found">
 			{i18n.t("game.battle.not_found")}
@@ -153,44 +142,23 @@ component does not have to know about `RenderedReportSource`.
 		/*
 		 * The in-game shell renders this active view inside an
 		 * `.active-view-host` with `flex: 1; overflow-y: auto`, but
-		 * the surrounding `.game-shell` uses `min-height: 100vh`,
-		 * so without a hard upper bound the viewer pushes the
-		 * whole shell past the viewport. We pin the active view to
-		 * `100dvh` minus a small allowance for the header chrome
-		 * (in-game Header + optional HistoryBanner = ~66 px on
-		 * desktop) so the internal flex chain can split the
-		 * remaining height between the scene and the always-
-		 * visible log without forcing a page-level scroll.
+		 * the surrounding `.game-shell` uses `min-height: 100vh`, so
+		 * without a hard upper bound the viewer pushes the whole
+		 * shell past the viewport. We pin the active view to `100dvh`
+		 * minus a small allowance for the header chrome (in-game
+		 * Header + optional HistoryBanner ≈ 66 px on desktop) so the
+		 * internal flex chain can split the remaining height between
+		 * the scene, scrubber, controls and log without forcing a
+		 * page-level scroll.
 		 */
 		height: calc(100dvh - 80px);
 		max-height: calc(100dvh - 80px);
 		min-height: 0;
 		overflow: hidden;
-		padding: 1rem;
 		box-sizing: border-box;
 		font-family: system-ui, sans-serif;
 		color: #d6dcf2;
 	}
-	.back-row {
-		display: flex;
-		gap: 0.5rem;
-		max-width: 880px;
-		margin: 0 auto 1rem;
-		flex: 0 0 auto;
-	}
-	.back-btn {
-		appearance: none;
-		background: #1f2748;
-		color: #d6dcf2;
-		border: 1px solid #2c3568;
-		padding: 0.35rem 0.7rem;
-		border-radius: 3px;
-		cursor: pointer;
-		font-size: 0.85rem;
-	}
-	.back-btn:hover {
-		background: #2a3463;
-	}
 	.status {
 		margin: 2rem auto;
 		max-width: 880px;

ui/frontend/src/lib/battle-player/battle-scene.svelte

@@ -5,19 +5,20 @@ 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. 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.
+the rank-0 bucket (the bucket with the largest initial ship count)
+always sits at the most-inward Vogel slot.
 
 Tech-variant groups of the same `(race, className)` collapse to one
-visual node — the per-tech detail lives in Reports. Each circle's
+visual node — per-tech detail lives in Reports. Each circle's
 radius scales with the per-ship FullMass (sqrt) so heavy ships
-visually dominate.
+visually dominate. Order, position, radius and mass are locked at
+battle start; only NumberLeft (the label number) and per-bucket
+visibility change per frame. Empty buckets are hidden so the
+remaining ones keep their original spots without reshuffling.
 
 Observer groups (`inBattle === false`) are filtered out by
-`buildFrames`, so they never appear here. Same-race opponents are
-forbidden by the engine's combat filter, so a shot can never
-collapse to a single visual node.
+`buildFrames`. Same-race opponents are forbidden by the engine's
+combat filter, so a shot never collapses to a single visual node.
 -->
 <script lang="ts">
 	import { getContext } from "svelte";
@@ -59,34 +60,40 @@ collapse to a single visual node.
 	const BASE_STEP = 1.8 * MAX_RADIUS;
 	const GOLDEN_ANGLE = Math.PI * (3 - Math.sqrt(5));
 	const MAX_CLUSTER_RADIUS = 0.6 * (RACE_RING_RADIUS - PLANET_RADIUS);
+	const LABEL_MIN_Y = 24;
 
 	const coreHandle = getContext<CoreHandle | undefined>(CORE_CONTEXT_KEY);
 
 	const groupRace = $derived(buildGroupRaceMap(report.protocol));
 	const allGroups = $derived(normaliseGroups(report));
 
-	type ClusterEntry = {
+	type StaticBucket = {
 		bucketKey: string;
 		className: string;
 		race: string;
 		raceId: number;
 		groupKeys: number[];
 		initialNum: number;
-		numLeft: number;
 		mass: number;
 		radius: number;
+		// Local offsets in the cluster's (u, v) basis. `u` always
+		// points from the race anchor toward the planet, so a
+		// constant local-frame layout produces the same "inward" feel
+		// regardless of which slot on the outer ring the race
+		// currently occupies (races rotate when peers die).
+		offsetU: number;
+		offsetV: number;
 	};
 
