diff --git a/src/conclave/modes.py b/src/conclave/modes.py
index 9f0541b..f8b0d75 100644
--- a/src/conclave/modes.py
+++ b/src/conclave/modes.py
@@ -161,12 +161,26 @@ async def run_adversarial(
 ) -> CouncilResult:
     """Run a propose -> refute -> verdict pass and return a :class:`CouncilResult`.
 
+    The proposer is a single point of failure, so the run is layered to survive a
+    bad one:
+
+    1. **Proposer fallback.** Members are tried as proposer in council order,
+       starting with the requested one. A member that returns an unusable answer
+       (``ModelAnswer.error`` set / no text) is recorded and the next member is
+       tried, until one produces a usable proposal.
+    2. **Graceful degrade.** If no member can propose, the run does *not* abort
+       with "no verdict". It degrades to a plain synthesize over the surviving
+       members and surfaces an actionable warning on ``CouncilResult.synthesis_error``
+       (mirrored to the adversarial verdict so consumers reading either field see
+       why the adversarial flow was skipped).
+
     Args:
         council: The :class:`Council` providing fan-out, config, and judge.
         prompt: The user prompt.
         proposer: Friendly name of the proposing member. Defaults to the first
             requested council member. If the named proposer has no key, the run
-            falls back to the first available member.
+            falls back to the first available member; if its answer is unusable,
+            the run falls back to the next available member as proposer.
 
     Returns:
         A :class:`CouncilResult` whose ``adversarial`` field carries the proposal,
@@ -182,33 +196,48 @@ async def run_adversarial(
         return result
 
     requested_proposer = proposer or council.requested_models[0]
-    p_name, p_model_id = _pick_proposer(members, requested_proposer)
-    if p_name != requested_proposer:
+    order = _proposer_order(members, requested_proposer)
+
+    # Step 1: find a proposer that produces a usable answer. Each attempt is a
+    # single-member fan-out reusing the same partial-failure primitive. Failed
+    # attempts are recorded so the judge/degrade path can explain what was tried.
+    base = [{"role": "user", "content": prompt}]
+    proposal: ModelAnswer | None = None
+    p_name = order[0][0]
+    failed_proposers: list[ModelAnswer] = []
+    for cand_name, cand_model_id in order:
+        attempt = (await council.fan_out([(cand_name, cand_model_id)], lambda _n, _m: base))[0]
+        result.answers.append(attempt)
+        if attempt.ok:
+            proposal = attempt
+            p_name = cand_name
+            break
+        failed_proposers.append(attempt)
         logger.warning(
-            "proposer '%s' unavailable; falling back to '%s'",
-            requested_proposer,
-            p_name,
+            "proposer '%s' produced no usable answer (%s); trying next member",
+            cand_name,
+            attempt.error,
         )
 
-    # Step 1: the proposal (single-member fan-out reuses the same primitive).
-    base = [{"role": "user", "content": prompt}]
-    proposal = (await council.fan_out([(p_name, p_model_id)], lambda _n, _m: base))[0]
+    # Step 2: no member could propose -> degrade to synthesize over the survivors
+    # instead of aborting the whole run with "no verdict produced".
+    if proposal is None:
+        await _degrade_to_synthesize(council, result, failed_proposers)
+        return result
 
     adv = AdversarialResult(proposer=p_name, proposal=proposal)
-    result.answers.append(proposal)
 
-    # Step 2: critics refute the proposal. If the proposal itself failed, there is
-    # nothing to refute -- record the failure and skip to the (empty) judge.
-    critics = [(n, m) for (n, m) in members if n != p_name]
-    if proposal.ok and critics:
+    # Step 3: critics refute the proposal. Every other available member critiques;
+    # any failed-proposer attempts are excluded so a member is never both.
+    tried = {a.name for a in failed_proposers} | {p_name}
+    critics = [(n, m) for (n, m) in members if n not in tried]
+    if critics:
         adv.critiques = await council.fan_out(
             critics, _critic_messages_for(prompt, proposal.answer or "")
         )
         result.answers.extend(adv.critiques)
-    elif not proposal.ok:
-        logger.warning("proposal failed (%s); critics skipped", proposal.error)
 
-    # Step 3: the judge weighs proposal vs critiques and issues a verdict.
+    # Step 4: the judge weighs proposal vs critiques and issues a verdict.
     await _adversarial_judge(council, prompt, adv)
     result.adversarial = adv
     result.synthesis = adv.verdict
@@ -218,6 +247,48 @@ async def run_adversarial(
     return result
 
