diff --git a/src/game/engine/src/modules/ai/simple_heuristic_ai.gd b/src/game/engine/src/modules/ai/simple_heuristic_ai.gd
index 19e0a718..d29915dd 100644
--- a/src/game/engine/src/modules/ai/simple_heuristic_ai.gd
+++ b/src/game/engine/src/modules/ai/simple_heuristic_ai.gd
@@ -519,11 +519,25 @@ static func _decide_production(
 	# T100. After T80 the standard Priority 4 target takes over.
 	var early_mil_floor: int = 4 if GameState.turn_number <= 80 else 0
 	if military_count < maxi(1, early_mil_floor):
-		var emergency_unit: String = _pick_buildable_military_unit_id(
-			city, player
+		# Capital walls interject: once the capital has at least 1 defender
+		# and is >20 turns old, pause military top-up to slot walls in. Walls
+		# were being starved indefinitely by the mil-floor above; a T40-50
+		# wall hardens the capital before the opponent's full army arrives.
+		var capital_age: int = (
+			GameState.turn_number - int(city.turn_founded)
 		)
-		if not emergency_unit.is_empty():
-			return _prod_unit(city_index, emergency_unit)
+		var capital_needs_walls: bool = (
+			city_count == 1 and city_index == 0
+			and military_count >= 1 and capital_age > 20
+			and not city.has_building("walls")
+			and city.can_build("walls", player)
+		)
+		if not capital_needs_walls:
+			var emergency_unit: String = _pick_buildable_military_unit_id(
+				city, player
+			)
+			if not emergency_unit.is_empty():
+				return _prod_unit(city_index, emergency_unit)
 
 	# Priority 1: Build walls if city has none (defense first)
 	if not city.has_building("walls") and city.can_build("walls", player):
@@ -547,12 +561,11 @@ static func _decide_production(
 		return _prod_unit(city_index, "founder")
 
 	# Priority 4: Military — maintain 2 warriors per city, scaling up to
-	# match enemy's FULL army when they're closing on us so we don't lose
-	# on parity once reserves arrive.
-	var enemy_mil: int = enemy_total if threatened else 0
+	# match enemy's FULL army at all times (not only when imminent) so we
+	# don't get jumped when a distant stack closes the gap in 3-4 turns.
 	var mil_target: int = maxi(4, city_count * 2)
-	if enemy_mil > 0:
-		mil_target = maxi(mil_target, enemy_mil + 1)
+	if enemy_total >= mil_target:
+		mil_target = enemy_total + 1
 	var want_military: bool = military_count < mil_target
 	if want_military:
 		var unit_id: String = _pick_buildable_military_unit_id(city, player)