-	// Aggregate every `(raceId, className)` into a single bucket and
-	// compute per-bucket NumberLeft (sum across tech-variants) and
-	// per-ship FullMass via the wasm bridge. mass=0 when the class
-	// either doesn't resolve in the lookup or the calc rejects its
-	// params; downstream `radiusForMass` falls back to MAX_RADIUS for
-	// those nodes.
-	const clustersByRace = $derived.by(() => {
+	// staticBucketsByRace locks the bucket roster, ordering, masses,
+	// radii and local positions for the lifetime of this viewer. The
+	// derivation only re-runs when `report` or the wasm `core` flip
+	// (initial mount and core boot completion). Per-frame NumberLeft
+	// changes do not touch this map — they live in `renderedByRace`.
+	const staticBucketsByRace = $derived.by(() => {
 		const core = coreHandle?.core ?? null;
-		const out = new Map<number, ClusterEntry[]>();
-		const bucketIndex = new Map<string, ClusterEntry>();
+		const out = new Map<number, StaticBucket[]>();
+		const bucketIndex = new Map<string, StaticBucket>();
 		for (const g of allGroups) {
 			const bucketKey = `${g.raceId}::${g.group.className}`;
 			let bucket = bucketIndex.get(bucketKey);
@@ -103,9 +110,10 @@ collapse to a single visual node.
 					raceId: g.raceId,
 					groupKeys: [],
 					initialNum: 0,
-					numLeft: 0,
 					mass,
 					radius: MAX_RADIUS,
+					offsetU: 0,
+					offsetV: 0,
 				};
 				bucketIndex.set(bucketKey, bucket);
 				const list = out.get(g.raceId) ?? [];
@@ -114,11 +122,10 @@ collapse to a single visual node.
 			}
 			bucket.groupKeys.push(g.key);
 			bucket.initialNum += g.group.num;
-			bucket.numLeft += frame.remaining.get(g.key) ?? 0;
 		}
 
-		// Per-battle mass normalisation: the heaviest visual node
-		// renders at MAX_RADIUS; lighter ones scale by sqrt(m/max).
+		// Per-battle mass normalisation: the heaviest bucket renders
+		// at MAX_RADIUS; lighter ones scale by sqrt(m/max).
 		let maxMass = 0;
 		for (const bucket of bucketIndex.values()) {
 			if (bucket.mass > maxMass) maxMass = bucket.mass;
@@ -127,23 +134,67 @@ collapse to a single visual node.
 			bucket.radius = radiusForMass(bucket.mass, maxMass);
 		}
 
-		// 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.
+		// Sort each race's buckets by initial count (descending) +
+		// className as a stable tie-break, then assign Vogel positions
+		// reordered by inward dot product (offsetU desc) so the
+		// largest-by-num bucket lands at the most-inward Vogel slot.
 		for (const list of out.values()) {
 			list.sort((a, b) => {
 				if (b.initialNum !== a.initialNum) return b.initialNum - a.initialNum;
 				return a.className.localeCompare(b.className);
 			});
+			const N = list.length;
+			const denom = Math.max(1, Math.sqrt(Math.max(N, 1)));
+			const step = Math.min(BASE_STEP, MAX_CLUSTER_RADIUS / denom);
+			const positions = Array.from({ length: N }, (_, r) => {
+				const radius = 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;
+			});
+			for (let r = 0; r < N; r++) {
+				list[r].offsetU = positions[r].offsetU;
+				list[r].offsetV = positions[r].offsetV;
+			}
 		}
 		return out;
 	});
 
