diff --git a/web/src/components/ArrangePhase.tsx b/web/src/components/ArrangePhase.tsx
index 2538543..28353a4 100644
--- a/web/src/components/ArrangePhase.tsx
+++ b/web/src/components/ArrangePhase.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react'
 import type { Card, ClientMessage, GameView, PlayerView } from '../types'
-import { CardView } from './CardView'
+import { CardView, CardZoom } from './CardView'
 import { useCardAnimations } from '../anim'
+import { useMediaQuery } from '../useMediaQuery'
 
 interface Props {
   view: GameView
@@ -37,6 +38,11 @@ export function ArrangePhase({ view, you, send }: Props) {
   // drag) always calls the fresh closure — see the drag effect below.
   const moveRef = useRef<(clientY: number) => void>(() => {})
   const locked = you.ready
+  // Phones can't hover to preview a card, so a tap opens the magnified view
+  // instead. Dragging uses the grip handle, so tapping the card body is free to
+  // mean "read it". Ignored on desktop, which keeps the hover magnifier.
+  const isPhone = useMediaQuery('(max-width: 600px)')
+  const [zoom, setZoom] = useState<{ card: Card; bonus: number } | null>(null)
 
   // The arrow buttons reorder `order` and the cards glide to their new slot.
   // A drag reorders live too, and the neighbors the dragged card passes should
@@ -250,7 +256,16 @@ export function ArrangePhase({ view, you, send }: Props) {
                     </button>
                   </div>
                 </div>
-                <CardView card={c} bonus={bonuses.get(c.id) ?? 0} noMagnify={dragging} />
+                <CardView
+                  card={c}
+                  bonus={bonuses.get(c.id) ?? 0}
+                  noMagnify={dragging}
+                  onClick={
+                    isPhone && !dragging
+                      ? () => setZoom({ card: c, bonus: bonuses.get(c.id) ?? 0 })
+                      : undefined
+                  }
+                />
               </div>
             </div>
           )
@@ -272,6 +287,10 @@ export function ArrangePhase({ view, you, send }: Props) {
           Lock in & battle ⚔️
         </button>
       </div>
+
+      {zoom && (
+        <CardZoom card={zoom.card} bonus={zoom.bonus} onClose={() => setZoom(null)} />
+      )}
     </div>
   )
 }
diff --git a/web/src/components/BattlePhase.tsx b/web/src/components/BattlePhase.tsx
index 75a1c4f..6b430ab 100644
--- a/web/src/components/BattlePhase.tsx
+++ b/web/src/components/BattlePhase.tsx
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
-import { useEffect, useMemo, useState } from 'react'
+import { useEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } from 'react'
 import type { Dispatch, SetStateAction } from 'react'
 import { createPortal } from 'react-dom'
 import type { BattleEvent, Card, ClientMessage, GameView } from '../types'
-import { CardView } from './CardView'
+import { CardView, CardZoom } from './CardView'
 import { DiceRoll, ROLL_MS } from './DiceRoll'
 import { SPEED_OPTIONS, useBattleSpeed } from '../useBattleSpeed'
+import { useMediaQuery } from '../useMediaQuery'
 
 // How long a settled rock roll (and its damage) stays on screen before the
 // battle advances to the next step.
@@ -313,6 +314,25 @@ export function BattlePhase({ view, send, step, setStep }: Props) {
   // paused freezes auto-advance so the player can walk the log manually.
   const [paused, setPaused] = useState(false)
 
+  // Phone tap-to-magnify: tapping a pet/food opens a big readable copy (phones
+  // can't hover to preview). Opening it pauses the replay; closing it resumes
+  // only if the replay was actually playing when we tapped, so a manual pause
+  // (or a finished battle) stays put.
+  const isPhone = useMediaQuery('(max-width: 600px)')
+  const [zoom, setZoom] = useState<{ card: Card; bonus: number; damage: number; dead: boolean } | null>(
+    null,
+  )
+  const resumeAfterZoom = useRef(false)
+  const openZoom = (z: { card: Card; bonus?: number; damage?: number; dead?: boolean }) => {
+    resumeAfterZoom.current = !paused && !done
+    setPaused(true)
+    setZoom({ card: z.card, bonus: z.bonus ?? 0, damage: z.damage ?? 0, dead: !!z.dead })
+  }
+  const closeZoom = () => {
+    setZoom(null)
+    if (resumeAfterZoom.current) setPaused(false)
+  }
+
   // A rock event on screen scrambles its dice first; only once they settle do
   // we apply the damage and reveal the result.
   const showingRock = !done && lastEvent?.type === 'rock'
@@ -485,7 +505,11 @@ export function BattlePhase({ view, send, step, setStep }: Props) {
             }`}
             style={{ zIndex: i + 1 }}
           >
-            <CardView card={f} size="sm" />
+            <CardView
+              card={f}
+              size="sm"
+              onClick={isPhone ? () => openZoom({ card: f }) : undefined}
+            />
           </div>
         ))}
       </div>
@@ -512,6 +536,17 @@ export function BattlePhase({ view, send, step, setStep }: Props) {
               bonus={s.unit.bonus}
               damage={s.unit.damage}
               dead={s.unit.dying}
+              onClick={
+                isPhone
+                  ? () =>
+                      openZoom({
+                        card: s.unit!.card,
+                        bonus: s.unit!.bonus,
+                        damage: s.unit!.damage,
+                        dead: s.unit!.dying,
+                      })
+                  : undefined
+              }
             />
             {(s.unit.spooked > 0 || s.unit.exposed > 0) && (
               <div className="ailment-badges">
@@ -717,6 +752,16 @@ export function BattlePhase({ view, send, step, setStep }: Props) {
           </div>,
           document.body,
         )}
+
+      {zoom && (
+        <CardZoom
+          card={zoom.card}
+          bonus={zoom.bonus}
+          damage={zoom.damage}
+          dead={zoom.dead}
+          onClose={closeZoom}
+        />
+      )}
     </div>
   )
 }
diff --git a/web/src/components/CardView.tsx b/web/src/components/CardView.tsx
index 19b5c42..36bbae0 100644
--- a/web/src/components/CardView.tsx
+++ b/web/src/components/CardView.tsx
@@ -177,6 +177,39 @@ export function CardMagnify({
   )
 }
 
