diff --git a/tools/verify_layouts.py b/tools/verify_layouts.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6ec1e18
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/verify_layouts.py
@@ -0,0 +1,170 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Verify which module surface masks fit which ship layout grids.
+
+Reads ships.toml and modules.toml, then checks every module footprint
+against every ship layout the same way the game does (all four mask
+rotations, every placement position). Prints three reports:
+
+  1. Fit matrix       — can the footprint be placed on the hull at all?
+  2. Max simultaneous — how many disjoint copies of a footprint fit at
+                        once (only computed for footprints of 4+ cells;
+                        smaller ones would be slow and uninteresting).
+  3. Cell counts      — buildable cells per hull.
+
+Use it after editing layout grids or surface masks to confirm the
+footprint-gating rules in docs/content_design.md still hold, e.g. that
+no 2x2 area exists on s-class hulls or that the drone hangar fits the
+carrier only.
+
+Usage (from the repository root or anywhere else):
+
+    python dota_factory/tools/verify_layouts.py
+    python dota_factory/tools/verify_layouts.py --config-dir path/to/config
+
+By default the config directory is resolved relative to this script
+(../bin/app/data/config). Requires the 'toml' package on Python < 3.11
+(pip install --user toml); on 3.11+ the standard tomllib is used.
+
+The script is informational only — it always exits 0. Read the matrix
+and compare it against the intended gating in docs/content_design.md.
+"""
+
+import argparse
+import os
+
+
+def load_toml(path):
+    try:
+        import tomllib
+        with open(path, "rb") as fh:
+            return tomllib.load(fh)
+    except ImportError:
+        import toml
+        return toml.load(path)
+
+
+def grid_cells(rows):
+    """Set of (x, y) for every 'O' cell in a list of layout/mask strings."""
+    return {(x, y)
+            for y, row in enumerate(rows)
+            for x, ch in enumerate(row)
+            if ch == "O"}
+
+
+def rotate_cw(shape):
+    height = max(y for x, y in shape) + 1
+    return {(height - 1 - y, x) for x, y in shape}
+
+
+def normalize(shape):
+    min_x = min(x for x, y in shape)
+    min_y = min(y for x, y in shape)
+    return frozenset((x - min_x, y - min_y) for x, y in shape)
+
+
+def orientations(shape):
+    """All distinct 90-degree rotations of a shape, normalized to (0, 0)."""
+    result = []
+    current = shape
+    for _ in range(4):
+        norm = normalize(current)
+        if norm not in result:
+            result.append(norm)
+        current = rotate_cw(current)
+    return result
+
+
+def placements(layout, shape):
+    """Every position (in any rotation) where shape fits fully on layout."""
+    found = []
+    layout_w = max(x for x, y in layout) + 1
+    layout_h = max(y for x, y in layout) + 1
+    for orient in orientations(shape):
+        shape_w = max(x for x, y in orient) + 1
+        shape_h = max(y for x, y in orient) + 1
+        for off_x in range(layout_w - shape_w + 1):
+            for off_y in range(layout_h - shape_h + 1):
+                cells = frozenset((x + off_x, y + off_y) for x, y in orient)
+                if cells <= layout and cells not in found:
+                    found.append(cells)
+    return found
+
+
+def max_disjoint(layout, shape):
+    """Maximum number of non-overlapping placements of shape on layout."""
+    options = placements(layout, shape)
+    best = [0]
+
+    def recurse(start_index, used, count):
+        if count > best[0]:
+            best[0] = count
+        for i in range(start_index, len(options)):
+            if not (options[i] & used):
+                recurse(i + 1, used | options[i], count + 1)
+
+    recurse(0, frozenset(), 0)
+    return best[0]
+
+
+def shape_label(shape):
+    width = max(x for x, y in shape) + 1
+    height = max(y for x, y in shape) + 1
+    if len(shape) == width * height:
+        return "{}x{}".format(width, height)
+    return "{}x{}-{}c".format(width, height, len(shape))
+
+
+def main():
+    default_dir = os.path.normpath(os.path.join(
+        os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)),
+        "..", "bin", "app", "data", "config"))
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
+        description="Check module surface masks against ship layout grids.")
+    parser.add_argument("--config-dir", default=default_dir,
+                        help="directory containing ships.toml and modules.toml"
+                             " (default: %(default)s)")
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+
+    ships = load_toml(os.path.join(args.config_dir, "ships.toml"))["ship"]
+    modules = load_toml(os.path.join(args.config_dir, "modules.toml"))["module"]
+
+    layouts = [(s["id"], grid_cells(s["layout"])) for s in ships]
+
+    # Group modules that share the same footprint (up to rotation).
+    footprint_modules = {}  # canonical shape -> [module ids]
+    for module in modules:
+        shape = grid_cells(module["surface_mask"])
+        canonical = min(orientations(shape), key=sorted)
+        footprint_modules.setdefault(canonical, []).append(module["id"])
+    footprints = sorted(footprint_modules.items(), key=lambda e: len(e[0]))
+
+    column_header = "".join("{:>8}".format(ship_id[:7])
+                            for ship_id, _ in layouts)
+
+    print("Fit matrix (YES = at least one placement exists)")
+    print("{:48}{}".format("footprint (modules)", column_header))
+    for shape, module_ids in footprints:
+        name = "{:8}{}".format(shape_label(shape), ", ".join(module_ids))
+        row = "".join("{:>8}".format("YES" if placements(layout, shape) else "-")
+                      for _, layout in layouts)
+        print("{:48}{}".format(name[:47], row))
+
+    print()
+    print("Max simultaneous (disjoint) placements, footprints of 4+ cells")
+    print("{:48}{}".format("footprint (modules)", column_header))
+    for shape, module_ids in footprints:
+        if len(shape) < 4:
+            continue
+        name = "{:8}{}".format(shape_label(shape), ", ".join(module_ids))
+        row = "".join("{:>8}".format(max_disjoint(layout, shape))
+                      for _, layout in layouts)
+        print("{:48}{}".format(name[:47], row))
+
+    print()
+    print("Buildable cells per hull")
+    for ship_id, layout in layouts:
+        print("{:16}{}".format(ship_id, len(layout)))
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()
diff --git a/tools/verify_recipes.py b/tools/verify_recipes.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fbeb821
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/verify_recipes.py
@@ -0,0 +1,132 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Verify the recipe tree is closed and consistent.
