diff --git a/SVSim.EmulatedEntrypoint/Services/ArenaTwoPickService.cs b/SVSim.EmulatedEntrypoint/Services/ArenaTwoPickService.cs
index 261fa24..abe1178 100644
--- a/SVSim.EmulatedEntrypoint/Services/ArenaTwoPickService.cs
+++ b/SVSim.EmulatedEntrypoint/Services/ArenaTwoPickService.cs
@@ -80,7 +80,19 @@ public class ArenaTwoPickService : IArenaTwoPickService
         }
 
         var aCfg = _config.Get<SVSim.Database.Models.Config.ArenaTwoPickConfig>();
-        var maxWins = Math.Max(1, await _rewards.GetMaxWinCountAsync());
+        var rawMaxWins = await _rewards.GetMaxWinCountAsync();
+        int maxWins;
+        if (rawMaxWins == 0)
+        {
+            // Reward catalog not seeded — bootstrap hasn't run. Fall back to the spec's
+            // documented default (7) and log a warning so misconfigured deployments are visible.
+            Console.Error.WriteLine("[ArenaTwoPickService] ArenaTwoPickRewards catalog empty; defaulting MaxBattleCount=7. Run SVSim.Bootstrap to seed.");
+            maxWins = 7;
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            maxWins = rawMaxWins;
+        }
         var candidates = SampleCandidateClasses(aCfg.AllowedClassIds, _rng);
 
         var run = new ViewerArenaTwoPickRun