+// CardZoom is the touch-friendly "tap to read" overlay: a big centered copy of
+// a card with a Close button, portaled over everything. Phones have no hover to
+// pop the magnifier, so a tap opens this instead (the shop has its own richer
+// version with Buy/Sell). Battle decorations (buffs, damage, death) ride along
+// so the zoomed card matches what's on the board.
+export function CardZoom({
+  card,
+  bonus = 0,
+  damage = 0,
+  dead,
+  onClose,
+}: {
+  card: Card
+  bonus?: number
+  damage?: number
+  dead?: boolean
+  onClose: () => void
+}) {
+  return createPortal(
+    <div className="modal-backdrop" onClick={onClose}>
+      <div className="card-focus" onClick={(e) => e.stopPropagation()}>
+        <CardView card={card} size="lg" bonus={bonus} damage={damage} dead={dead} preview />
+        <div className="card-focus-actions">
+          <button className="btn btn-ghost" onClick={onClose}>
+            Close
+          </button>
+        </div>
+      </div>
+    </div>,
+    document.body,
+  )
+}
+
 interface Props {
   card: Card
   size?: 'sm' | 'md' | 'lg'
@@ -265,18 +298,27 @@ export function CardView({
         </div>
       </div>
       {/* Lower panel: the suit hat, name, and tier die on one row, the ability
-          beneath — a white card in a rounded green frame. */}
+          beneath — a white card in a rounded green frame. Token cards (apples,
+          ailments) have neither a suit nor a tier, so their name takes the whole
+          row instead of being squeezed between two empty spacer slots (which, on
+          a small battle card, left "Apple" only a few pixels and clipped it). */}
       <div className="card-panel">
-        <div className="card-panel-head">
-          {card.suit ? (
-            <span className={`suit-dot card-suit suit-${card.suit}`} aria-hidden />
-          ) : (
-            <span className="card-panel-slot" aria-hidden />
-          )}
+        <div className={`card-panel-head ${!card.suit && !card.tier ? 'is-bare' : ''}`}>
+          {(card.suit || card.tier) &&
+            (card.suit ? (
+              <span className={`suit-dot card-suit suit-${card.suit}`} aria-hidden />
+            ) : (
+              <span className="card-panel-slot" aria-hidden />
+            ))}
           <span className="card-name" ref={nameRef}>
             {card.name}
           </span>
-          {card.tier ? <TierDie tier={card.tier} /> : <span className="card-panel-slot" aria-hidden />}
+          {(card.suit || card.tier) &&
+            (card.tier ? (
+              <TierDie tier={card.tier} />
+            ) : (
+              <span className="card-panel-slot" aria-hidden />
+            ))}
         </div>
         <div className="card-effect" ref={effectRef}>
           {card.effectText
diff --git a/web/src/styles.css b/web/src/styles.css
index 491dbc3..68bfe41 100644
--- a/web/src/styles.css
+++ b/web/src/styles.css
@@ -1237,6 +1237,14 @@ h3 {
   padding-bottom: 2px;
 }
 
+/* Token cards (apples, ailments) carry no suit dot or tier die, so their name
+   spans the whole row instead of being pinched between two empty spacer slots —
+   on a small battle card that pinch left only a few pixels and clipped the
+   title down to "A". */
+.card-panel-head.is-bare {
+  grid-template-columns: minmax(0, 1fr);
+}
+
 /* The suit marker: a plain enamel dot (see .suit-dot), sized to sit opposite
    the tier die in the name row. */
 .card-suit {
@@ -1402,10 +1410,14 @@ h3 {
   font-size: 0.74rem;
 }
 
+/* Damage marker sits at the bottom-centre of the illustration so it never
+   overlaps the power badge (top-centre) — on a narrow battle card the old
+   top-right spot rode on top of the power and hid it. */
 .card-damage {
   position: absolute;
-  top: 5%;
-  right: 5%;
+  bottom: 4%;
+  left: 50%;
+  transform: translateX(-50%);
   z-index: 3;
   font-family: var(--font-display);
   color: #fff;