diff --git a/tools/re-capture/options_draw_capture.sh b/tools/re-capture/options_draw_capture.sh
index 97bff30f..5de24757 100755
--- a/tools/re-capture/options_draw_capture.sh
+++ b/tools/re-capture/options_draw_capture.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,20 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
-# Boot -> first title -> main menu -> OPTIONS, and capture the UI draw order
-# there. OPTIONS is the fourth menu item, so: three d-pad steps down, then (A).
+# Boot -> first title -> main menu -> OPTIONS, and capture the UI draw order and
+# the BLEND STATE there. OPTIONS is the fourth menu item.
+#
+# 🔴 It used to say "so: three d-pad steps down, then (A)" and do exactly that.
+# Counting presses does not work here -- presses get dropped, and a dropped one
+# lands the cursor on TUTORIAL, whose (A) starts the tutorial. Two later attempts
+# to avoid counting were worse: "press until the cursor stops moving" is
+# unreachable on a menu that WRAPS, and an earlier version of it read the same
+# row twice because the first press was lost and pressed (A) on NEW GAME.
+#
+# What works is to use the wrap as the landmark. Press down until the row
+# DECREASES -- that is the wrap, and the cursor is now on item 1 whatever it
+# started on -- then take exactly three verified steps, retrying any press that
+# does not move the cursor. Geometry-free: it needs the row to be monotone in the
+# item, not calibrated, and ring_row.py's ROW0/SPACING are x11grab constants that
+# do not fit a `screenshot` grab (METHOD.md).
 #
 # The recipe for the first two hops is measured, not guessed (see
 # docs/re/canary-scripted-input-traps.md): the title that ENDS THE BOOT accepts a
@@ -26,7 +40,7 @@ until xdotool search --name "Xenia-canary" >/dev/null 2>&1; do
 done
 win="$(xdotool search --name "Xenia-canary" | tail -1)"
 
-deadline=$(( SECONDS + 420 ))
+deadline=$(( SECONDS + ${DEADLINE:-1200} ))
 while [ $SECONDS -lt $deadline ]; do
   s="$(screen)"; echo "t=${SECONDS}s $s"
   [ "$s" = "title" ] && break
@@ -40,8 +54,39 @@ for _ in 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8; do sleep 3; s="$(screen)"; echo "  $s"; [ "$s" = "menu
 shot "$OUT/menu.png"
 [ "$s" = "menu" ] || { echo "NO MENU (screen=$s)"; exit 2; }
 
-echo "-> three d-pad steps down, then A (OPTIONS is the 4th item)"
-for i in 1 2 3; do python3 "$SD/pad.py" dpad down 0.08; sleep 1.2; done
+row(){ shot /tmp/odc_row.png; python3 - <<'PY'
+from PIL import Image
+import sys; sys.path.insert(0,"/work/tools/re-capture")
+import ring_row
+try: print("%.1f" % ring_row.ring_row(Image.open("/tmp/odc_row.png")))
+except Exception: print("nan")
+PY
+}
+down(){ python3 "$SD/pad.py" tap DOWN 0.2; sleep 3; }
+
+echo "-> find the wrap, then take three verified steps to OPTIONS"
+prev="$(row)"; echo "   row $prev"
+wrapped=0
+for _ in $(seq 1 12); do
+  down; cur="$(row)"; echo "   row $cur"
+  if [ "$(python3 -c "print(1 if float('$cur') < float('$prev') - 5 else 0)")" = "1" ]; then
+    wrapped=1; prev="$cur"; break
+  fi
+  prev="$cur"
+done
+[ "$wrapped" = 1 ] || { echo "NEVER SAW THE WRAP -- not pressing (A)"; exit 3; }
+echo "   wrapped to item 1"
+for step in 1 2 3; do
+  ok=0
+  for _ in 1 2 3; do
+    down; cur="$(row)"; echo "   step $step row $cur"
+    if [ "$(python3 -c "print(1 if float('$cur') > float('$prev') + 5 else 0)")" = "1" ]; then
+      ok=1; prev="$cur"; break
+    fi
+    echo "     (press dropped, retrying)"
+  done
+  [ "$ok" = 1 ] || { echo "STEP $step NEVER LANDED -- not pressing (A)"; exit 3; }
+done
 shot "$OUT/menu-on-options.png"
 python3 "$SD/pad.py" tap A 0.3
 sleep 8
@@ -54,4 +99,5 @@ xdotool mousemove 900 400 click 1; sleep 2
 shot "$OUT/options-armed.png"
 ls -l "$OUT"/xenia_re_ui_draws_*.log 2>/dev/null || echo "NO CAPTURE LOG"
 grep -i "UI-CAP" "$OUT/canary.stdout" | tail -3
-echo "OPTIONS CAPTURE DONE (emulator left running)"
+echo "OPTIONS CAPTURE DONE"
+pkill -x xenia_canary 2>/dev/null; sleep 2; echo "emulator killed"