diff --git a/.testnet/scenarios/entropy/participant_aligned_smoke.py b/.testnet/scenarios/entropy/participant_aligned_smoke.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7b6d1e0c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.testnet/scenarios/entropy/participant_aligned_smoke.py
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+""":descr: 5/6 validator_quorum, 4/6 participant_aligned (tier 2), recovery
+
+Requires node_count: 6 (see suite.yml) — the smallest NON-degenerate Tier 2
+size. At n=6: tier2 floor = 4, validator quorum = 5, validation quorum = 5. So
+  6/6, 5/6 present -> validator_quorum  (EntropyTier=3)
+  4/6 present      -> participant_aligned (EntropyTier=2, count 4)   <-- the band
+  3/6 present      -> consensus_fallback (EntropyTier=1)
+n=5 has NO tier-2 band (tier2 == quorum == 4), which is why the existing
+degradation smoke at 5 nodes only ever sees tier 3 / fallback.
+
+KEY: the 4/6 window is BELOW the 80% validation quorum (5). The 4 survivors
+keep building ledgers carrying tier-2 entropy, but those ledgers do NOT validate
+until the network recovers — exactly the transition window Tier 2 serves. So we
+confirm tier-2 injection from the cohort's LOGS during the window, then verify
+the on-ledger EntropyTier=2 POST-RECOVERY, once the provisional ledgers become
+canonical and validate (same mechanism the degradation smoke relies on).
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from helpers import require_entropy, get_entropy_tx, assert_participant_aligned
+
+
+async def scenario(ctx, log):
+    await require_entropy(ctx, log)
+
+    # Baseline: healthy 6/6 produces validator_quorum entropy.
+    await ctx.wait_for_ledgers(1, node_id=0, timeout=30)
+
+    # --- 5/6: still validator_quorum (5 present >= quorum 5; validates) ---
+    ctx.stop_node(5)
+    await ctx.wait_for_nodes_down(nodes=[5], timeout=30)
+    await ctx.wait_for_ledgers(1, node_id=0, timeout=30)
+
+    val_5of6 = ctx.validated_ledger_index(0)
+    ce5, _ = get_entropy_tx(ctx, val_5of6)
+    if ce5.get("EntropyTier") != 3:
+        raise AssertionError(
+            f"5/6 ledger {val_5of6}: expected validator_quorum (tier 3), got "
+            f"tier {ce5.get('EntropyTier')} (EntropyCount={ce5.get('EntropyCount')})"
+        )
+    log(f"5/6: validator_quorum at validated seq {val_5of6}")
+
+    # --- 4/6: participant_aligned (Tier 2) degraded window ---
+    # Validation stalls here (4 < 5); the 4 survivors build PROVISIONAL tier-2
+    # ledgers. Confirm injection from the cohort's logs now.
+    ctx.stop_node(4)
+    await ctx.wait_for_nodes_down(nodes=[4], timeout=30)
+
+    # ~12s ≈ 4 rounds at 3s cadence — enough for the transition blip to settle
+    # and several steady 4/6 (tier-2) rounds to close.
+    op = await ctx.sleep(12, name="tier2_window")
+
+    selected_t2 = ctx.search_logs(
+        r"RNG: entropy selected seq=\d+ tier=2 count=4",
+        within=op.window,
+        nodes=[0, 1, 2, 3],
+    )
+    log(f"4/6: 'entropy selected tier=2 count=4' logs: {selected_t2.count}")
+    if selected_t2.count == 0:
+        raise AssertionError(
+            "4/6 window injected no participant_aligned (tier 2) entropy: no "
+            "'RNG: entropy selected ... tier=2 count=4' on the surviving cohort"
+        )
+
+    # 4/6 sits AT the entropy-gate threshold, so the round must NOT take the
+    # impossible/fallback path the sub-floor degradation smoke relies on — this
+    # is what distinguishes the tier-2 band from the tier-1 fallback regime.
