diff --git a/core/src/com/unciv/ui/screens/worldscreen/bottombar/BattleTable.kt b/core/src/com/unciv/ui/screens/worldscreen/bottombar/BattleTable.kt
index 7e044e9904..d6adab89c8 100644
--- a/core/src/com/unciv/ui/screens/worldscreen/bottombar/BattleTable.kt
+++ b/core/src/com/unciv/ui/screens/worldscreen/bottombar/BattleTable.kt
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ import com.unciv.ui.images.ImageGetter
 import com.unciv.ui.screens.basescreen.BaseScreen
 import com.unciv.ui.screens.worldscreen.UndoHandler.Companion.clearUndoCheckpoints
 import com.unciv.ui.screens.worldscreen.WorldScreen
-import com.unciv.ui.screens.worldscreen.bottombar.BattleTableHelpers.battleAnimation
+import com.unciv.ui.screens.worldscreen.bottombar.BattleTableHelpers.battleAnimationDeferred
 import com.unciv.ui.screens.worldscreen.bottombar.BattleTableHelpers.getHealthBar
 import com.unciv.utils.DebugUtils
 import kotlin.math.max
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@ class BattleTable(val worldScreen: WorldScreen) : Table() {
         SoundPlayer.play(attacker.getAttackSound())
         val (damageToDefender, damageToAttacker) = Battle.attackOrNuke(attacker, attackableTile)
 
-        worldScreen.battleAnimation(attacker, damageToAttacker, defender, damageToDefender)
+        worldScreen.battleAnimationDeferred(attacker, damageToAttacker, defender, damageToDefender)
         if (!attacker.canAttack()) hide()
     }
 
diff --git a/core/src/com/unciv/ui/screens/worldscreen/bottombar/BattleTableHelpers.kt b/core/src/com/unciv/ui/screens/worldscreen/bottombar/BattleTableHelpers.kt
index b248d41682..d6791db7a4 100644
--- a/core/src/com/unciv/ui/screens/worldscreen/bottombar/BattleTableHelpers.kt
+++ b/core/src/com/unciv/ui/screens/worldscreen/bottombar/BattleTableHelpers.kt
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import com.badlogic.gdx.graphics.Color
 import com.badlogic.gdx.math.Interpolation
 import com.badlogic.gdx.math.Vector2
 import com.badlogic.gdx.scenes.scene2d.Actor
-import com.badlogic.gdx.scenes.scene2d.Group
 import com.badlogic.gdx.scenes.scene2d.actions.Actions
 import com.badlogic.gdx.scenes.scene2d.actions.FloatAction
 import com.badlogic.gdx.scenes.scene2d.actions.RelativeTemporalAction
@@ -23,6 +22,7 @@ import com.unciv.ui.components.tilegroups.TileSetStrings
 import com.unciv.ui.components.widgets.ShadowedLabel
 import com.unciv.ui.images.ImageGetter
 import com.unciv.ui.screens.worldscreen.WorldScreen
+import com.unciv.utils.Concurrency
 
 
 object BattleTableHelpers {
@@ -144,22 +144,31 @@ object BattleTableHelpers {
         }
     }
 
+    fun WorldScreen.battleAnimationDeferred(
+        attacker: ICombatant, damageToAttacker: Int,
+        defender: ICombatant, damageToDefender: Int
+    ){
+        // This ensures that we schedule the animation to happen AFTER the worldscreen.update(), 
+        //    where the spriteGroup of the attacker is created on the tile it moves to 
+        Concurrency.runOnGLThread { battleAnimation(attacker, damageToAttacker, defender, damageToDefender) }
+    }
 
-    fun WorldScreen.battleAnimation(
+    private fun WorldScreen.battleAnimation(
         attacker: ICombatant, damageToAttacker: Int,
         defender: ICombatant, damageToDefender: Int
     ) {
         fun getMapActorsForCombatant(combatant: ICombatant): Sequence<Actor> =
-                sequence {
-                    val tileGroup = mapHolder.tileGroups[combatant.getTile()]!!
-                    if (combatant.isCity()) {
-                        val icon = tileGroup.layerMisc.improvementIcon
-                        if (icon != null) yield (icon)
-                    } else if (!combatant.isAirUnit()) {
-                        val slot = if (combatant.isCivilian()) 0 else 1
-                        yieldAll((tileGroup.layerUnitArt.getChild(slot) as Group).children)
-                    }
+            sequence {
+                val tileGroup = mapHolder.tileGroups[combatant.getTile()]!!
+                if (combatant.isCity()) {
+                    val icon = tileGroup.layerMisc.improvementIcon
+                    if (icon != null) yield (icon)
+                } else if (!combatant.isAirUnit()) {
+                    val slot = tileGroup.layerUnitArt.getSpriteSlot((combatant as MapUnitCombatant).unit)
+                    if (slot != null) yieldAll(slot.spriteGroup.children)
                 }
+            }
+
 
         val actorsToFlashRed =
                 sequence {
diff --git a/core/src/com/unciv/ui/screens/worldscreen/worldmap/WorldMapHolder.kt b/core/src/com/unciv/ui/screens/worldscreen/worldmap/WorldMapHolder.kt
index 62ae1a0ceb..3cc015cfcc 100644
--- a/core/src/com/unciv/ui/screens/worldscreen/worldmap/WorldMapHolder.kt
+++ b/core/src/com/unciv/ui/screens/worldscreen/worldmap/WorldMapHolder.kt
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ import com.unciv.ui.components.widgets.ZoomableScrollPane
 import com.unciv.ui.screens.basescreen.UncivStage
 import com.unciv.ui.screens.worldscreen.UndoHandler.Companion.recordUndoCheckpoint
 import com.unciv.ui.screens.worldscreen.WorldScreen
-import com.unciv.ui.screens.worldscreen.bottombar.BattleTableHelpers.battleAnimation
+import com.unciv.ui.screens.worldscreen.bottombar.BattleTableHelpers.battleAnimationDeferred
 import com.unciv.utils.Concurrency
 import com.unciv.utils.Log
 import com.unciv.utils.launchOnGLThread
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ class WorldMapHolder(
                 SoundPlayer.play(attacker.getAttackSound())
                 val (damageToDefender, damageToAttacker) = Battle.attackOrNuke(attacker, attackableTile)
                 if (attackableTile.combatant != null)
-                    worldScreen.battleAnimation(attacker, damageToAttacker, attackableTile.combatant, damageToDefender)
+                    worldScreen.battleAnimationDeferred(attacker, damageToAttacker, attackableTile.combatant, damageToDefender)
                 localShouldUpdate = true
             } else if (unit.movement.canReach(tile)) {
                 /** ****** Right-click Move ****** */