diff --git a/Assets/_Project/Scripts/Authoring/Combat/AbilityDatabaseAuthoring.cs b/Assets/_Project/Scripts/Authoring/Combat/AbilityDatabaseAuthoring.cs
index cee311511..295529497 100644
--- a/Assets/_Project/Scripts/Authoring/Combat/AbilityDatabaseAuthoring.cs
+++ b/Assets/_Project/Scripts/Authoring/Combat/AbilityDatabaseAuthoring.cs
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ namespace ProjectM.Authoring
                         ProjectileSpeed = def.ProjectileSpeed,
                         Range = def.Range,
                         AutoTargetRange = def.AutoTargetRange,
+                        Archetype = (byte)def.Archetype,
                         AutoTargetConeRadians = math.radians(def.AutoTargetConeDegrees),
                         CooldownTicks = def.CooldownTicks,
                         Name = def.DisplayName,
diff --git a/Assets/_Project/Scripts/Authoring/Combat/AbilityDefinition.cs b/Assets/_Project/Scripts/Authoring/Combat/AbilityDefinition.cs
index d56ca909e..c66ecf6a3 100644
--- a/Assets/_Project/Scripts/Authoring/Combat/AbilityDefinition.cs
+++ b/Assets/_Project/Scripts/Authoring/Combat/AbilityDefinition.cs
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ namespace ProjectM.Authoring
     public class AbilityDefinition : ScriptableObject
     {
         public AbilityId Id = AbilityId.Primary;
+        [Tooltip("Ability kind for the fire-dispatch. Only Projectile is wired today; the rest are the MC-6 spike.")]
+        public AbilityArchetype Archetype = AbilityArchetype.Projectile;
         public string DisplayName = "Ability";
 
         [Header("Combat")]
diff --git a/Assets/_Project/Scripts/Simulation/Combat/AbilityDatabaseBlob.cs b/Assets/_Project/Scripts/Simulation/Combat/AbilityDatabaseBlob.cs
index fb6cec2ac..64dfec962 100644
--- a/Assets/_Project/Scripts/Simulation/Combat/AbilityDatabaseBlob.cs
+++ b/Assets/_Project/Scripts/Simulation/Combat/AbilityDatabaseBlob.cs
@@ -3,10 +3,21 @@ using Unity.Entities;
 
 namespace ProjectM.Simulation
 {
+    /// <summary>Ability KIND for the AbilityFireSystem dispatch (MC-4 spike for MC-6). Backed by <c>byte</c> so the
+    /// baked blob stores a byte (the Burst cross-assembly enum rule); the runtime switch compares the byte value.</summary>
+    public enum AbilityArchetype : byte
+    {
+        Projectile = 0, // today's path: spawn a projectile ghost
+        Hitscan = 1,    // MC-6
+        Cone = 2,       // MC-6 (melee-style cone via the ability system)
+        Aoe = 3,        // MC-6
+    }
+
     /// <summary>One authored ability definition, baked immutable into the AbilityDatabase blob.</summary>
     public struct AbilityDefBlob
     {
         public byte Id; // AbilityId
+        public byte Archetype; // AbilityArchetype (0 = Projectile); read at dispatch in AbilityFireSystem (MC-6 spike)
         public float Damage;
         public float ProjectileSpeed;
         public float Range;
diff --git a/Assets/_Project/Scripts/Simulation/Combat/AbilityFireSystem.cs b/Assets/_Project/Scripts/Simulation/Combat/AbilityFireSystem.cs
index 8fb148cdb..4b1545a76 100644
--- a/Assets/_Project/Scripts/Simulation/Combat/AbilityFireSystem.cs
+++ b/Assets/_Project/Scripts/Simulation/Combat/AbilityFireSystem.cs
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ namespace ProjectM.Simulation
             // Per-ability projectile ghost prefabs live on the AbilityDatabase singleton's companion buffer.
             var dbEntity = SystemAPI.GetSingletonEntity<AbilityDatabase>();
             var abilityPrefabs = SystemAPI.GetBuffer<AbilityPrefabElement>(dbEntity);
+            var abilityDb = SystemAPI.GetSingleton<AbilityDatabase>();
 
             bool isServer = state.WorldUnmanaged.IsServer();
 
@@ -99,6 +100,14 @@ namespace ProjectM.Simulation
                         continue; // still cooling down
                 }
 
+                // MC-4 spike for MC-6: dispatch on the authored ability ARCHETYPE byte (baked in the blob, read here -- NOT
+                // folded through EffectiveAbilityStats; it is static identity, not a tunable stat). All current
+                // abilities are Projectile (0); hitscan/cone/aoe archetypes plug in at this point in MC-6.
+                ref var adb = ref abilityDb.Value.Value;
+                byte archetype = adb.TryGetAbility(abilityRef.ValueRO.Id, out var adef) ? adef.Archetype : (byte)AbilityArchetype.Projectile;
+                if (archetype != (byte)AbilityArchetype.Projectile)
+                    continue;
+
                 // Resolve the projectile ghost prefab for this player's selected ability id.
                 Entity prefab = Entity.Null;
                 for (int i = 0; i < abilityPrefabs.Length; i++)