diff --git a/CUSTOM_CREATURES.md b/CUSTOM_CREATURES.md
index c04994f..76edba2 100644
--- a/CUSTOM_CREATURES.md
+++ b/CUSTOM_CREATURES.md
@@ -27,7 +27,8 @@
 
 При обычном запуске `tool.exe`, `run.ps1` или `deploy.ps1` сборщик:
 
-1. читает manifest каждой модели и добавляет все зависимости в `patch-Z.MPQ`;
+1. читает manifest каждой модели и размещает retail M2 со всеми зависимостями в loose-каталоге
+   `Data/Patch-WXL.MPQ`, чтобы WarcraftXL всегда преобразовывал MD21 до загрузки клиентом;
 2. генерирует `WXLFileData.csv` для WarcraftXL;
 3. дописывает модели в `CreatureModelData.dbc` и `CreatureDisplayInfo.dbc`;
 4. сохраняет стабильные ID в `custom-creatures.lock.json`;
diff --git a/deploy.ps1 b/deploy.ps1
index 7e47f14..151d756 100644
--- a/deploy.ps1
+++ b/deploy.ps1
@@ -76,11 +76,12 @@ New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $PackagePath -Force | Out-Null
 if (-not $SkipDataBuild) {
     Write-Host '[2/5] Building MPQ patches...'
     $tool = Join-Path $repoRoot 'tool\target\release\tool.exe'
-    if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $tool -PathType Leaf)) {
-        $cargo = Get-Command cargo -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
-        if (-not $cargo) { throw 'Cargo was not found and the MPQ builder is not compiled.' }
+    $cargo = Get-Command cargo -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
+    if ($cargo) {
         & $cargo.Source build --release --manifest-path (Join-Path $repoRoot 'tool\Cargo.toml')
         if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { throw 'MPQ builder compilation failed.' }
+    } elseif (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $tool -PathType Leaf)) {
+        throw 'Cargo was not found and the MPQ builder is not compiled.'
     }
 
     & $tool (Join-Path $repoRoot 'src') $PackagePath
diff --git a/tool/src/main.rs b/tool/src/main.rs
index efcf911..e55e57b 100644
--- a/tool/src/main.rs
+++ b/tool/src/main.rs
@@ -43,13 +43,21 @@ fn build_mpq(
         .default_compression(flags::ZLIB)
         .listfile_option(ListfileOption::Generate);
 
-    let mut archive_names = std::collections::HashSet::new();
+    let loose_sources: std::collections::HashSet<PathBuf> = creatures
+        .into_iter()
+        .flat_map(|generated| generated.assets.iter())
+        .filter_map(|(source, _)| source.canonicalize().ok())
+        .collect();
+
     for entry in WalkDir::new(&base)
         .into_iter()
         .filter_map(|e| e.ok())
         .filter(|e| e.file_type().is_file())
     {
         let full_path = entry.path().canonicalize()?;
+        if loose_sources.contains(&full_path) {
+            continue;
+        }
         let rel_path = match full_path.strip_prefix(&base) {
             Ok(p) => p,
             Err(_) => {
@@ -62,17 +70,10 @@ fn build_mpq(
             continue;
         }
         println!("  Adding: {}", archive_path);
-        archive_names.insert(archive_path.to_ascii_lowercase());
         builder = builder.add_file(&full_path, &archive_path);
     }
 
     if let Some(generated) = creatures {
-        for (source, archive_path) in &generated.assets {
-            if archive_names.insert(archive_path.to_ascii_lowercase()) {
-                println!("  Adding generated creature asset: {}", archive_path);
-                builder = builder.add_file(source, archive_path);
-            }
-        }
         println!("  Adding generated: WXLFileData.csv");
         builder = builder.add_file_data(generated.file_data_csv.clone(), "WXLFileData.csv");
         println!("  Adding generated: WXLSpellOverrides.tsv");
@@ -94,6 +95,22 @@ fn build_mpq(
     Ok(())
 }
 
+fn stage_loose_assets(
+    output_dir: &Path,
+    creatures: &GeneratedCreatures,
+) -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>> {
+    let loose_root = output_dir.join("Data").join("Patch-WXL.MPQ");
+    for (source, archive_path) in &creatures.assets {
+        let destination = loose_root.join(archive_path.replace('/', "\\"));
+        if let Some(parent) = destination.parent() {
+            fs::create_dir_all(parent)?;
+        }
+        fs::copy(source, &destination)?;
+        println!("Staging loose modern asset: {}", archive_path);
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>> {
     let args: Vec<String> = env::args().collect();
 
@@ -114,6 +131,10 @@ fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>> {
         .to_path_buf();
     let generated_creatures = creatures::prepare(&project_root)?;
 
+    if let Some(generated) = generated_creatures.as_ref() {
+        stage_loose_assets(&output_dir, generated)?;
+    }
+
     let data_dir = src_dir.join("Data");
     if !data_dir.exists() {
         return Err(format!("Data/ not found inside src_dir: {}", src_dir.display()).into());