diff --git a/SVSim.BattleNode/SVSim.BattleNode.csproj b/SVSim.BattleNode/SVSim.BattleNode.csproj
index 032734e..fe0fa9a 100644
--- a/SVSim.BattleNode/SVSim.BattleNode.csproj
+++ b/SVSim.BattleNode/SVSim.BattleNode.csproj
@@ -11,8 +11,12 @@
   <ItemGroup>
     <!-- Aliased: the copied decompiled engine puts a huge type surface in the GLOBAL namespace
          (BattlePlayer, MessagePackSerializer, ...) which would otherwise leak into and collide
-         with every node file. The extern alias confines it; only Sessions/Engine/* opts in. -->
-    <ProjectReference Include="..\SVSim.BattleEngine\SVSim.BattleEngine.csproj" Aliases="engine" />
+         with every node file. The extern alias confines it; only Sessions/Engine/* opts in.
+         PrivateAssets=compile: the engine is an implementation detail of the node — hide its TYPES
+         from the COMPILE closure of consumers (SVSim.EmulatedEntrypoint references BattleNode and
+         would otherwise re-hit the MessagePackSerializer global-namespace collision), while still
+         flowing the RUNTIME asset so SVSim.BattleEngine.dll deploys into consumers' output. -->
+    <ProjectReference Include="..\SVSim.BattleEngine\SVSim.BattleEngine.csproj" Aliases="engine" PrivateAssets="compile" />
   </ItemGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
     <InternalsVisibleTo Include="SVSim.UnitTests" />
diff --git a/SVSim.BattleNode/Sessions/BattleSession.cs b/SVSim.BattleNode/Sessions/BattleSession.cs
index b70d967..6c02f06 100644
--- a/SVSim.BattleNode/Sessions/BattleSession.cs
+++ b/SVSim.BattleNode/Sessions/BattleSession.cs
@@ -23,6 +23,18 @@ public sealed class BattleSession
 
     private readonly BattleSessionState _state = new();
 
+    /// <summary>One authoritative shadow engine per session (design ND2). Fed both clients' frames in
+    /// pure shadow (N1): it tracks state but emits nothing and changes no route. N2+ flips outbound
+    /// fields to engine reads. Constructed unconditionally; <see cref="EnsureEngineSetup"/> seats it
+    /// once both decks are known, and every interaction is guarded so a shadow failure can never break
+    /// live dispatch (ND6: log, never throw into the relay).</summary>
+    private readonly Engine.SessionBattleEngine _engine = new();
+
+    /// <summary>Setup is attempted exactly once. A shadow engine that can't seat headless in this host
+    /// (e.g. engine global state not initialized) stays not-ready and the shadow silently no-ops —
+    /// never retried, never fatal.</summary>
+    private bool _engineSetupAttempted;
+
     /// <summary>Serializes dispatch. Both participants' read loops raise FrameEmitted on their own
     /// threads, and a dispatch (<see cref="ComputeFrames"/> + the relay <c>PushAsync</c> calls) mutates
     /// shared, non-thread-safe state — the <see cref="BattleSessionState"/> dictionaries and each
@@ -71,7 +83,7 @@ public sealed class BattleSession
         new()
         {
             A = A, B = B, From = from, Other = ReferenceEquals(from, A) ? B : A,
-            Env = env, BattleId = BattleId, State = _state,
+            Env = env, BattleId = BattleId, State = _state, Engine = _engine,
         };
 
     public BattleSession(string battleId, BattleType type, IBattleParticipant a, IBattleParticipant b,
@@ -199,6 +211,20 @@ public sealed class BattleSession
     /// </summary>
     internal IReadOnlyList<DispatchRoute> ComputeFrames(IBattleParticipant from, MsgEnvelope env)
     {
+        // Shadow engine (N1): seat-once then ingest this frame, fully isolated from dispatch. The
+        // wire output below is byte-for-byte unchanged — routes still come from the existing handlers;
+        // the engine only observes (ND1). A shadow failure is logged and swallowed (ND6), never thrown
+        // into the relay.
+        try
+        {
+            EnsureEngineSetup();
+            ShadowIngest(from, env);
+        }
+        catch (Exception ex)
+        {
+            _log.LogWarning(ex, "BattleSession {Bid}: shadow engine error (ignored)", BattleId);
+        }
+
         if (Handlers.TryGetValue(env.Uri, out var handler))
             return handler.Handle(BuildContext(from, env));
 
@@ -207,4 +233,24 @@ public sealed class BattleSession
         return Array.Empty<DispatchRoute>();
     }
 
+    /// <summary>Seat the shadow engine once, from the master seed + both deterministically-shuffled
+    /// decks the node already computed (F-N-5). Attempted a single time; if the host can't seat the
+    /// engine headless, it stays not-ready and the shadow no-ops for the rest of the battle.</summary>
+    private void EnsureEngineSetup()
+    {
+        if (_engineSetupAttempted) return;
+        _engineSetupAttempted = true;
+        _engine.Setup(_state.MasterSeed, _state.GetShuffledDeck(A), _state.GetShuffledDeck(B));
+    }
+
+    private void ShadowIngest(IBattleParticipant from, MsgEnvelope env)
+    {
+        if (!_engine.IsReady) return;
+        bool isPlayerSeat = ReferenceEquals(from, A);
+        var r = _engine.Receive(env, isPlayerSeat);
+        if (r.Diverged)
+            _log.LogInformation("BattleSession {Bid}: shadow engine diverged on {Uri}: {Reason}",
+                BattleId, env.Uri, r.RejectReason);
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/SVSim.BattleNode/Sessions/Dispatch/FrameDispatchContext.cs b/SVSim.BattleNode/Sessions/Dispatch/FrameDispatchContext.cs
index 3cce6e4..809554d 100644
--- a/SVSim.BattleNode/Sessions/Dispatch/FrameDispatchContext.cs
+++ b/SVSim.BattleNode/Sessions/Dispatch/FrameDispatchContext.cs
@@ -17,6 +17,12 @@ internal sealed class FrameDispatchContext
     internal required string BattleId { get; init; }
     internal required BattleSessionState State { get; init; }
 
+    /// <summary>The session's shadow engine (design ND2/F-N-6). In Phase-2 N1 it is fed in pure shadow
+    /// and read by no handler; N2+ handlers source opponent-facing fields from it. Always non-null;
+    /// <see cref="Engine.SessionBattleEngine.IsReady"/> is false until the engine is set up (and stays
+    /// false if headless setup is unavailable in the host — the shadow then no-ops).</summary>
+    internal required Engine.SessionBattleEngine Engine { get; init; }
+
     /// <summary>The opponent is an AI-passive (ack-only) bot: it runs no handshake — no
     /// <see cref="IHasHandshakePhase"/> — and receives no relayed frames (the client drives its own
     /// AI; the server only acks). This is the participant property that replaces the per-handler