-	const bucketByGroupKey = $derived.by(() => {
-		const out = new Map<number, ClusterEntry>();
-		for (const list of clustersByRace.values()) {
+	type RenderedBucket = StaticBucket & { numLeft: number };
+
+	// renderedByRace overlays the per-frame `remaining` map onto the
+	// static cluster: only buckets with `numLeft > 0` survive into
+	// the render list, so an emptied class disappears from the cloud
+	// while its neighbours keep their slots.
+	const renderedByRace = $derived.by(() => {
+		const out = new Map<number, RenderedBucket[]>();
+		for (const [raceId, list] of staticBucketsByRace) {
+			const filtered: RenderedBucket[] = [];
+			for (const bucket of list) {
+				let numLeft = 0;
+				for (const key of bucket.groupKeys) {
+					numLeft += frame.remaining.get(key) ?? 0;
+				}
+				if (numLeft > 0) filtered.push({ ...bucket, numLeft });
+			}
+			if (filtered.length > 0) out.set(raceId, filtered);
+		}
+		return out;
+	});
+
+	// visibleBucketByGroupKey lets shot endpoints resolve to a node
+	// only when the bucket is currently rendered. A phantom shot
+	// against an already-empty bucket therefore returns `null` and
+	// no line is drawn.
+	const visibleBucketByGroupKey = $derived.by(() => {
+		const out = new Map<number, RenderedBucket>();
+		for (const list of renderedByRace.values()) {
 			for (const bucket of list) {
 				for (const key of bucket.groupKeys) {
 					out.set(key, bucket);
@@ -167,7 +218,6 @@ collapse to a single visual node.
 		uy: number;
 		vx: number;
 		vy: number;
-		step: number;
 	};
 
 	const clusterBasisById = $derived.by(() => {
@@ -180,9 +230,6 @@ collapse to a single visual node.
 			const uy = dy / len;
 			const vx = uy;
 			const vy = -ux;
-			const count = (clustersByRace.get(anchor.raceId) ?? []).length;
-			const denom = Math.max(1, Math.sqrt(Math.max(count, 1)));
-			const step = Math.min(BASE_STEP, MAX_CLUSTER_RADIUS / denom);
 			out.set(anchor.raceId, {
 				anchorX: anchor.x,
 				anchorY: anchor.y,
@@ -190,61 +237,24 @@ collapse to a single visual node.
 				uy,
 				vx,
 				vy,
-				step,
 			});
 		}
 		return out;
 	});
 
-	// 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;
+	function worldPosition(basis: ClusterBasis, bucket: StaticBucket) {
 		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 + local.offsetU * basis.ux + local.offsetV * basis.vx,
-			y: basis.anchorY + local.offsetU * basis.uy + local.offsetV * basis.vy,
+			x: basis.anchorX + bucket.offsetU * basis.ux + bucket.offsetV * basis.vx,
+			y: basis.anchorY + bucket.offsetU * basis.uy + bucket.offsetV * basis.vy,
 		};
 	}
 
 	function findClassCircleCenter(groupKey: number) {
-		const bucket = bucketByGroupKey.get(groupKey);
+		const bucket = visibleBucketByGroupKey.get(groupKey);
 		if (!bucket) return null;
 		const basis = clusterBasisById.get(bucket.raceId);
 		if (!basis) return null;
-		const cluster = clustersByRace.get(bucket.raceId) ?? [];
-		const rank = cluster.indexOf(bucket);
-		const locals = vogelLocalsByRace.get(bucket.raceId);
-		if (rank === -1 || locals === undefined) return null;
-		return worldPosition(basis, locals[rank]);
+		return worldPosition(basis, bucket);
 	}
 
 	const shotLine = $derived.by(() => {
@@ -258,7 +268,7 @@ collapse to a single visual node.
 
 	const flashDefenderBucketKey = $derived.by(() => {
 		if (!shotLine || !shotVisible) return null;
-		const bucket = bucketByGroupKey.get(shotLine.defenderKey);
+		const bucket = visibleBucketByGroupKey.get(shotLine.defenderKey);
 		return bucket?.bucketKey ?? null;
 	});
 
@@ -273,25 +283,23 @@ collapse to a single visual node.
 		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.
+	// raceLabelYById finds a y just above the visible cluster's top
+	// edge and clamps it to the SVG viewport so the north race
+	// (anchor near the top) never has its label clipped off-canvas.
 	const raceLabelYById = $derived.by(() => {
 		const out = new Map<number, number>();
-		for (const [raceId, cluster] of clustersByRace) {
+		for (const [raceId, list] of renderedByRace) {
 			const basis = clusterBasisById.get(raceId);
-			const locals = vogelLocalsByRace.get(raceId);
-			if (!basis || !locals) continue;
+			if (!basis || list.length === 0) 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;
+			for (const bucket of list) {
+				const world = worldPosition(basis, bucket);
+				const top = world.y - bucket.radius;
+				if (top < topY) topY = top;
 			}
 			const fallback = basis.anchorY - MAX_RADIUS - 12;
-			out.set(raceId, Math.min(topY - 12, fallback));
+			const target = Math.min(topY - 12, fallback);
+			out.set(raceId, Math.max(target, LABEL_MIN_Y));
 		}
 		return out;
 	});
@@ -320,9 +328,9 @@ collapse to a single visual node.
 	>{report.planetName} (#{report.planet})</text>
 
