diff --git a/public/admin.html b/public/admin.html
index 9f7b5d5..b7a4abe 100644
--- a/public/admin.html
+++ b/public/admin.html
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width,initial-scale=1">
 <title>Admin · PolHunter</title>
 <meta name="robots" content="noindex,nofollow">
-<link rel="stylesheet" href="/style.css?v=3">
+<link rel="stylesheet" href="/style.css?v=4">
 <style>
   label{display:block;font-size:12px;color:var(--dim);letter-spacing:.08em;text-transform:uppercase;margin:10px 0 4px}
   input,textarea,select{width:100%;padding:10px 12px;border-radius:10px;border:1px solid var(--edge);background:rgba(0,0,0,.35);color:var(--ink);font:14px var(--font)}
diff --git a/public/app.html b/public/app.html
index f7cfdd7..9ff121d 100644
--- a/public/app.html
+++ b/public/app.html
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width,initial-scale=1">
 <title>Your board · PolHunter</title>
 <meta name="robots" content="noindex">
-<link rel="stylesheet" href="/style.css?v=3">
+<link rel="stylesheet" href="/style.css?v=4">
 </head>
 <body>
 <div class="wrap">
diff --git a/public/img/hero-800.webp b/public/img/hero-800.webp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..72784e9
Binary files /dev/null and b/public/img/hero-800.webp differ
diff --git a/public/img/hero.jpg b/public/img/hero.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ab1a20c
Binary files /dev/null and b/public/img/hero.jpg differ
diff --git a/public/img/hero.webp b/public/img/hero.webp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..efe5b72
Binary files /dev/null and b/public/img/hero.webp differ
diff --git a/public/index.html b/public/index.html
index f7ed3a4..a424951 100644
--- a/public/index.html
+++ b/public/index.html
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width,initial-scale=1">
 <title>PolHunter</title>
 <meta name="description" content="Missions across the network. Visit a site, find the thing, get a drip of POL to your wallet.">
-<link rel="stylesheet" href="/style.css?v=3">
+<link rel="stylesheet" href="/style.css?v=4">
 </head>
 <body>
 <div class="wrap">
@@ -19,7 +19,12 @@
   </header>
 
   <section class="hero">
-    <div>
+    <picture class="hero-art" aria-hidden="true">
+      <source type="image/webp" media="(max-width:820px)" srcset="/img/hero-800.webp">
+      <source type="image/webp" srcset="/img/hero.webp">
+      <img src="/img/hero.jpg" alt="" fetchpriority="high" decoding="async">
+    </picture>
+    <div class="hero-copy">
       <span class="pill"><i></i> Paying in POL on Polygon</span>
       <h1>Visit. Find it.<br><b>Get paid in POL.</b></h1>
       <p>Every mission is a few minutes on one of our sites, one thing to find, and a drip of POL straight to your wallet when you find it. Your code is yours alone, and the hiding place moves.</p>
@@ -27,7 +32,6 @@
       <a class="btn ghost" href="#how" style="margin-left:8px">See how</a>
       <p id="signinNote" style="font-size:13px;color:var(--dim);margin-top:14px;display:none">Sign in with your InstantAdPay account: the button sends you through InstantAdPay and straight back here. No password, no new account.</p>
     </div>
-    <div class="stack" aria-hidden="true"><div class="c c1"></div><div class="c c2"></div><div class="c c3"></div><div class="g"></div></div>
   </section>
 
   <section class="section" id="how">
diff --git a/public/style.css b/public/style.css
index 337ad7f..10c7614 100644
--- a/public/style.css
+++ b/public/style.css
@@ -27,18 +27,16 @@ a{color:var(--pol-hi);text-decoration:none} a:hover{color:var(--gold-hi)}
 .btn.pol{background:linear-gradient(135deg,var(--pol-hi),var(--pol));color:#fff;box-shadow:0 8px 24px rgba(130,71,229,.4)}
 .btn.sm{padding:8px 14px;font-size:13px}
 /* hero */
-.hero{padding:56px 0 30px;display:grid;grid-template-columns:1.15fr .85fr;gap:40px;align-items:center}
+.hero{position:relative;margin:6px calc(50% - 50vw) 12px;padding:0;min-height:600px;display:flex;align-items:center;overflow:hidden;border-top:1px solid var(--edge);border-bottom:1px solid var(--edge)}
+.hero-art{position:absolute;inset:0;z-index:0} .hero-art img{width:100%;height:100%;object-fit:cover;object-position:72% 50%;display:block}
+.hero::before{content:"";position:absolute;inset:0;z-index:1;background:linear-gradient(90deg,rgba(8,6,20,.96) 0%,rgba(8,6,20,.86) 30%,rgba(8,6,20,.42) 56%,rgba(8,6,20,.04) 100%),linear-gradient(180deg,rgba(8,6,20,.5) 0%,transparent 24%,transparent 74%,var(--bg) 100%)}
+.hero-copy{position:relative;z-index:2;max-width:1080px;width:100%;margin:0 auto;padding:78px 20px 88px}
 .hero h1{font-size:clamp(38px,6vw,68px);line-height:1.02;font-weight:800;letter-spacing:-1.5px}
 .hero h1 b{background:linear-gradient(90deg,var(--gold-hi),var(--gold));-webkit-background-clip:text;background-clip:text;color:transparent}
-.hero p{font-size:19px;color:var(--muted);max-width:540px;margin:20px 0 26px}
+.hero p{font-size:19px;color:var(--muted);max-width:520px;margin:20px 0 26px}
+.hero h1,.hero p{text-shadow:0 2px 24px rgba(8,6,20,.9)}
 .pill{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:8px;padding:6px 12px;border-radius:999px;background:var(--glass);border:1px solid var(--edge);color:var(--muted);font-size:12px;letter-spacing:.1em;text-transform:uppercase}
 .pill i{width:8px;height:8px;border-radius:50%;background:var(--ok);box-shadow:0 0 10px var(--ok)}
-.stack{position:relative;height:340px}
-.stack .c{position:absolute;border-radius:50%;background:radial-gradient(circle at 35% 30%,rgba(215,189,255,.95),var(--pol) 50%,var(--pol-deep) 85%);box-shadow:0 20px 60px rgba(130,71,229,.55),inset 0 0 0 2px rgba(255,255,255,.22),inset 0 -18px 30px rgba(0,0,0,.35);animation:float 7s ease-in-out infinite}
-.stack .c::after{content:"";position:absolute;inset:26%;border-radius:50%;border:4px solid rgba(255,255,255,.75);border-right-color:transparent;transform:rotate(-30deg)}
-.stack .c1{width:210px;height:210px;left:8%;top:8%} .stack .c2{width:120px;height:120px;right:10%;top:0;animation-delay:-2s} .stack .c3{width:90px;height:90px;right:22%;bottom:6%;animation-delay:-4s}
-.stack .g{position:absolute;left:0;right:0;bottom:0;height:60px;background:radial-gradient(ellipse at center,rgba(243,190,67,.3),transparent 70%)}
-@keyframes float{0%,100%{transform:translateY(0)}50%{transform:translateY(-12px)}}
 /* cards */
 .grid{display:grid;grid-template-columns:repeat(auto-fit,minmax(260px,1fr));gap:16px}
 .card{background:linear-gradient(180deg,rgba(255,255,255,.06),rgba(255,255,255,.025));border:1px solid var(--edge);border-radius:22px;padding:22px;backdrop-filter:blur(8px);position:relative;overflow:hidden;transition:border-color .2s,transform .2s}
@@ -73,6 +71,6 @@ a{color:var(--pol-hi);text-decoration:none} a:hover{color:var(--gold-hi)}
 .msg{margin-top:10px;font-size:14px} .msg.ok{color:var(--ok)} .msg.bad{color:var(--bad)}
 .foot{padding:40px 0 30px;color:var(--dim);font-size:12.5px;line-height:1.7;border-top:1px solid var(--edge);margin-top:30px}
 .adslot{min-height:90px;display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center;margin:26px 0;color:var(--dim);font-size:12px}
-@media (max-width:820px){.hero{grid-template-columns:1fr;padding-top:34px}.stack{height:240px}.row{grid-template-columns:1fr auto;row-gap:6px}.row .when{grid-column:1/-1;font-size:13px;color:var(--pol-hi)}.adslot{margin:18px -4px}}
+@media (max-width:820px){.hero{min-height:0;margin:0 -20px 6px;border-top:0}.hero-art img{object-position:64% 40%}.hero::before{background:linear-gradient(180deg,rgba(8,6,20,.25) 0%,rgba(8,6,20,.1) 34%,rgba(8,6,20,.82) 58%,var(--bg) 100%)}.hero-copy{padding:250px 20px 36px}.hero p{font-size:16.5px}.row{grid-template-columns:1fr auto;row-gap:6px}.row .when{grid-column:1/-1;font-size:13px;color:var(--pol-hi)}.adslot{margin:18px -4px}}
 /* every drip row carries its blockchain verify link; on phones it sits on its own line (Marty, 2026-09-19) */
 .row a.when{color:var(--pol-hi)} .row a.when:hover{color:var(--gold-hi)}
