diff --git a/scripts/verify-campaign-save-normalization.mjs b/scripts/verify-campaign-save-normalization.mjs
index a88e6b5..6b89c35 100644
--- a/scripts/verify-campaign-save-normalization.mjs
+++ b/scripts/verify-campaign-save-normalization.mjs
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ try {
     setFirstBattleReport
   } = await server.ssrLoadModule('/src/game/state/campaignState.ts');
   const { battleScenarios } = await server.ssrLoadModule('/src/game/data/battles.ts');
+  const { normalizeSortieFormationAssignments } = await server.ssrLoadModule('/src/game/data/sortieDeployment.ts');
 
   storage.clear();
   const empty = loadCampaignState();
@@ -73,6 +74,35 @@ try {
       cappedLaunchSupplies['unit-96'] === undefined,
     `Expected launch sortie supplies without a roster filter to stay capped: ${JSON.stringify(cappedLaunchSupplies)}`
   );
+  const normalizedLaunchFormation = normalizeSortieFormationAssignments(
+    {
+      'liu-bei': 'front',
+      ' liu-bei ': 'support',
+      'guan-yu': 'flank',
+      'ghost-unit': 'reserve',
+      'zhang-fei': 'broken',
+      ['x'.repeat(97)]: 'front',
+      '': 'front'
+    },
+    new Set(['liu-bei', 'guan-yu'])
+  );
+  assert(
+    normalizedLaunchFormation['liu-bei'] === 'front' &&
+      normalizedLaunchFormation['guan-yu'] === 'flank' &&
+      normalizedLaunchFormation['ghost-unit'] === undefined &&
+      normalizedLaunchFormation['zhang-fei'] === undefined &&
+      normalizedLaunchFormation['x'.repeat(97)] === undefined,
+    `Expected launch sortie formation assignments to trim, filter, and preserve first valid roles: ${JSON.stringify(normalizedLaunchFormation)}`
+  );
+  const cappedLaunchFormation = normalizeSortieFormationAssignments(
+    Object.fromEntries(Array.from({ length: 120 }, (_, index) => [`unit-${index}`, 'front']))
+  );
+  assert(
+    Object.keys(cappedLaunchFormation).length === 96 &&
+      cappedLaunchFormation['unit-95'] === 'front' &&
+      cappedLaunchFormation['unit-96'] === undefined,
+    `Expected launch sortie formation assignments without a roster filter to stay capped: ${JSON.stringify(cappedLaunchFormation)}`
+  );
 
   resetCampaignState();
   const firstScenario = battleScenarios['first-battle-zhuo-commandery'];
diff --git a/src/game/data/sortieDeployment.ts b/src/game/data/sortieDeployment.ts
index e09c0d6..98e9d49 100644
--- a/src/game/data/sortieDeployment.ts
+++ b/src/game/data/sortieDeployment.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@ export type SortieFormationAssignments = Partial<Record<string, SortieFormationR
 
 export const sortieFormationRoles: SortieFormationRole[] = ['front', 'flank', 'support', 'reserve'];
 
+const maxSortieFormationAssignmentUnits = 96;
+const maxSortieFormationUnitIdLength = 96;
+
 export type SortieDeploymentPlanEntry = {
   unitId: string;
   role: SortieFormationRole;
@@ -38,11 +41,30 @@ export function normalizeSortieFormationAssignments(
   assignments?: Record<string, unknown>,
   allowedUnitIds?: Set<string>
 ): SortieFormationAssignments {
-  return Object.fromEntries(
-    Object.entries(assignments ?? {}).filter(([unitId, role]) => {
-      return (!allowedUnitIds || allowedUnitIds.has(unitId)) && isSortieFormationRole(role);
-    })
-  ) as SortieFormationAssignments;
+  return Object.entries(assignments ?? {}).reduce<SortieFormationAssignments>((next, [unitId, role]) => {
+    const normalizedUnitId = normalizeSortieFormationUnitId(unitId);
+    if (
+      !normalizedUnitId ||
+      next[normalizedUnitId] ||
+      (allowedUnitIds && !allowedUnitIds.has(normalizedUnitId)) ||
+      (!allowedUnitIds && Object.keys(next).length >= maxSortieFormationAssignmentUnits) ||
+      !isSortieFormationRole(role)
+    ) {
+      return next;
+    }
+
+    next[normalizedUnitId] = role;
+    return next;
+  }, {});
+}
+
+function normalizeSortieFormationUnitId(value: unknown) {
+  if (typeof value !== 'string') {
+    return '';
+  }
+
+  const text = value.trim();
+  return text.length > 0 && text.length <= maxSortieFormationUnitIdLength ? text : '';
 }
 
 export function createSortieDeploymentPlan(