 	{#each raceLayout as anchor (anchor.raceId)}
-		{@const cluster = clustersByRace.get(anchor.raceId) ?? []}
+		{@const cluster = renderedByRace.get(anchor.raceId) ?? []}
 		{@const basis = clusterBasisById.get(anchor.raceId)}
-		{@const locals = vogelLocalsByRace.get(anchor.raceId) ?? []}
+		{#if basis && cluster.length > 0}
 			<g
 				class="race-cluster"
 				data-testid="battle-race-cluster"
@@ -334,10 +342,8 @@ collapse to a single visual node.
 					text-anchor="middle"
 					class="race-label"
 				>{raceLabelById.get(anchor.raceId) ?? `race ${anchor.raceId}`}</text>
-			{#if basis}
-				{#each cluster as entry, rank (entry.bucketKey)}
-					{@const local = locals[rank]}
-					{@const pos = local ? worldPosition(basis, local) : { x: anchor.x, y: anchor.y }}
+				{#each cluster as entry (entry.bucketKey)}
+					{@const pos = worldPosition(basis, entry)}
 					{@const flash =
 						entry.bucketKey === flashDefenderBucketKey
 							? shotLine?.destroyed
@@ -360,8 +366,8 @@ collapse to a single visual node.
 						>{entry.className}:{entry.numLeft}</text>
 					</g>
 				{/each}
-			{/if}
 			</g>
+		{/if}
 	{/each}
 
 	{#if shotLine && shotVisible}

ui/frontend/src/lib/battle-player/battle-viewer.svelte

@@ -1,9 +1,19 @@
 <!--
 BattleViewer — orchestrates the radial battle scene, the playback
 controls, and the accessibility text log for one BattleReport. Owns
-the playback state (`frameIndex`, `playing`, `speed`). The component
-is logically isolated: feed it any `BattleReport` matching
-`pkg/model/report/battle.go` and it plays back.
+the playback state (`frameIndex`, `playing`, `speed`, `logOpen`).
+Layout reorganisation (latest iteration):
+
+- The header carries the planet title, the back-navigation links and
+  the frame counter so the scene captures the full viewer width and
+  height beneath them.
+- A drag-seek slider sits between the scene and the controls; the
+  user can scrub the playback timeline at any speed.
+- The text log collapses behind a toggle in the controls bar so a
+  user who wants the biggest scene possible can hide it entirely.
+
+The component is logically isolated: feed it any `BattleReport`
+matching `pkg/model/report/battle.go` and it plays back.
 -->
 <script lang="ts">
 	import { i18n } from "$lib/i18n/index.svelte";
@@ -11,38 +21,38 @@ is logically isolated: feed it any `BattleReport` matching
 	import type { ShipClassLookup } from "./mass";
 
 	import BattleScene from "./battle-scene.svelte";
-	import PlaybackControls from "./playback-controls.svelte";
+	import PlaybackControls, {
+		type PlaybackSpeed,
+	} from "./playback-controls.svelte";
 	import { buildFrames } from "./timeline";
 
 	let {
 		report,
 		shipClassLookup,
+		onBackToMap,
+		onBackToReport,
 	}: {
 		report: BattleReport;
 		shipClassLookup?: ShipClassLookup;
+		onBackToMap?: () => void;
+		onBackToReport?: () => void;
 	} = $props();
 
 	const frames = $derived(buildFrames(report));
 	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 speed = $state<PlaybackSpeed>(1);
+	let logOpen = $state(true);
 	let shotVisible = $state(true);
 	let logEl = $state<HTMLOListElement | null>(null);
 
 	const frame = $derived(frames[Math.min(frameIndex, frames.length - 1)]);
 
