diff --git a/.githooks/pre-push b/.githooks/pre-push
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..cc14b17
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.githooks/pre-push
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# .githooks/pre-push — invokes preflight.sh (A/B/C/D=build).
+exec scripts/preflight.sh
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 26fb2a6..abb8b73 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 .envrc
 !.env.example
 .vscode/
-scripts/
+scripts/setup-dev-env.sh
 
 # Local test project (stays out of the published plugin repo;
 # pure-function safety net for refactor cycles)
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index dd39b67..7de7a9e 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -145,3 +145,19 @@ I respond on weekdays during European business hours and take weekends
 and FFXIV patch days off. A pull request that sits for a few days has
 not been ignored. Pinging once after a week is fine; please do not
 ping daily.
+
+## First-time setup
+
+After cloning, run once:
+
+```bash
+./scripts/setup-hooks.sh
+```
+
+This wires `core.hooksPath` to `.githooks/`. The pre-push hook runs preflight
+(versions/manifest/changelog/build).
+
+### Test suite
+
+The plugin's test suite lives in a separate local repository and is not part of
+this codebase. If you need access for development, contact the maintainer.
diff --git a/scripts/preflight.sh b/scripts/preflight.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..adc53bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/preflight.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# preflight.sh — pre-push gate. Blocks A/B/C verify config drift; Block D is a
+# headless `dotnet build` to catch compile-time API drift. Test execution lives
+# in the local Build-Suite repo and is NOT part of this preflight.
+
+set -euo pipefail
+ROOT="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")/.." && pwd)"
+cd "$ROOT"
+
+echo "==> preflight: Block A — version consistency"
+./scripts/verify-version-consistency.sh
+
+echo "==> preflight: Block B — manifest shape"
+./scripts/verify-manifest-shape.sh
+
+echo "==> preflight: Block C — changelog sync"
+./scripts/verify-changelog-sync.sh
+
+echo "==> preflight: Block D — plugin compile health"
+dotnet build HellionChat/HellionChat.csproj --configuration Release --nologo --verbosity quiet
+
+echo "==> preflight: ALL GREEN"
diff --git a/scripts/setup-hooks.sh b/scripts/setup-hooks.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..1f79667
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/setup-hooks.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# setup-hooks.sh — installs pre-push hook via core.hooksPath. Idempotent.
+# Note: NO pre-commit hook — test execution is local-only in the Build-Suite repo,
+# so the plugin repo's pre-commit cannot run tests. Versions/manifest/changelog
+# checks happen on pre-push only.
+
+set -euo pipefail
+ROOT="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")/.." && pwd)"
+cd "$ROOT"
+
+git config core.hooksPath .githooks
+chmod +x .githooks/pre-push
+echo "setup-hooks: core.hooksPath set to .githooks. pre-push live."
diff --git a/scripts/verify-changelog-sync.sh b/scripts/verify-changelog-sync.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..e8fadd8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/verify-changelog-sync.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# verify-changelog-sync.sh — Block C.
+# Strips .0 suffix from repo.json AssemblyVersion to derive the 3-digit tag/version.
+# yaml.changelog is a single multi-line block with **Hellion Chat X.Y.Z** subblocks.
+
+set -euo pipefail
+ROOT="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")/.." && pwd)"
+
+YAML="$ROOT/HellionChat/HellionChat.yaml"
+REPO_JSON="$ROOT/repo.json"
+FORGE_DIR="$ROOT/.github/forge-posts"
+
+fail() { echo "verify-changelog-sync: FAIL — $1" >&2; exit 1; }
+ok()   { echo "verify-changelog-sync: OK — $1"; }
+
+VER="$(jq -r '.[0].AssemblyVersion' "$REPO_JSON" | sed -E 's/\.0$//')"
+TAG="v$VER"
+
+grep -qE "^[[:space:]]*\*\*Hellion Chat ${VER}" "$YAML" \
+  || fail "$YAML changelog missing **Hellion Chat ${VER}** subblock. Fix: add the v${VER} block at the top of the changelog field."
