diff --git a/src/game/engine/src/modules/victory/victory_manager.gd b/src/game/engine/src/modules/victory/victory_manager.gd
index c1450ae6..4ed9ad92 100644
--- a/src/game/engine/src/modules/victory/victory_manager.gd
+++ b/src/game/engine/src/modules/victory/victory_manager.gd
@@ -50,14 +50,30 @@ func _resolved_max_turns() -> int:
 func check_all(_game_map: RefCounted) -> void:
 	if _game_over:
 		return
-	if GameState.turn_number < VICTORY_GRACE_TURNS:
+
+	# Elimination ALWAYS fires regardless of grace — once a player is the only
+	# one alive, the game is structurally over (eliminated players can't
+	# recover). Forcing surviving players to keep playing past elimination
+	# until the grace turn just stalls games (warcouncil p1-29 H2 v1 bug:
+	# T42 elimination + 100-turn grace → games stalled in_progress until
+	# safety_timeout). Elimination victories are inherently a sign that
+	# rush-domination already won; no game-development purpose served by
+	# delay.
+	var elim_winner: int = _check_elimination_winner()
+	if elim_winner >= 0:
+		_game_over = true
+		EventBus.victory_achieved.emit(elim_winner, "domination")
 		return
 
-	var winner_index: int = _check_domination()
-	if winner_index >= 0:
-		_game_over = true
-		EventBus.victory_achieved.emit(winner_index, "domination")
-		return
+	# Capture-all-capitals victory IS gated by grace turns. Slows
+	# rush-domination so games reach mid-game tech development before a
+	# captor can secure all capitals.
+	if GameState.turn_number >= VICTORY_GRACE_TURNS:
+		var winner_index: int = _check_capture_winner()
+		if winner_index >= 0:
+			_game_over = true
+			EventBus.victory_achieved.emit(winner_index, "domination")
+			return
 
 	# Score fallback: at max turns, award the highest-scoring player.
 	if GameState.turn_number >= _resolved_max_turns():
@@ -68,9 +84,10 @@ func check_all(_game_map: RefCounted) -> void:
 		return
 
 
-## Domination: a player owns every opponent's original capital, OR is the
-## last player with at least one city (elimination fallback).
-func _check_domination() -> int:
+## Capture-all-capitals: a player owns every opponent's original capital.
+## Gated by VICTORY_GRACE_TURNS — early-game capture wins before mid-game
+## tech development are blocked.
+func _check_capture_winner() -> int:
 	var capital_owner_by_player: Dictionary = {}  # player_index → current city.owner
 	for player: Variant in GameState.players:
 		if not player is PlayerScript:
@@ -94,8 +111,12 @@ func _check_domination() -> int:
 					break
 			if owns_all_other_capitals and candidate.cities.size() > 0:
 				return idx
+	return -1
 
-	# Elimination fallback.
+
+## Elimination: only one player has cities or a living founder. Always
+## eligible regardless of grace — see check_all() docstring.
+func _check_elimination_winner() -> int:
 	var alive_players: Array[int] = []
 	for player: Variant in GameState.players:
 		if not player is PlayerScript:
@@ -111,6 +132,15 @@ func _check_domination() -> int:
 	return -1
 
 
+## Legacy combined check kept for any external callers that referenced the
+## previous API. Delegates to the split functions; respects no grace.
+func _check_domination() -> int:
+	var capture_winner: int = _check_capture_winner()
+	if capture_winner >= 0:
+		return capture_winner
+	return _check_elimination_winner()
+
+
 func _has_living_founder(player: RefCounted) -> bool:
 	for unit: Variant in player.units:
 		if unit is UnitScript and unit.is_alive() and unit.can_found_city: