diff --git a/src/apps/dashboard/tests/integrated/test_views.py b/src/apps/dashboard/tests/integrated/test_views.py
index f6e1583..bcf305b 100644
--- a/src/apps/dashboard/tests/integrated/test_views.py
+++ b/src/apps/dashboard/tests/integrated/test_views.py
@@ -517,6 +517,34 @@ class KitBagViewTest(TestCase):
             "fa-regular fa-id-badge must be gone from kit-bag-deck",
         )
 
+    def test_no_deck_equipped_renders_placeholder_card_stack_icon(self):
+        """Sprint A.4 follow-up — when the user has no equipped_deck, the
+        kit-bag Deck section renders the same .deck-stack-icon SVG inside a
+        .kit-bag-placeholder wrapper (no fan-out trigger; CSS dims it to
+        --quaUser at 0.3 alpha to match the empty dice slot)."""
+        import lxml.html
+        # Clear the auto-equipped Earthman to land in the placeholder branch.
+        self.user.equipped_deck = None
+        self.user.save(update_fields=["equipped_deck"])
+        response = self.client.get(self.url)
+        parsed = lxml.html.fromstring(response.content)
+        # equipped-deck branch is skipped → placeholder branch fires.
+        self.assertEqual(
+            len(parsed.cssselect(".kit-bag-deck")), 0,
+            "No equipped deck → no .kit-bag-deck wrapper",
+        )
+        placeholders = parsed.cssselect(".kit-bag-section .kit-bag-placeholder")
+        # First placeholder is the Deck slot (Dice + Trinket slots also use
+        # .kit-bag-placeholder when empty); assert at least one carries the
+        # card-stack SVG.
+        deck_placeholder = placeholders[0]
+        [_] = deck_placeholder.cssselect("svg.deck-stack-icon")
+        # Old fa-id-badge must be gone.
+        self.assertEqual(
+            len(deck_placeholder.cssselect("i.fa-id-badge")), 0,
+            "fa-regular fa-id-badge must be gone from kit-bag-placeholder",
+        )
+
     def test_polarized_equipped_deck_tooltip_has_x2_decoration(self):
         """Same (x2) decoration as the gameboard applet — polarized decks
         signal segment-doubling in the tooltip card-count line via --terUser
diff --git a/src/static_src/scss/_gameboard.scss b/src/static_src/scss/_gameboard.scss
index e8d9334..cba5742 100644
--- a/src/static_src/scss/_gameboard.scss
+++ b/src/static_src/scss/_gameboard.scss
@@ -123,16 +123,14 @@ body.page-gameboard {
     .deck-stack-icon__card--3 { transform: translateY( 0.4px); }
 }
 
-// Sprint A.4 — fan-out trigger lives at the icon level (not nested in
-// #id_applet_game_kit) so the same `.deck-stack-icon` works wherever it's
-// dropped: gameboard's .token.deck-variant, kit-bag dialog's .kit-bag-deck,
-// future room.html pile + deck-bag. Hover/active/focus on the icon itself
-// OR any of its known wrappers triggers the splay; cards 2 + 3 fan out from
-// under card 1, card 1 stays put. Tooltip portal is wired to the same
-// `.token:hover` / `.kit-bag-deck:hover` triggers via JS so the splay +
-// tooltip-appearance co-activate.
-.deck-stack-icon:hover,
-.deck-stack-icon:active,
+// Sprint A.4 — fan-out trigger is wrapper-only (NOT self-triggered on the
+// SVG itself) so placeholder-mode icons inside .kit-bag-placeholder stay
+// static + dim like the empty dice slot. Real-deck wrappers (.token.deck-
+// variant on gameboard, .kit-bag-deck in kit-bag dialog, future room.html
+// pile + deck-bag) drive the splay; cards 2 + 3 fan out from under card 1,
+// card 1 stays put. Tooltip portal is wired to the same `.token:hover` /
+// `.kit-bag-deck:hover` triggers via JS so splay + tooltip-appearance
+// co-activate.
 .token.deck-variant:hover .deck-stack-icon,
 .token.deck-variant:active .deck-stack-icon,
 .token.deck-variant:focus .deck-stack-icon,
@@ -143,6 +141,18 @@ body.page-gameboard {
     .deck-stack-icon__card--3 { transform: translate( 5px, -2px) rotate( 12deg); }
 }
 
+// Sprint A.4 — placeholder-mode dim styling. When the icon is inside a
+// .kit-bag-placeholder (no deck equipped) or game_kit applet's empty-state
+// .kit-item (no decks unlocked), color + fill drop to `--quaUser` at 0.3
+// alpha to match the existing empty-slot treatment (`.kit-bag-placeholder`
+// at `_game-kit.scss:143`, `.kit-item { opacity: 0.6 }` here). No animation
+// since the wrapper isn't in the splay-trigger list above.
+.kit-bag-placeholder .deck-stack-icon,
+.kit-item .deck-stack-icon {
+    color: rgba(var(--quaUser), 0.15);
+    .deck-stack-icon__card { fill: rgba(var(--quiUser), 0.15); }
+}
+
 #id_applet_new_game {
     display: flex;
     flex-direction: column;