-	// 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.
+	// One tick per frame: blink the shot line off during the last
+	// 10 % of the frame's interval, then advance. Effect re-arms
+	// whenever frameIndex / playing / speed changes; previous
+	// timers clean up through the return.
 	$effect(() => {
-		// Track changes via direct reads.
 		void frameIndex;
 		void speed;
 		shotVisible = true;
@@ -64,13 +74,11 @@ is logically isolated: feed it any `BattleReport` matching
 		};
 	});
 
-	// 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.
+	// Auto-scroll the visible log row into view so the highlight
+	// keeps up with the timeline on long battles.
 	$effect(() => {
 		void frame.shotIndex;
-		if (logEl === null) return;
+		if (!logOpen || logEl === null) return;
 		const current = logEl.querySelector(
 			'li[data-current="true"]',
 		) as HTMLElement | null;
@@ -87,6 +95,14 @@ is logically isolated: feed it any `BattleReport` matching
 		);
 	}
 
+	function onScrub(event: Event) {
+		const target = event.currentTarget as HTMLInputElement;
+		const value = Number(target.value);
+		if (!Number.isFinite(value)) return;
+		playing = false;
+		frameIndex = Math.max(0, Math.min(frames.length - 1, Math.trunc(value)));
+	}
+
 	function describeAction(index: number): string {
 		const action = report.protocol[index];
 		const attackerGroup = report.ships[String(action.sa)];
@@ -109,8 +125,29 @@ is logically isolated: feed it any `BattleReport` matching
 
 <div class="viewer" data-testid="battle-viewer">
 	<header class="header">
+		<div class="back-row">
+			{#if onBackToMap}
+				<button
+					type="button"
+					class="back-btn"
+					onclick={onBackToMap}
+					data-testid="battle-back-to-map"
+				>{i18n.t("game.battle.back_to_map")}</button>
+			{/if}
+			{#if onBackToReport}
+				<button
+					type="button"
+					class="back-btn"
+					onclick={onBackToReport}
+					data-testid="battle-back-to-report"
+				>{i18n.t("game.battle.back_to_report")}</button>
+			{/if}
+		</div>
 		<h2 data-testid="battle-viewer-title">
-			{i18n.t("game.battle.title")}
+			{i18n.t("game.battle.header_title", {
+				planet_name: report.planetName,
+				planet_number: String(report.planet),
+			})}
 		</h2>
 		<span class="progress" data-testid="battle-frame-index">
 			{frame.shotIndex} / {report.protocol.length}
@@ -121,13 +158,27 @@ is logically isolated: feed it any `BattleReport` matching
 		<BattleScene {report} {frame} {shipClassLookup} {shotVisible} />
 	</div>
 
+	<input
+		class="scrubber"
+		type="range"
+		min="0"
+		max={Math.max(0, frames.length - 1)}
+		step="1"
+		value={frameIndex}
+		oninput={onScrub}
+		aria-label={i18n.t("game.battle.controls.scrub")}
+		data-testid="battle-scrubber"
+	/>
+
 	<PlaybackControls
 		bind:playing
 		bind:frameIndex
 		bind:speed
+		bind:logOpen
 		frameCount={frames.length}
 	/>
 
+	{#if logOpen}
 		<section
 			class="log"
 			aria-label={i18n.t("game.battle.accessibility.protocol_heading")}
@@ -148,38 +199,62 @@ is logically isolated: feed it any `BattleReport` matching
 				{/each}
 			</ol>
 		</section>
+	{/if}
 </div>
 