 
+async def _degrade_to_synthesize(
+    council: Council,
+    result: CouncilResult,
+    failed_proposers: list[ModelAnswer],
+) -> None:
+    """Fall back to plain synthesize when no member can produce a proposal.
+
+    Every requested member was tried as proposer and none returned a usable
+    answer, so there is nothing to refute. Rather than emit "no verdict produced",
+    we run the standard synthesizer over whatever members *did* answer (here:
+    none succeeded, by definition of reaching this path) and always surface an
+    actionable warning on ``result.synthesis_error`` explaining the degrade. The
+    warning is mirrored into an :class:`AdversarialResult` so consumers reading
+    ``result.adversarial.verdict_error`` (e.g. the CLI) see it too.
+    """
+    names = ", ".join(a.name for a in failed_proposers) or "(none)"
+    warning = (
+        "adversarial degraded to synthesize: no council member produced a usable "
+        f"proposal (tried: {names}). Showing a consolidated answer over the "
+        "surviving members instead of a propose/refute/verdict result."
+    )
+    logger.warning(warning)
+
+    # Reuse the single synthesizer path. successful_answers is empty here (all
+    # proposer attempts failed), so _synthesize records its own no-answers error;
+    # we override synthesis_error afterwards so the degrade reason is what surfaces.
+    await council._synthesize(result)
+    result.synthesis_error = warning
+    result.synthesizer = council.synthesizer
+    result.synthesizer_model_id = council.config.resolve_model_id(council.synthesizer)
+
+    # Mirror the degrade into the adversarial structure so the field-specific CLI
+    # renderer and library consumers reading result.adversarial both see it. The
+    # first failed attempt stands in as the (failed) proposal for shape parity.
+    if failed_proposers:
+        adv = AdversarialResult(proposer=failed_proposers[0].name, proposal=failed_proposers[0])
+        adv.verdict_error = warning
+        adv.judge = council.synthesizer
+        adv.judge_model_id = council.config.resolve_model_id(council.synthesizer)
+        result.adversarial = adv
+
+
 def _critic_messages_for(prompt: str, proposal_text: str):
     """Build the per-critic message factory for the refutation step."""
 
@@ -230,12 +301,19 @@ def critic_messages(_name: str, _model_id: str) -> list[dict[str, str]]:
     return critic_messages
 
 
-def _pick_proposer(members: list[tuple[str, str]], requested: str) -> tuple[str, str]:
-    """Return the requested proposer member, or the first available as fallback."""
-    for member in members:
-        if member[0] == requested:
-            return member
-    return members[0]
+def _proposer_order(members: list[tuple[str, str]], requested: str) -> list[tuple[str, str]]:
+    """Return members ordered for proposer selection: requested first, then rest.
+
+    The requested proposer is tried first when it is available; every other
+    available member follows in council order so a failed proposer can fall back
+    to the next candidate. A requested name with no key is simply absent from
+    ``members`` (filtered upstream), so the council order leads.
+    """
+    requested_member = next((m for m in members if m[0] == requested), None)
+    if requested_member is None:
+        return list(members)
+    rest = [m for m in members if m[0] != requested]
+    return [requested_member, *rest]
 
 
 async def _adversarial_judge(council: Council, prompt: str, adv: AdversarialResult) -> None:
diff --git a/tests/test_adapters.py b/tests/test_adapters.py
index d393e38..6a27391 100644
--- a/tests/test_adapters.py
+++ b/tests/test_adapters.py
@@ -270,6 +270,28 @@ def test_gemini_parse_malformed_raises():
         adapter.parse_response(200, {"candidates": []})
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "payload",
+    [
+        # candidate present but content.parts key missing (issue #9 KeyError shape).
+        {"candidates": [{"content": {}}]},
+        # blocked/safety candidate with no content object at all.
+        {"candidates": [{"finishReason": "SAFETY"}]},
+    ],
+)
+def test_gemini_parse_missing_content_parts_raises_provider_error(payload):
+    """A candidate missing content.parts is a typed ProviderError, never a KeyError.
+
+    Issue #9: a malformed/blocked Gemini response (missing
+    ``candidates[0].content.parts``) must surface as a redact-safe ProviderError
+    so ``call_model`` can turn it into ``ModelAnswer.error`` rather than aborting
+    the run with a raw ``KeyError``.
+    """
+    adapter = GeminiAdapter()
+    with pytest.raises(ProviderError, match="missing candidates"):
+        adapter.parse_response(200, payload)
+
+
 def test_gemini_parse_error_status_raises():
     adapter = GeminiAdapter()
     payload = {"error": {"status": "PERMISSION_DENIED", "message": "no access"}}
diff --git a/tests/test_modes.py b/tests/test_modes.py
index 9b8a68c..ab88dae 100644
--- a/tests/test_modes.py
+++ b/tests/test_modes.py
@@ -355,11 +355,18 @@ def handler(model, messages, **kwargs):
     assert adv.verdict == "VERDICT DESPITE FAILURE"
 
