diff --git a/include/rendering/m2_renderer.hpp b/include/rendering/m2_renderer.hpp
index 5db00014..97c4fde8 100644
--- a/include/rendering/m2_renderer.hpp
+++ b/include/rendering/m2_renderer.hpp
@@ -394,11 +394,16 @@ private:
     // Vulkan context
     VkContext* vkCtx_ = nullptr;
 
-    // Vulkan pipelines (one per blend mode)
+    // Vulkan pipelines — two-sided (VK_CULL_MODE_NONE) variants
     VkPipeline opaquePipeline_ = VK_NULL_HANDLE;       // blend mode 0
     VkPipeline alphaTestPipeline_ = VK_NULL_HANDLE;     // blend mode 1
     VkPipeline alphaPipeline_ = VK_NULL_HANDLE;         // blend mode 2
     VkPipeline additivePipeline_ = VK_NULL_HANDLE;      // blend mode 3+
+    // Backface-culled variants for one-sided materials (materialFlags & 0x04 == 0)
+    VkPipeline opaqueCulledPipeline_ = VK_NULL_HANDLE;
+    VkPipeline alphaTestCulledPipeline_ = VK_NULL_HANDLE;
+    VkPipeline alphaCulledPipeline_ = VK_NULL_HANDLE;
+    VkPipeline additiveCulledPipeline_ = VK_NULL_HANDLE;
     VkPipelineLayout pipelineLayout_ = VK_NULL_HANDLE;
 
     // Shadow rendering (Phase 7)
diff --git a/src/rendering/m2_renderer.cpp b/src/rendering/m2_renderer.cpp
index 5281aad6..2351fa63 100644
--- a/src/rendering/m2_renderer.cpp
+++ b/src/rendering/m2_renderer.cpp
@@ -570,13 +570,14 @@ bool M2Renderer::initialize(VkContext* ctx, VkDescriptorSetLayout perFrameLayout
 
     // Pipeline derivatives — opaque is the base, others derive from it for shared state optimization
     auto buildM2Pipeline = [&](VkPipelineColorBlendAttachmentState blendState, bool depthWrite,
+                               VkCullModeFlags cullMode = VK_CULL_MODE_NONE,
                                VkPipelineCreateFlags flags = 0, VkPipeline basePipeline = VK_NULL_HANDLE) -> VkPipeline {
         return PipelineBuilder()
             .setShaders(m2Vert.stageInfo(VK_SHADER_STAGE_VERTEX_BIT),
                         m2Frag.stageInfo(VK_SHADER_STAGE_FRAGMENT_BIT))
             .setVertexInput({m2Binding}, m2Attrs)
             .setTopology(VK_PRIMITIVE_TOPOLOGY_TRIANGLE_LIST)
-            .setRasterization(VK_POLYGON_MODE_FILL, VK_CULL_MODE_NONE)
+            .setRasterization(VK_POLYGON_MODE_FILL, cullMode)
             .setDepthTest(true, depthWrite, VK_COMPARE_OP_LESS_OR_EQUAL)
             .setColorBlendAttachment(blendState)
             .setMultisample(vkCtx_->getMsaaSamples())
@@ -588,15 +589,26 @@ bool M2Renderer::initialize(VkContext* ctx, VkDescriptorSetLayout perFrameLayout
             .build(device, vkCtx_->getPipelineCache());
     };
 
-    opaquePipeline_ = buildM2Pipeline(PipelineBuilder::blendDisabled(), true,
+    // Two-sided pipelines (VK_CULL_MODE_NONE) — for materials with TwoSided flag (0x04)
+    opaquePipeline_ = buildM2Pipeline(PipelineBuilder::blendDisabled(), true, VK_CULL_MODE_NONE,
                                       VK_PIPELINE_CREATE_ALLOW_DERIVATIVES_BIT);
-    alphaTestPipeline_ = buildM2Pipeline(PipelineBuilder::blendAlpha(), true,
+    alphaTestPipeline_ = buildM2Pipeline(PipelineBuilder::blendAlpha(), true, VK_CULL_MODE_NONE,
                                          VK_PIPELINE_CREATE_DERIVATIVE_BIT, opaquePipeline_);
-    alphaPipeline_ = buildM2Pipeline(PipelineBuilder::blendAlpha(), false,
+    alphaPipeline_ = buildM2Pipeline(PipelineBuilder::blendAlpha(), false, VK_CULL_MODE_NONE,
                                      VK_PIPELINE_CREATE_DERIVATIVE_BIT, opaquePipeline_);
-    additivePipeline_ = buildM2Pipeline(PipelineBuilder::blendAdditive(), false,
+    additivePipeline_ = buildM2Pipeline(PipelineBuilder::blendAdditive(), false, VK_CULL_MODE_NONE,
                                         VK_PIPELINE_CREATE_DERIVATIVE_BIT, opaquePipeline_);
 