 <style>
 	.viewer {
 		display: flex;
 		flex-direction: column;
-		gap: 0.75rem;
-		max-width: 880px;
+		gap: 0.5rem;
 		width: 100%;
 		flex: 1 1 auto;
 		min-height: 0;
 		margin: 0 auto;
-		padding: 1rem;
+		padding: 0.75rem 1rem;
 		color: #d6dcf2;
 		font-family: inherit;
+		box-sizing: border-box;
 	}
 	.header {
 		display: flex;
-		justify-content: space-between;
-		align-items: baseline;
+		align-items: center;
+		gap: 0.75rem;
 		flex: 0 0 auto;
 	}
 	.header h2 {
+		flex: 1 1 auto;
 		margin: 0;
-		font-size: 1.1rem;
+		font-size: 1.05rem;
 		text-transform: uppercase;
-		letter-spacing: 0.05em;
+		letter-spacing: 0.04em;
+		text-align: center;
+	}
+	.back-row {
+		display: flex;
+		gap: 0.3rem;
+		flex: 0 0 auto;
+	}
+	.back-btn {
+		appearance: none;
+		background: #1f2748;
+		color: #d6dcf2;
+		border: 1px solid #2c3568;
+		padding: 0.3rem 0.6rem;
+		border-radius: 3px;
+		cursor: pointer;
+		font-size: 0.8rem;
+	}
+	.back-btn:hover {
+		background: #2a3463;
 	}
 	.progress {
 		color: #93a0d0;
 		font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums;
-		font-size: 0.9rem;
+		font-size: 0.85rem;
+		flex: 0 0 auto;
+		min-width: 5rem;
+		text-align: right;
 	}
 	.scene {
 		background: #0a0d1a;
@@ -189,6 +264,12 @@ is logically isolated: feed it any `BattleReport` matching
 		flex: 1 1 auto;
 		min-height: 0;
 	}
+	.scrubber {
+		width: 100%;
+		margin: 0;
+		flex: 0 0 auto;
+		accent-color: #6d7bb5;
+	}
 	.log {
 		flex: 0 1 auto;
 		min-height: 4rem;
@@ -198,15 +279,15 @@ is logically isolated: feed it any `BattleReport` matching
 		flex-direction: column;
 	}
 	.log h3 {
-		margin: 0 0 0.4rem;
+		margin: 0 0 0.3rem;
 		color: #93a0d0;
-		font-size: 0.8rem;
+		font-size: 0.75rem;
 		text-transform: uppercase;
 		letter-spacing: 0.05em;
 		flex: 0 0 auto;
 	}
 	.log ol {
-		list-style: decimal inside;
+		list-style: none;
 		margin: 0;
 		padding: 0;
 		font-size: 0.85rem;

ui/frontend/src/lib/battle-player/playback-controls.svelte

@@ -1,22 +1,30 @@
 <!--
 PlaybackControls — rewind / step-back / play-pause / step-forward
-plus a 1x/2x/4x speed switch. Owns no playback state; bind `playing`,
-`frameIndex`, and `speed` from the orchestrator. Disables step/rewind
-when there's nowhere to go and disables forward when the timeline is
-already at its end.
+plus a single cycling speed button (1x → 2x → 4x → 6x → 1x) and a
+"log" toggle that the orchestrator uses to collapse the always-on
+text protocol when the user wants more space for the scene. Owns no
+state of its own; binds `playing`, `frameIndex`, `speed`, and
+`logOpen` from the orchestrator. Disables step/rewind when there's
+nowhere to go and step-forward when the timeline is at its end.
 -->
 <script lang="ts">
 	import { i18n } from "$lib/i18n/index.svelte";
 
+	export type PlaybackSpeed = 1 | 2 | 4 | 6;
+
+	const SPEED_CYCLE: PlaybackSpeed[] = [1, 2, 4, 6];
+
 	let {
 		playing = $bindable(),
 		frameIndex = $bindable(),
 		speed = $bindable(),
+		logOpen = $bindable(),
 		frameCount,
 	}: {
 		playing: boolean;
 		frameIndex: number;
-		speed: 1 | 2 | 4;
+		speed: PlaybackSpeed;
+		logOpen: boolean;
 		frameCount: number;
 	} = $props();
 
@@ -38,9 +46,16 @@ already at its end.
 		playing = false;
 		if (frameIndex < frameCount - 1) frameIndex = frameIndex + 1;
 	}
-	function setSpeed(value: 1 | 2 | 4) {
-		speed = value;
+	function cycleSpeed() {
+		const idx = SPEED_CYCLE.indexOf(speed);
+		const next = SPEED_CYCLE[(idx + 1) % SPEED_CYCLE.length];
+		speed = next;
 	}
+	function toggleLog() {
+		logOpen = !logOpen;
+	}
+
+	const speedLabel = $derived(`${speed}x`);
 </script>
 
 <div class="controls" data-testid="battle-controls">
@@ -77,25 +92,25 @@ already at its end.
 