+
+Reads recipes.toml, ships.toml, modules.toml, and visuals.toml, then checks:
+
+  1. Producers — every item consumed anywhere (recipe inputs, ship hull
+     materials, module materials) is produced by some recipe. 'scrap' is
+     exempt: it drops from destroyed ships.
+  2. Visuals — every item that exists in the economy has an [items.*]
+     entry in visuals.toml, and visuals.toml has no entries for items
+     that no longer exist.
+  3. Orphans — items that are produced but never consumed (warning only;
+     'building_block' is exempt: the HQ consumes it).
+
+It also prints which items are obtainable ONLY through reprocessing —
+the combat-gated materials — so changes to that gate are visible.
+
+Usage (from the repository root or anywhere else):
+
+    python dota_factory/tools/verify_recipes.py
+    python dota_factory/tools/verify_recipes.py --config-dir path/to/config
+
+By default the config directory is resolved relative to this script
+(../bin/app/data/config). Requires the 'toml' package on Python < 3.11
+(pip install --user toml); on 3.11+ the standard tomllib is used.
+
+Exits 1 if a producer or visuals check fails, 0 otherwise (warnings do
+not affect the exit code).
+"""
+
+import argparse
+import os
+import sys
+
+
+WORLD_SOURCED_ITEMS = {"scrap"}        # dropped by destroyed ships
+IMPLICITLY_CONSUMED_ITEMS = {"building_block"}  # consumed by the HQ
+
+
+def load_toml(path):
+    try:
+        import tomllib
+        with open(path, "rb") as fh:
+            return tomllib.load(fh)
+    except ImportError:
+        import toml
+        return toml.load(path)
+
+
+def main():
+    default_dir = os.path.normpath(os.path.join(
+        os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)),
+        "..", "bin", "app", "data", "config"))
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
+        description="Check recipe tree consistency across the config files.")
+    parser.add_argument("--config-dir", default=default_dir,
+                        help="directory containing the config toml files"
+                             " (default: %(default)s)")
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+
+    recipes = load_toml(os.path.join(args.config_dir, "recipes.toml"))["recipe"]
+    ships = load_toml(os.path.join(args.config_dir, "ships.toml"))["ship"]
+    modules = load_toml(os.path.join(args.config_dir, "modules.toml"))["module"]
+    visuals = load_toml(os.path.join(args.config_dir, "visuals.toml"))
+
+    produced = {}   # item id -> [producer descriptions]
+    consumed = {}   # item id -> [consumer descriptions]
+
+    for recipe in recipes:
+        for output in recipe.get("outputs", []):
+            produced.setdefault(output["item"], []).append(
+                "recipe '{}'".format(recipe["id"]))
+        for inp in recipe.get("inputs", []):
+            consumed.setdefault(inp["item"], []).append(
+                "recipe '{}'".format(recipe["id"]))
+
+    for ship in ships:
+        for material in ship["schematic"]["materials"]:
+            consumed.setdefault(material["item"], []).append(
+                "ship '{}'".format(ship["id"]))
+
+    for module in modules:
+        for material in module["materials"]:
+            consumed.setdefault(material["item"], []).append(
+                "module '{}'".format(module["id"]))
+
+    all_items = set(produced) | set(consumed) | WORLD_SOURCED_ITEMS
+    visual_items = set(visuals.get("items", {}))
+
+    errors = []
+    warnings = []
+
+    for item in sorted(consumed):
+        if item not in produced and item not in WORLD_SOURCED_ITEMS:
+            errors.append("no producer for '{}' (consumed by {})".format(
+                item, ", ".join(sorted(set(consumed[item])))))
+
+    for item in sorted(all_items - visual_items):
+        errors.append("no [items.{}] entry in visuals.toml".format(item))
+    for item in sorted(visual_items - all_items):
+        warnings.append("visuals.toml entry [items.{}] matches no known item"
+                        .format(item))
+
+    for item in sorted(produced):
+        if item not in consumed and item not in IMPLICITLY_CONSUMED_ITEMS:
+            warnings.append("'{}' is produced but never consumed (by {})"
+                            .format(item, ", ".join(sorted(set(produced[item])))))
+
+    reprocessing_only = sorted(
+        item for item, producers in produced.items()
+        if all("reprocessing" in p for p in producers))
+
+    print("{} items, {} recipes, {} ships, {} modules".format(
+        len(all_items), len(recipes), len(ships), len(modules)))
+    print("obtainable only via reprocessing: {}".format(
+        ", ".join(reprocessing_only) if reprocessing_only else "(none)"))
+    print()
+
+    for warning in warnings:
+        print("WARNING: {}".format(warning))
+    for error in errors:
+        print("ERROR: {}".format(error))
+    if not errors and not warnings:
+        print("all checks passed")
+    elif not errors:
+        print("no errors")
+
+    return 1 if errors else 0
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    sys.exit(main())