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diff --git a/solitaire_engine/src/card_plugin.rs b/solitaire_engine/src/card_plugin.rs
index 031c34f..87060bb 100644
--- a/solitaire_engine/src/card_plugin.rs
+++ b/solitaire_engine/src/card_plugin.rs
@@ -196,111 +196,36 @@ impl Plugin for CardPlugin {
     }
 }
 
-/// Loads card face and back PNGs at startup and inserts [`CardImageSet`].
+/// Loads card face and back PNGs at startup via [`AssetServer`] and inserts
+/// [`CardImageSet`].
 ///
-/// The PNGs are embedded at compile time via `include_bytes!()`.  Missing
-/// files are compile errors, not runtime panics.  Under `MinimalPlugins`
-/// (tests) this system is still registered but `Assets<Image>` is unavailable,
-/// so it does nothing and the plugin falls back to solid-colour sprites.
-fn load_card_images(images: Option<ResMut<Assets<Image>>>, mut commands: Commands) {
-    let Some(mut images) = images else {
+/// Faces: `assets/cards/faces/{RANK}{SUIT}.png`  (e.g. `AC.png`, `10H.png`)
+/// Backs: `assets/cards/backs/back_{0..4}.png`
+///
+/// Under `MinimalPlugins` (tests) `AssetServer` is absent, so the system
+/// returns without inserting `CardImageSet` and the plugin falls back to
+/// solid-colour sprites.
+fn load_card_images(asset_server: Option<Res<AssetServer>>, mut commands: Commands) {
+    let Some(asset_server) = asset_server else {
         return;
     };
-    use bevy::asset::RenderAssetUsages;
-    use bevy::image::{CompressedImageFormats, ImageSampler, ImageType};
 
-    let load = |bytes: &[u8]| {
-        Image::from_buffer(
-            bytes,
-            ImageType::Extension("png"),
-            CompressedImageFormats::NONE,
-            true,
-            ImageSampler::default(),
-            RenderAssetUsages::RENDER_WORLD,
-        )
-        .expect("valid card PNG")
-    };
-
-    // 52 face images: faces[suit][rank]
-    // Suit: Clubs=0, Diamonds=1, Hearts=2, Spades=3
-    // Rank: Ace=0 … King=12
-    const FACE_BYTES: [[&[u8]; 13]; 4] = [
-        // Clubs
-        [
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/a_c.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/2_c.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/3_c.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/4_c.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/5_c.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/6_c.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/7_c.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/8_c.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/9_c.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/10_c.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/j_c.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/q_c.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/k_c.png"),
-        ],
-        // Diamonds
-        [
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/a_d.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/2_d.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/3_d.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/4_d.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/5_d.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/6_d.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/7_d.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/8_d.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/9_d.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/10_d.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/j_d.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/q_d.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/k_d.png"),
-        ],
-        // Hearts
-        [
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/a_h.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/2_h.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/3_h.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/4_h.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/5_h.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/6_h.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/7_h.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/8_h.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/9_h.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/10_h.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/j_h.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/q_h.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/k_h.png"),
-        ],
-        // Spades
-        [
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/a_s.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/2_s.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/3_s.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/4_s.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/5_s.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/6_s.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/7_s.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/8_s.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/9_s.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/10_s.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/j_s.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/q_s.png"),
-            include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/faces/k_s.png"),
-        ],
-    ];
+    // Suit index: Clubs=0, Diamonds=1, Hearts=2, Spades=3
+    const SUIT_CHARS: [&str; 4] = ["C", "D", "H", "S"];
+    // Rank index: Ace=0 … King=12
+    const RANK_STRS: [&str; 13] = ["A", "2", "3", "4", "5", "6", "7", "8", "9", "10", "J", "Q", "K"];
 
     let faces: [[Handle<Image>; 13]; 4] = std::array::from_fn(|suit| {
-        std::array::from_fn(|rank| images.add(load(FACE_BYTES[suit][rank])))
+        std::array::from_fn(|rank| {
+            asset_server.load(format!(
+                "cards/faces/{}{}.png",
+                RANK_STRS[rank], SUIT_CHARS[suit]
+            ))
+        })
+    });
+    let backs = std::array::from_fn(|i| {
+        asset_server.load(format!("cards/backs/back_{i}.png"))
     });
-    let backs = [
-        images.add(load(include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/backs/back_0.png"))),
-        images.add(load(include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/backs/back_1.png"))),
-        images.add(load(include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/backs/back_2.png"))),
-        images.add(load(include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/backs/back_3.png"))),
-        images.add(load(include_bytes!("../../assets/cards/backs/back_4.png"))),
-    ];
     commands.insert_resource(CardImageSet { faces, backs });
 }
 
diff --git a/solitaire_engine/src/font_plugin.rs b/solitaire_engine/src/font_plugin.rs
index 22e588b..6bdfa95 100644
--- a/solitaire_engine/src/font_plugin.rs
+++ b/solitaire_engine/src/font_plugin.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 // Register FontPlugin in solitaire_engine/src/lib.rs before use.
 
