diff --git a/src/client/SkinTestController.ts b/src/client/SkinTestController.ts
index 94c5fe8a6..bab761fb2 100644
--- a/src/client/SkinTestController.ts
+++ b/src/client/SkinTestController.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { EventBus } from "../core/EventBus";
-import { GameView, PlayerView } from "../core/game/GameView";
+import { GameView } from "../core/game/GameView";
 import { ClientID } from "../core/Schemas";
 import { SkinTestWinModal } from "./hud/layers/SkinTestWinModal";
 import { SendAttackIntentEvent } from "./Transport";
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { SendAttackIntentEvent } from "./Transport";
 const INITIAL_ATTACK_DELAY_MS = 100;
 const MAX_PLAYER_LOOKUP_RETRIES = 50;
 const MODAL_TIMEOUT_MS = 120_000;
+const INITIAL_ATTACK_TROOPS = 1_000_000;
 
 /**
  * Client-side controller for the "preview a skin" singleplayer game.
@@ -17,7 +18,6 @@ const MODAL_TIMEOUT_MS = 120_000;
  * the EventBus + DOM — neither of which belong in src/core.
  */
 export class SkinTestController {
-  private myPlayer: PlayerView | null = null;
   private attackTimer: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | null = null;
   private modalTimer: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | null = null;
   private lookupRetries = 0;
@@ -70,19 +70,16 @@ export class SkinTestController {
 
   private runAttack(): void {
     if (!this.active) return;
-    if (this.myPlayer === null) {
-      const found = this.gameView.playerByClientID(this.clientID);
-      if (found === null) {
-        if (++this.lookupRetries >= MAX_PLAYER_LOOKUP_RETRIES) {
-          console.error("Skin test: gave up finding player");
-          return;
-        }
-        this.scheduleAttack();
+    // Wait for the player to exist in the GameView before firing — gives the
+    // worker time to addPlayer() once the spawn execution runs.
+    if (this.gameView.playerByClientID(this.clientID) === null) {
+      if (++this.lookupRetries >= MAX_PLAYER_LOOKUP_RETRIES) {
+        console.error("Skin test: gave up finding player");
         return;
       }
-      this.myPlayer = found;
+      this.scheduleAttack();
+      return;
     }
-    const troops = Math.floor(this.myPlayer.troops() / 2);
-    this.eventBus.emit(new SendAttackIntentEvent(null, troops));
+    this.eventBus.emit(new SendAttackIntentEvent(null, INITIAL_ATTACK_TROOPS));
   }
 }
diff --git a/tests/client/SkinTestController.test.ts b/tests/client/SkinTestController.test.ts
index 80a82ec4a..65f5cee20 100644
--- a/tests/client/SkinTestController.test.ts
+++ b/tests/client/SkinTestController.test.ts
@@ -40,14 +40,14 @@ describe("SkinTestController", () => {
     return { controller, onAttack, modal, onPreviewEnded };
   }
 
-  it("schedules an initial attack with half the player's troops", () => {
+  it("schedules an initial attack with a fixed troop count", () => {
     const { controller, onAttack } = makeController();
     controller.start();
     vi.advanceTimersByTime(200);
     expect(onAttack).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
     expect(onAttack.mock.calls[0][0]).toMatchObject({
       targetID: null,
-      troops: 50,
+      troops: 1_000_000,
     });
   });
 
diff --git a/tests/core/configuration/StartingTroops.test.ts b/tests/core/configuration/StartingTroops.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..eb266bc23
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/core/configuration/StartingTroops.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { Config } from "../../../src/core/configuration/Config";
+import {
+  Difficulty,
+  GameMapSize,
+  GameMapType,
+  GameMode,
+  GameType,
+  PlayerInfo,
+  PlayerType,
+} from "../../../src/core/game/Game";
+import { UserSettings } from "../../../src/core/game/UserSettings";
+import { GameConfig } from "../../../src/core/Schemas";
+
+function makeConfig(overrides: Partial<GameConfig> = {}): Config {
+  const gameConfig: GameConfig = {
+    gameMap: GameMapType.Iceland,
+    gameMapSize: GameMapSize.Compact,
+    gameMode: GameMode.FFA,
+    gameType: GameType.Singleplayer,
+    difficulty: Difficulty.Easy,
+    nations: "disabled",
+    donateGold: false,
+    donateTroops: false,
+    bots: 0,
+    infiniteGold: true,
+    infiniteTroops: true,
+    instantBuild: false,
+    randomSpawn: true,
+    ...overrides,
+  };
+  return new Config(gameConfig, new UserSettings(), false);
+}
+
+const humanInfo = (): PlayerInfo =>
+  new PlayerInfo("test", PlayerType.Human, "client1", "p1", false, null, []);
+
+describe("Config.startManpower with startingTroops override", () => {
+  it("uses startingTroops when set", () => {
+    const config = makeConfig({ startingTroops: 10_000_000 });
+    expect(config.startManpower(humanInfo())).toBe(10_000_000);
+  });
+
+  it("falls back to 1_000_000 for infinite-troops human when override is absent", () => {
+    const config = makeConfig({ infiniteTroops: true });
+    expect(config.startManpower(humanInfo())).toBe(1_000_000);
+  });
+});