+    ctx.assert_not_log(
+        r"reason=impossible-entropy-gate", within=op.window, nodes=[0, 1, 2, 3]
+    )
+
+    # --- Recovery: restart -> the provisional tier-2 ledgers become canonical
+    # and validate, advancing the validated tip past them. ---
+    ctx.start_node(4)
+    ctx.start_node(5)
+    await ctx.wait_for_ledgers(1, node_id=0, timeout=120)
+
+    val_recovered = ctx.validated_ledger_index(0)
+    if not val_recovered or val_recovered <= val_5of6:
+        raise AssertionError(
+            f"Validated ledger did not advance after recovery "
+            f"({val_5of6} -> {val_recovered})"
+        )
+    log(f"Recovered: validated seq {val_5of6} -> {val_recovered}")
+
+    # The 4/6 window's ledgers are now validated. At least one must carry
+    # participant_aligned (tier 2): EntropyTier=2, EntropyCount=4. The range may
+    # also hold a transitional fallback (the count-3 blip) and post-recovery
+    # validator ledgers; the invariant is that the band was reached AND recorded
+    # on-ledger — never silently upgraded to tier 3 with a sub-quorum cohort.
+    tier2_seen = 0
+    for seq in range(val_5of6 + 1, val_recovered + 1):
+        ce, _ = get_entropy_tx(ctx, seq)
+        tier = ce.get("EntropyTier")
+        count = ce.get("EntropyCount", -1)
+        if tier == 2:
+            assert_participant_aligned(ce, seq, expected_count=4)
+            tier2_seen += 1
+        log(f"  ledger {seq}: tier={tier} count={count}")
+
+    if tier2_seen == 0:
+        raise AssertionError(
+            f"No participant_aligned (tier 2) ledger in the recovered range "
+            f"{val_5of6 + 1}..{val_recovered}; tier 2 was injected (logs) but "
+            "not recorded on a validated ledger"
+        )
+    log(f"4/6 entropy: {tier2_seen} participant_aligned ledger(s) validated")
+
+    log("PASS")
diff --git a/.testnet/scenarios/helpers.py b/.testnet/scenarios/helpers.py
index 997ea468c..d98f4c6b5 100644
--- a/.testnet/scenarios/helpers.py
+++ b/.testnet/scenarios/helpers.py
@@ -71,6 +71,36 @@ def entropy_fields(ce_tx):
     return digest, entropy_count, is_fallback
 
 
+def assert_participant_aligned(ce_tx, seq, expected_count=None):
+    """Assert participant_aligned (Tier 2) entropy on a ConsensusEntropy tx.
+
+    Tier 2 is the sub-quorum band: the agreed reveal cohort is >= the
+    participant floor but < the 80% validator quorum, so it carries
+    EntropyTier=2 with a deterministic non-zero digest. NOTE entropy_fields()'s
+    is_fallback lumps tier 2 in with fallback (is_fallback = tier != 3), so the
+    tier must be checked EXPLICITLY here.
+    """
+    digest = ce_tx.get("Digest", "")
+    count = ce_tx.get("EntropyCount", -1)
+    tier = ce_tx.get("EntropyTier", None)
+    if tier != 2:
+        raise AssertionError(
+            f"Ledger {seq}: expected EntropyTier==2 (participant_aligned), "
+            f"got {tier} (EntropyCount={count})"
+        )
+    if not digest or digest == ZERO_DIGEST:
+        raise AssertionError(
+            f"Ledger {seq}: participant_aligned digest must be non-zero, got "
+            f"{digest[:16]}..."
+        )
+    if expected_count is not None and count != expected_count:
+        raise AssertionError(
+            f"Ledger {seq}: participant_aligned EntropyCount must be "
+            f"{expected_count} (the surviving cohort), got {count}"
+        )
+    return digest, count
+
+
 def assert_valid_entropy(ce_tx, seq, seen_digests=None):
     """Assert quorum-met validator entropy. Optionally check uniqueness."""
     digest, entropy_count, is_fallback = entropy_fields(ce_tx)
diff --git a/.testnet/scenarios/suite.yml b/.testnet/scenarios/suite.yml
index 47175f621..d3a99f061 100644
--- a/.testnet/scenarios/suite.yml
+++ b/.testnet/scenarios/suite.yml
@@ -42,4 +42,14 @@ tests:
         LedgerConsensus: trace
         ConsensusExtensions: trace
 
+  # Tier 2 (participant_aligned) needs 6 nodes: n=5 has no band (tier2 ==
+  # quorum). At 6, the 4/6 window is the participant_aligned band.
+  - name: participant_aligned_smoke
+    script: .testnet/scenarios/entropy/participant_aligned_smoke.py
+    network:
+      node_count: 6
+      log_levels:
+        LedgerConsensus: trace
+        ConsensusExtensions: trace
+
   # Export scenarios: see export-suite.yml