+    // Backface-culled pipelines — default for one-sided materials
+    opaqueCulledPipeline_ = buildM2Pipeline(PipelineBuilder::blendDisabled(), true, VK_CULL_MODE_BACK_BIT,
+                                            VK_PIPELINE_CREATE_ALLOW_DERIVATIVES_BIT);
+    alphaTestCulledPipeline_ = buildM2Pipeline(PipelineBuilder::blendAlpha(), true, VK_CULL_MODE_BACK_BIT,
+                                               VK_PIPELINE_CREATE_DERIVATIVE_BIT, opaqueCulledPipeline_);
+    alphaCulledPipeline_ = buildM2Pipeline(PipelineBuilder::blendAlpha(), false, VK_CULL_MODE_BACK_BIT,
+                                           VK_PIPELINE_CREATE_DERIVATIVE_BIT, opaqueCulledPipeline_);
+    additiveCulledPipeline_ = buildM2Pipeline(PipelineBuilder::blendAdditive(), false, VK_CULL_MODE_BACK_BIT,
+                                              VK_PIPELINE_CREATE_DERIVATIVE_BIT, opaqueCulledPipeline_);
+
     // --- Build particle pipelines ---
     if (particleVert.isValid() && particleFrag.isValid()) {
         VkVertexInputBindingDescription pBind{};
@@ -861,6 +873,10 @@ void M2Renderer::shutdown() {
     destroyPipeline(alphaTestPipeline_);
     destroyPipeline(alphaPipeline_);
     destroyPipeline(additivePipeline_);
+    destroyPipeline(opaqueCulledPipeline_);
+    destroyPipeline(alphaTestCulledPipeline_);
+    destroyPipeline(alphaCulledPipeline_);
+    destroyPipeline(additiveCulledPipeline_);
     destroyPipeline(particlePipeline_);
     destroyPipeline(particleAdditivePipeline_);
     destroyPipeline(smokePipeline_);
diff --git a/src/rendering/m2_renderer_render.cpp b/src/rendering/m2_renderer_render.cpp
index d013fb50..58a0a458 100644
--- a/src/rendering/m2_renderer_render.cpp
+++ b/src/rendering/m2_renderer_render.cpp
@@ -1147,16 +1147,25 @@ void M2Renderer::render(VkCommandBuffer cmd, VkDescriptorSet perFrameSet, const
                     }
                     if (forceCutout) effectiveBlendMode = 1;
 
+                    const bool twoSided = (batch.materialFlags & 0x04) != 0;
                     VkPipeline desiredPipeline;
                     if (forceCutout) {
+                        // Foliage / ground-detail cards are effectively two-sided
                         desiredPipeline = opaquePipeline_;
-                    } else {
+                    } else if (twoSided) {
                         switch (effectiveBlendMode) {
                             case 0: desiredPipeline = opaquePipeline_; break;
                             case 1: desiredPipeline = alphaTestPipeline_; break;
                             case 2: desiredPipeline = alphaPipeline_; break;
                             default: desiredPipeline = additivePipeline_; break;
                         }
+                    } else {
+                        switch (effectiveBlendMode) {
+                            case 0: desiredPipeline = opaqueCulledPipeline_; break;
+                            case 1: desiredPipeline = alphaTestCulledPipeline_; break;
+                            case 2: desiredPipeline = alphaCulledPipeline_; break;
+                            default: desiredPipeline = additiveCulledPipeline_; break;
+                        }
                     }
                     if (desiredPipeline != currentPipeline) {
                         vkCmdBindPipeline(cmd, VK_PIPELINE_BIND_POINT_GRAPHICS, desiredPipeline);
@@ -1348,10 +1357,18 @@ void M2Renderer::render(VkCommandBuffer cmd, VkDescriptorSet perFrameSet, const
                 else if (effectiveBlendMode == 4 || effectiveBlendMode == 5) effectiveBlendMode = 3;
             }
 
+            const bool twoSided = (batch.materialFlags & 0x04) != 0;
             VkPipeline desiredPipeline;
-            switch (effectiveBlendMode) {
-                case 2: desiredPipeline = alphaPipeline_; break;
-                default: desiredPipeline = additivePipeline_; break;
+            if (twoSided) {
+                switch (effectiveBlendMode) {
+                    case 2: desiredPipeline = alphaPipeline_; break;
+                    default: desiredPipeline = additivePipeline_; break;
+                }
+            } else {
+                switch (effectiveBlendMode) {
+                    case 2: desiredPipeline = alphaCulledPipeline_; break;
+                    default: desiredPipeline = additiveCulledPipeline_; break;
+                }
             }
             if (desiredPipeline != currentPipeline) {
                 vkCmdBindPipeline(cmd, VK_PIPELINE_BIND_POINT_GRAPHICS, desiredPipeline);