 	<div class="spacer" aria-hidden="true"></div>
 
-	<span class="speed-label">{i18n.t("game.battle.controls.speed_label")}</span>
 	<button
 		type="button"
-		class:active={speed === 1}
-		onclick={() => setSpeed(1)}
-		data-testid="battle-control-speed-1x"
-	>{i18n.t("game.battle.controls.speed_1x")}</button>
+		class="speed-btn"
+		onclick={cycleSpeed}
+		title={i18n.t("game.battle.controls.speed_label")}
+		aria-label={i18n.t("game.battle.controls.speed_label")}
+		data-testid="battle-control-speed"
+		data-speed={speed}
+	>{speedLabel}</button>
+
 	<button
 		type="button"
-		class:active={speed === 2}
-		onclick={() => setSpeed(2)}
-		data-testid="battle-control-speed-2x"
-	>{i18n.t("game.battle.controls.speed_2x")}</button>
-	<button
-		type="button"
-		class:active={speed === 4}
-		onclick={() => setSpeed(4)}
-		data-testid="battle-control-speed-4x"
-	>{i18n.t("game.battle.controls.speed_4x")}</button>
+		class="log-toggle"
+		class:active={logOpen}
+		onclick={toggleLog}
+		aria-pressed={logOpen}
+		aria-label={i18n.t("game.battle.controls.log_toggle")}
+		data-testid="battle-control-log-toggle"
+	>{i18n.t("game.battle.controls.log_toggle")} {logOpen ? "▲" : "▼"}</button>
 </div>
 
 <style>
@@ -130,16 +145,11 @@ already at its end.
 		opacity: 0.4;
 		cursor: not-allowed;
 	}
-	button.active {
-		background: #3a4585;
-		border-color: #5d6cb8;
-		color: #ffffff;
+	.speed-btn {
+		min-width: 3rem;
+		font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums;
 	}
-	.speed-label {
-		color: #93a0d0;
-		font-size: 0.8rem;
-		text-transform: uppercase;
-		letter-spacing: 0.05em;
-		margin-right: 0.2rem;
+	.log-toggle.active {
+		background: #2a3463;
 	}
 </style>

ui/frontend/src/lib/battle-player/radial-layout.ts

@@ -1,11 +1,16 @@
 // Radial layout for the BattleViewer.
 //
 // Places race anchors on a circle of radius `radius` around `center`
-// at equal angular spacing. The first anchor sits at the top (12
-// o'clock); subsequent anchors march clockwise. When a race is
-// eliminated mid-battle, the caller filters it out of `activeRaceIds`
-// and the survivors are re-spaced on the next frame. The same helper
-// drives both the initial layout and that re-distribution.
+// at equal angular spacing. For three or more races the first anchor
+// sits at the top (12 o'clock) and subsequent anchors march
+// clockwise. For exactly two races the pair is rotated 90° so they
+// face each other horizontally (3 o'clock vs 9 o'clock) — that keeps
+// every race label clear of the SVG top edge when only two clusters
+// remain, and reads as "the two sides facing off" naturally.
+//
+// When a race is eliminated mid-battle the caller filters it out of
+// `activeRaceIds` and the survivors are re-spaced on the next frame
+// through the same helper.
 
 export interface RaceAnchor {
 	raceId: number;
@@ -35,10 +40,14 @@ export function layoutRaces(
 	if (count === 0) return [];
 	const { center, radius } = options;
 	const out: RaceAnchor[] = [];
+	// For two participants we want a horizontal duel layout: race 0
+	// at 9 o'clock, race 1 at 3 o'clock. For any other count the
+	// first anchor lands at the top (12 o'clock) and the rest march
+	// clockwise at equal spacing.
+	const startAngle = count === 2 ? Math.PI : -Math.PI / 2;
 	for (let i = 0; i < count; i++) {
-		// 12 o'clock = -PI/2 in math convention; clockwise → +i*step.
 		const step = (2 * Math.PI) / count;
-		const angle = -Math.PI / 2 + i * step;
+		const angle = startAngle + i * step;
 		out.push({
 			raceId: activeRaceIds[i],
 			x: center.x + radius * Math.cos(angle),

