diff --git a/tests/Aetheria.Shared.Tests/DeterminismLedgerTests.cs b/tests/Aetheria.Shared.Tests/DeterminismLedgerTests.cs
index e3ab326f0..6ff03b525 100644
--- a/tests/Aetheria.Shared.Tests/DeterminismLedgerTests.cs
+++ b/tests/Aetheria.Shared.Tests/DeterminismLedgerTests.cs
@@ -24,8 +24,9 @@ public sealed partial class RunStartTests
     // The two-AI fight's digest, captured on Yggdrasil. Replays are trusted only on the host class that recorded them
     // (ruling replays-per-host-class), and arenas run on Linux.
     private const string TwoAiPinnedHostClass = "linux-x64";
-    // Repinned once, for the side split: the two fighters are unaffiliated, were one side and each followed itself.
-    private const string TwoAiPinnedDigest = "1b2ffe51f799e762199717a3bc003e880a80106023463aabc40bd2e4f746697c";
+    // Repinned twice. First for the side split: the two fighters are unaffiliated, were one side and each followed itself.
+    // Then for staged knowledge (ruling repin-for-staged-knowledge): the fighters are staged knowing each other, so they engage at step 0.
+    private const string TwoAiPinnedDigest = "ce81a426c40495e4b4b7b7f83ad23767cc781dce5523d713b4455e0aa5b7fe33";
     private const int TwoAiSteps = 3600;
 
     [Fact]
diff --git a/tests/Aetheria.Shared.Tests/LockOnScenarioTests.cs b/tests/Aetheria.Shared.Tests/LockOnScenarioTests.cs
index 603a6bea0..e88abc220 100644
--- a/tests/Aetheria.Shared.Tests/LockOnScenarioTests.cs
+++ b/tests/Aetheria.Shared.Tests/LockOnScenarioTests.cs
@@ -23,10 +23,10 @@ public sealed partial class RunStartTests
         var toPlayer = normalize(player.Position.xz - hostile.Position.xz);
         Assert.True(dot(normalize(hostile.Direction), toPlayer) >= cos(radians(5f)), "the hostile faces the player");
 
-        // The first real sensing tick: the hostile holds no track of the player, and the sim's own passive sensing, asked for
-        // the player's signature at the staged place, settles below the detection threshold: the staging is out of its sight.
+        // The hostile is staged knowing the player (ruling stage-states-pilot-knowledge): it starts with a track of it. The sim's
+        // own passive sensing, asked for the player's signature at the staged place, settles below the detection threshold: the
+        // staging is out of its sight, so the staged track is all that carries it in.
         arena.Update(.1f);
-        Assert.False(hostile.VisibleEnemies.Any(x => ReferenceEquals(x, player)), "the player is out of sight");
         Assert.DoesNotContain(player.IncomingPaints, paint => paint.Mode == PaintMode.Track);
         Assert.True(player.Visibility > 0f, "the player shows a signature to be seen by");
         var threshold = player.ItemManager.GameplaySettings.TargetDetectionInfoThreshold;
diff --git a/tests/Aetheria.Shared.Tests/PilotSeamTests.cs b/tests/Aetheria.Shared.Tests/PilotSeamTests.cs
index 3bfeb9f42..64eb493d8 100644
--- a/tests/Aetheria.Shared.Tests/PilotSeamTests.cs
+++ b/tests/Aetheria.Shared.Tests/PilotSeamTests.cs
@@ -462,7 +462,7 @@ public sealed partial class RunStartTests
         var aim = normalize(east.Command.Aim.Value.xz);
         var toThird = dot(aim, normalize(third.Position.xz - east.Position.xz));
         var toWest = dot(aim, normalize(west.Position.xz - east.Position.xz));
-        Assert.True(toThird > toWest + .2f, $"aims at the designated target: toThird {toThird} toWest {toWest}");
+        Assert.True(toThird > toWest + .2f, $"aims at the designated target: toThird {toThird} toWest {toWest} tracked {east.VisibleEntities.Contains(third)}");
     }
 
     [Fact]