diff --git a/src/game/engine/tests/unit/test_ecology_grudge_badge.gd b/src/game/engine/tests/unit/test_ecology_grudge_badge.gd
index 36512332..a5244cb4 100644
--- a/src/game/engine/tests/unit/test_ecology_grudge_badge.gd
+++ b/src/game/engine/tests/unit/test_ecology_grudge_badge.gd
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ extends GutTest
 ## grudge_against result. Tests are headless-compatible (no display server needed).
 
 const CombatPreviewScript: GDScript = preload("res://engine/scenes/combat/combat_preview.gd")
+## Full scene so the @onready %nodes resolve (bare .new() logs Node-not-found).
+const PREVIEW_SCENE: PackedScene = preload("res://engine/scenes/combat/combat_preview.tscn")
 
 ## Minimal mock that satisfies the grudge_against() call signature.
 ## Extends RefCounted so it can be stored in a typed GdFaunaEcology field —
@@ -40,7 +42,7 @@ func before_all() -> void:
 
 func test_grudge_badge_not_shown_without_fauna_ecology() -> void:
 	## When _fauna_ecology is null, no badge node should be added.
-	var preview: CombatPreviewScript = CombatPreviewScript.new()
+	var preview: CombatPreviewScript = PREVIEW_SCENE.instantiate() as CombatPreviewScript
 	add_child_autofree(preview)
 	# Don't inject fauna ecology — stays null.
 	var atk: MockWildDefender = MockWildDefender.new()
@@ -51,7 +53,7 @@ func test_grudge_badge_not_shown_without_fauna_ecology() -> void:
 
 func test_grudge_badge_not_shown_for_regular_unit() -> void:
 	## Regular units (no ecology_species_id) must never show a grudge badge.
-	var preview: CombatPreviewScript = CombatPreviewScript.new()
+	var preview: CombatPreviewScript = PREVIEW_SCENE.instantiate() as CombatPreviewScript
 	add_child_autofree(preview)
 	# Even with a grudge-always mock, regular units without the wild fields
 	# should not trigger the badge.
diff --git a/src/game/engine/tests/unit/test_ecology_tile_inspector.gd b/src/game/engine/tests/unit/test_ecology_tile_inspector.gd
index 53b6bec8..157b3837 100644
--- a/src/game/engine/tests/unit/test_ecology_tile_inspector.gd
+++ b/src/game/engine/tests/unit/test_ecology_tile_inspector.gd
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@ extends GutTest
 ## Headless-compatible (no display server required).
 
 const TileInfoPanelScript: GDScript = preload("res://engine/scenes/world_map/tile_info_panel.gd")
+## Instantiate the full scene (not a bare script) so the @onready %nodes resolve;
+## a bare .new() logs "Node not found" for every unique-name label.
+const PANEL_SCENE: PackedScene = preload("res://engine/scenes/world_map/tile_info_panel.tscn")
 
 
 func before_all() -> void:
@@ -14,7 +17,7 @@ func before_all() -> void:
 func test_ecology_list_absent_does_not_crash() -> void:
 	## When the scene does not include an EcologySpeciesList node,
 	## _populate_ecology_species should silently no-op.
-	var panel: TileInfoPanelScript = TileInfoPanelScript.new()
+	var panel: TileInfoPanelScript = PANEL_SCENE.instantiate() as TileInfoPanelScript
 	add_child_autofree(panel)
 	# _ecology_list will be null (no scene node named EcologySpeciesList).
 	# Must not crash.
@@ -24,7 +27,7 @@ func test_ecology_list_absent_does_not_crash() -> void:
 
 func test_set_fauna_ecology_stores_reference() -> void:
 	## set_fauna_ecology assigns _fauna_ecology — used by _populate_ecology_species.
-	var panel: TileInfoPanelScript = TileInfoPanelScript.new()
+	var panel: TileInfoPanelScript = PANEL_SCENE.instantiate() as TileInfoPanelScript
 	add_child_autofree(panel)
 	var mock: RefCounted = RefCounted.new()
 	# Assign via the setter.  The panel's typed field won't accept a plain