ui/frontend/src/lib/i18n/locales/en.ts

@@ -484,6 +484,7 @@ const en = {
 	"game.report.section.battles.empty": "no battles last turn",
 	"game.report.section.battles.id_label": "battle",
 	"game.battle.title": "battle",
+	"game.battle.header_title": "Battle on planet {planet_name} (#{planet_number})",
 	"game.battle.loading": "loading battle…",
 	"game.battle.not_found": "battle not found",
 	"game.battle.back_to_report": "back to report",
@@ -497,6 +498,9 @@ const en = {
 	"game.battle.controls.speed_1x": "1x",
 	"game.battle.controls.speed_2x": "2x",
 	"game.battle.controls.speed_4x": "4x",
+	"game.battle.controls.speed_6x": "6x",
+	"game.battle.controls.scrub": "scrub battle timeline",
+	"game.battle.controls.log_toggle": "Log",
 	"game.battle.log.destroyed": "{attacker_race}'s {attacker_class} destroyed {defender_race}'s {defender_class}",
 	"game.battle.log.shielded": "{attacker_race}'s {attacker_class} hit {defender_race}'s {defender_class}, shields held",
 	"game.battle.accessibility.protocol_heading": "battle log",

ui/frontend/src/lib/i18n/locales/ru.ts

@@ -485,6 +485,10 @@ const ru: Record<keyof typeof en, string> = {
 	"game.report.section.battles.empty": "сражений в этом ходу не было",
 	"game.report.section.battles.id_label": "сражение",
 	"game.battle.title": "сражение",
+	"game.battle.header_title": "Битва на планете {planet_name} (#{planet_number})",
+	"game.battle.controls.speed_6x": "6x",
+	"game.battle.controls.scrub": "перемотать таймлайн битвы",
+	"game.battle.controls.log_toggle": "Лог",
 	"game.battle.loading": "загрузка сражения…",
 	"game.battle.not_found": "сражение не найдено",
 	"game.battle.back_to_report": "к отчёту",

ui/frontend/tests/battle-player.test.ts

@@ -34,13 +34,16 @@ describe("layoutRaces", () => {
 		expect(result[0].y).toBeCloseTo(center.y - radius, 5);
 	});
 
-	it("places two races at opposite poles (180° apart)", () => {
+	it("places two races on the horizontal axis (9 vs 3 o'clock)", () => {
+		// Special-case duel layout: two anchors face each other on
+		// the horizontal axis so neither cluster's race label clips
+		// against the SVG top edge.
 		const result = layoutRaces([0, 1], { center, radius });
 		expect(result).toHaveLength(2);
-		expect(result[0].x).toBeCloseTo(center.x, 5);
-		expect(result[0].y).toBeCloseTo(center.y - radius, 5);
-		expect(result[1].x).toBeCloseTo(center.x, 5);
-		expect(result[1].y).toBeCloseTo(center.y + radius, 5);
+		expect(result[0].x).toBeCloseTo(center.x - radius, 5);
+		expect(result[0].y).toBeCloseTo(center.y, 5);
+		expect(result[1].x).toBeCloseTo(center.x + radius, 5);
+		expect(result[1].y).toBeCloseTo(center.y, 5);
 	});
 
 	it("places three races at 120° intervals", () => {

ui/frontend/tests/game-shell-stubs.test.ts

@@ -76,20 +76,20 @@ describe("active-view stubs", () => {
 		);
 	});
 
-	test("battle view stamps the battleId and renders the back-to-map link", () => {
+	test("battle view stamps the battleId and shows the loading placeholder", () => {
 		// Phase 27 replaces the Phase 10 stub with the Battle Viewer
-		// wrapper. The wrapper mounts the loading copy until the
-		// fetcher resolves (component test runs in jsdom without a
-		// network); the back buttons and the data-battle-id stamp are
-		// rendered unconditionally so the orchestrator scaffold is the
-		// stable hook the active-view shell relies on.
+		// wrapper. The latest layout iteration moved the back-
+		// navigation buttons inside `BattleViewer` so they only mount
+		// once the BattleReport finishes loading. The wrapper itself
+		// always renders the `active-view-battle` host with the
+		// `data-battle-id` stamp and a localized loading copy until
+		// the fetcher resolves.
 		const ui = render(BattleView, {
 			props: { gameId: "synthetic-test", turn: 0, battleId: "b-42" },
 		});
 		const node = ui.getByTestId("active-view-battle");
 		expect(node).toHaveAttribute("data-battle-id", "b-42");
-		expect(ui.getByTestId("battle-back-to-map")).toBeInTheDocument();
-		expect(ui.getByTestId("battle-back-to-report")).toBeInTheDocument();
+		expect(ui.getByTestId("battle-loading")).toBeInTheDocument();
 	});
 
 	test("battle view surfaces the not-found state for an empty battleId", () => {