-//! Embeds FiraMono-Medium as the project font and exposes it via [`FontResource`].
+//! Loads FiraMono-Medium via the Bevy `AssetServer` and exposes it via [`FontResource`].
 
 use bevy::prelude::*;
 
@@ -17,20 +17,11 @@ impl Plugin for FontPlugin {
     }
 }
 
-fn load_font(fonts: Option<ResMut<Assets<Font>>>, mut commands: Commands) {
-    let Some(mut fonts) = fonts else {
-        // Assets<Font> absent (e.g. MinimalPlugins in tests) — insert default.
+fn load_font(asset_server: Option<Res<AssetServer>>, mut commands: Commands) {
+    let Some(asset_server) = asset_server else {
+        // AssetServer absent (e.g. MinimalPlugins in tests) — insert default.
         commands.insert_resource(FontResource(Handle::default()));
         return;
     };
-    let bytes: &'static [u8] = include_bytes!("../../assets/fonts/main.ttf");
-    match Font::try_from_bytes(bytes.to_vec()) {
-        Ok(font) => {
-            commands.insert_resource(FontResource(fonts.add(font)));
-        }
-        Err(e) => {
-            warn!("failed to load main.ttf: {e}; falling back to Bevy default font");
-            commands.insert_resource(FontResource(Handle::default()));
-        }
-    }
+    commands.insert_resource(FontResource(asset_server.load("fonts/main.ttf")));
 }
diff --git a/solitaire_engine/src/table_plugin.rs b/solitaire_engine/src/table_plugin.rs
index 0a6a202..fe95d11 100644
--- a/solitaire_engine/src/table_plugin.rs
+++ b/solitaire_engine/src/table_plugin.rs
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ use bevy::window::WindowResized;
 use solitaire_core::card::Suit;
 use solitaire_core::pile::PileType;
 
-use crate::events::HintVisualEvent;
+use crate::events::{HintVisualEvent, StateChangedEvent};
 use crate::layout::{compute_layout, Layout, LayoutResource};
 #[cfg(test)]
 use crate::layout::TABLE_COLOUR;
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ impl Plugin for TablePlugin {
         app.add_message::<WindowResized>()
             .add_message::<SettingsChangedEvent>()
             .add_message::<HintVisualEvent>()
+            .add_message::<StateChangedEvent>()
             .add_systems(Startup, load_background_images.before(setup_table))
             .add_systems(Startup, setup_table)
             .add_systems(
@@ -77,41 +78,17 @@ impl Plugin for TablePlugin {
     }
 }
 
-/// Loads the 5 background PNG files at startup and stores their
-/// [`Handle<Image>`]s in [`BackgroundImageSet`].
-///
-/// The PNGs are embedded at compile time via `include_bytes!()`.  If a file
-/// is missing the build will fail with a clear error rather than a runtime
-/// panic.
-fn load_background_images(images: Option<ResMut<Assets<Image>>>, mut commands: Commands) {
-    let Some(mut images) = images else {
-        // Assets<Image> is absent (e.g. MinimalPlugins in tests) — insert an
+/// Loads the 5 background PNG files at startup via the Bevy `AssetServer` and
+/// stores their [`Handle<Image>`]s in [`BackgroundImageSet`].
+fn load_background_images(asset_server: Option<Res<AssetServer>>, mut commands: Commands) {
+    let Some(asset_server) = asset_server else {
+        // AssetServer absent (e.g. MinimalPlugins in tests) — insert an
         // empty set so setup_table can proceed using a default handle.
         commands.insert_resource(BackgroundImageSet { handles: Vec::new() });
         return;
     };
-    const BG_BYTES: [&[u8]; 5] = [
-        include_bytes!("../../assets/backgrounds/bg_0.png"),
-        include_bytes!("../../assets/backgrounds/bg_1.png"),
-        include_bytes!("../../assets/backgrounds/bg_2.png"),
-        include_bytes!("../../assets/backgrounds/bg_3.png"),
-        include_bytes!("../../assets/backgrounds/bg_4.png"),
-    ];
-    let handles = BG_BYTES
-        .iter()
-        .map(|bytes| {
-            use bevy::image::{CompressedImageFormats, ImageSampler, ImageType};
-            let image = Image::from_buffer(
-                bytes,
-                ImageType::Extension("png"),
-                CompressedImageFormats::NONE,
-                true,
-                ImageSampler::default(),
-                bevy::asset::RenderAssetUsages::RENDER_WORLD,
-            )
-            .expect("valid background PNG");
-            images.add(image)
-        })
+    let handles = (0..5)
+        .map(|i| asset_server.load(format!("backgrounds/bg_{i}.png")))
         .collect();
     commands.insert_resource(BackgroundImageSet { handles });
 }
@@ -298,10 +275,12 @@ fn spawn_pile_markers(commands: &mut Commands, layout: &Layout) {
     }
 }
 
+#[allow(clippy::too_many_arguments)]
 #[allow(clippy::type_complexity)]
 fn on_window_resized(
     mut events: MessageReader<WindowResized>,
     mut layout_res: Option<ResMut<LayoutResource>>,
+    mut state_changed: MessageWriter<StateChangedEvent>,
     mut backgrounds: Query<
         (&mut Sprite, &mut Transform),
         (With<TableBackground>, Without<PileMarker>),
@@ -331,6 +310,9 @@ fn on_window_resized(
             transform.translation.y = pos.y;
         }
     }
+
+    // Reposition card sprites to the new layout.
+    state_changed.write(StateChangedEvent);
 }
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------