+
+jq -r '.[0].Changelog' "$REPO_JSON" | grep -qE "^[[:space:]]*\*\*Hellion Chat ${VER}" \
+  || fail "$REPO_JSON Changelog missing **Hellion Chat ${VER}** subblock. Fix: copy the yaml changelog over."
+
+FORGE_FILE="$FORGE_DIR/${TAG}.md"
+[ -f "$FORGE_FILE" ] || fail "$FORGE_FILE missing. Fix: create from previous tag's file as template."
+
+SUBTITLE="$(awk '/^---$/{f=!f; next} f && /^subtitle:/' "$FORGE_FILE" | sed -E 's/^subtitle:[[:space:]]*//' | tr -d '\"')"
+[ -n "$SUBTITLE" ] || fail "$FORGE_FILE frontmatter missing 'subtitle'."
+[ "${#SUBTITLE}" -le 60 ] || fail "$FORGE_FILE subtitle is ${#SUBTITLE} chars (max 60)."
+
+NATUR="$(awk '/^---$/{f=!f; next} f && /^versionsnatur:/' "$FORGE_FILE" | sed -E 's/^versionsnatur:[[:space:]]*//' | tr -d '\"')"
+[ -n "$NATUR" ] || fail "$FORGE_FILE frontmatter missing 'versionsnatur'."
+[ "${#NATUR}" -le 40 ] || fail "$FORGE_FILE versionsnatur is ${#NATUR} chars (max 40)."
+
+BODY="$(awk '/^---$/{f++; next} f==2' "$FORGE_FILE")"
+TITLE_LEN=$((${#VER} + 16 + ${#SUBTITLE}))
+FOOTER_LEN=80
+TOTAL=$((TITLE_LEN + ${#BODY} + FOOTER_LEN))
+[ "$TOTAL" -le 5500 ] || fail "Forge embed total ~${TOTAL} chars > 5500 cap."
+
+YAML_VERSIONS="$(grep -cE '^[[:space:]]*\*\*Hellion Chat' "$YAML" || true)"
+[ "$YAML_VERSIONS" -le 4 ] || fail "$YAML changelog has $YAML_VERSIONS version subblocks (max 4). Fix: move oldest to docs/CHANGELOG.md."
+
+ok "yaml/repo.json/forge-post in sync for $TAG, embed-total ~${TOTAL}/5500, $YAML_VERSIONS/4 subblocks"
diff --git a/scripts/verify-manifest-shape.sh b/scripts/verify-manifest-shape.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..49545bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/verify-manifest-shape.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# verify-manifest-shape.sh — Block B. Required fields in lowercase yaml,
+# DalamudApiLevel sanity in repo.json, no own DalamudPackager.targets,
+# Icon AND every ImageUrl reachable.
+
+set -euo pipefail
+ROOT="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")/.." && pwd)"
+
+YAML="$ROOT/HellionChat/HellionChat.yaml"
+REPO_JSON="$ROOT/repo.json"
+TARGETS_OWN="$ROOT/HellionChat/DalamudPackager.targets"
+
+fail() { echo "verify-manifest-shape: FAIL — $1" >&2; exit 1; }
+ok()   { echo "verify-manifest-shape: OK — $1"; }
+
+for FIELD in name author punchline description repo_url icon_url image_urls tags changelog; do
+  grep -qE "^${FIELD}:" "$YAML" || fail "$YAML missing required field: $FIELD"
+done
+
+[ -f "$TARGETS_OWN" ] && fail "Own DalamudPackager.targets at $TARGETS_OWN strips Icon/ImageUrls. DELETE it; SDK default works."
+
+API_LEVEL="$(jq -r '.[0].DalamudApiLevel' "$REPO_JSON")"
+case "$API_LEVEL" in
+  ''|null) fail "$REPO_JSON missing DalamudApiLevel" ;;
+esac
+[[ "$API_LEVEL" =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]] || fail "$REPO_JSON DalamudApiLevel must be integer, got: $API_LEVEL"
+[ "$API_LEVEL" -ge 12 ] || fail "$REPO_JSON DalamudApiLevel=$API_LEVEL is below SDK 15 floor (12)."
+
+if [ "${HOOKS_OFFLINE:-0}" != "1" ]; then
+  ICON_URL="$(jq -r '.[0].IconUrl' "$REPO_JSON")"
+  curl -fsI "$ICON_URL" > /dev/null || fail "IconUrl unreachable: $ICON_URL"
+  ok "IconUrl reachable: $ICON_URL"
+
+  COUNT="$(jq -r '.[0].ImageUrls | length' "$REPO_JSON")"
+  [ "$COUNT" -ge 1 ] || fail "repo.json ImageUrls is empty"
+  for i in $(seq 0 $((COUNT - 1))); do
+    URL="$(jq -r ".[0].ImageUrls[$i]" "$REPO_JSON")"
+    curl -fsI "$URL" > /dev/null || fail "ImageUrls[$i] unreachable: $URL"
+  done
+  ok "$COUNT ImageUrl(s) reachable, DalamudApiLevel=$API_LEVEL"
+else
+  ok "skipped URL reachability (HOOKS_OFFLINE=1), DalamudApiLevel=$API_LEVEL"
+fi
diff --git a/scripts/verify-version-consistency.sh b/scripts/verify-version-consistency.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..c0b2ae7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/verify-version-consistency.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# verify-version-consistency.sh — Block A of preflight.
+# csproj <Version> is 3-digit SemVer; repo.json AssemblyVersion is 4-digit (.0 suffix).
+
+set -euo pipefail
+ROOT="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")/.." && pwd)"
+
+CSPROJ="$ROOT/HellionChat/HellionChat.csproj"
+REPO_JSON="$ROOT/repo.json"
+
+fail() { echo "verify-version-consistency: FAIL — $1" >&2; exit 1; }
+ok()   { echo "verify-version-consistency: OK — $1"; }
+
+CSPROJ_VER="$(grep -oE '<Version>[^<]+</Version>' "$CSPROJ" | head -1 | sed -E 's/<[^>]+>//g')"
+[ -n "$CSPROJ_VER" ] || fail "$CSPROJ has no <Version> element"
+
+EXPECTED_4DIGIT="${CSPROJ_VER}.0"
+
+REPO_VER="$(jq -r '.[0].AssemblyVersion' "$REPO_JSON")"
+[ "$REPO_VER" = "$EXPECTED_4DIGIT" ] \
+  || fail "csproj=$CSPROJ_VER expects repo.json AssemblyVersion=$EXPECTED_4DIGIT but got $REPO_VER. Fix: align in $REPO_JSON."
+
+TEST_VER="$(jq -r '.[0].TestingAssemblyVersion' "$REPO_JSON")"
+[ "$TEST_VER" = "$EXPECTED_4DIGIT" ] \
+  || fail "TestingAssemblyVersion=$TEST_VER must match $EXPECTED_4DIGIT. Fix: align in $REPO_JSON."
+
+TAG="v$CSPROJ_VER"
+for KEY in DownloadLinkInstall DownloadLinkUpdate DownloadLinkTesting; do
+  URL="$(jq -r ".[0].$KEY" "$REPO_JSON")"
+  case "$URL" in
+    *"/$TAG/"*) ;;
+    *) fail "$KEY=$URL does not contain tag $TAG. Fix: update $REPO_JSON $KEY to releases/download/$TAG/latest.zip." ;;
+  esac
+done
+
+ok "csproj=$CSPROJ_VER, repo.json=$EXPECTED_4DIGIT, tag $TAG present in DownloadLinks"