 
-async def test_adversarial_proposal_failure_skips_critics(monkeypatch, patch_call_model):
-    """If the proposal itself fails, critics are skipped and no verdict is made."""
+async def test_adversarial_all_proposers_fail_degrades_to_synthesize(monkeypatch, patch_call_model):
+    """If every member fails as proposer, the run degrades to synthesize (issue #9).
+
+    No member can produce a usable proposal, so there is nothing to refute. The
+    run must NOT abort with "no verdict produced"; it degrades and surfaces an
+    actionable warning on ``result.synthesis_error`` (mirrored to the adversarial
+    ``verdict_error``). Critics never run because no proposal exists.
+    """
     _all_keys(monkeypatch)
 
     critic_calls: list[str] = []
+    proposer_attempts: list[str] = []
 
     def handler(model, messages, **kwargs):
         system = _system_text(messages)
@@ -368,7 +375,8 @@ def handler(model, messages, **kwargs):
         if "critic on an adversarial review" in system:  # pragma: no cover
             critic_calls.append(model)
             return make_response("crit")
-        # Proposal (grok) fails.
+        # Every proposal attempt fails (grok first, then gemini fallback).
+        proposer_attempts.append(model)
         raise RuntimeError("proposer down")
 
     patch_call_model(handler)
@@ -376,13 +384,97 @@ def handler(model, messages, **kwargs):
     council = Council(models=["grok", "gemini"], synthesizer="claude", config=_config())
     result = await council.adversarial("q")
 
-    adv = result.adversarial
-    assert not adv.proposal.ok
-    assert adv.critiques == []
+    # Both members were tried as proposer in council order before degrading.
+    assert proposer_attempts == ["xai/grok-4.3", "gemini/gemini-2.5-pro"]
+    # No critics ran -- there was no usable proposal to refute.
     assert critic_calls == []
+    # The actionable degrade warning is surfaced on the CouncilResult.
+    assert result.synthesis_error is not None
+    assert "degraded to synthesize" in result.synthesis_error
+    assert "grok, gemini" in result.synthesis_error
+    # Mirrored into the adversarial structure for field-specific consumers.
+    adv = result.adversarial
+    assert adv is not None
     assert adv.verdict is None
-    assert "proposal from 'grok' failed" in adv.verdict_error
-    assert result.synthesis is None
+    assert adv.verdict_error == result.synthesis_error
+    assert not adv.proposal.ok
+
+
+async def test_adversarial_failed_proposer_falls_back_to_next_member(monkeypatch, patch_call_model):
+    """A chosen proposer returning an unusable answer falls back to the next member.
+
+    The run completes with a real verdict (issue #9). The failed first proposer
+    is recorded in ``answers`` but never doubles as a critic; the surviving
+    members critique the *successful* fallback proposal.
+    """
+    _all_keys(monkeypatch)
+
+    def handler(model, messages, **kwargs):
+        system = _system_text(messages)
+        if "judge of an adversarial review" in system:
+            return make_response("VERDICT AFTER FALLBACK")
+        if "critic on an adversarial review" in system:
+            return make_response(f"critique from {model}")
+        # Proposal step: the first proposer (grok) fails; gemini succeeds.
+        if model == "xai/grok-4.3":
+            raise RuntimeError("grok malformed proposal")
+        return make_response(f"proposal from {model}")
+
+    patch_call_model(handler)
+
+    council = Council(
+        models=["grok", "gemini", "perplexity"],
+        synthesizer="claude",
+        config=_config(),
+    )
+    result = await council.adversarial("q")  # requested proposer = grok
+
+    adv = result.adversarial
+    assert adv is not None
+    # Fallback proposer is gemini (next available after the failed grok).
+    assert adv.proposer == "gemini"
+    assert adv.proposal.ok
+    assert "proposal from gemini/gemini-2.5-pro" in adv.proposal.answer
+    # The failed grok attempt is NOT a critic; perplexity is the sole critic.
+    assert {c.name for c in adv.critiques} == {"perplexity"}
+    # The run completed with a real verdict despite the proposer failure.
+    assert adv.verdict == "VERDICT AFTER FALLBACK"
+    assert result.synthesis == "VERDICT AFTER FALLBACK"
+    assert result.synthesis_error is None
+    # answers carries the failed proposal attempt + the successful proposal + critique.
+    failed = [a for a in result.answers if not a.ok]
+    assert {a.name for a in failed} == {"grok"}
+
+
+async def test_adversarial_explicit_failed_proposer_falls_back(monkeypatch, patch_call_model):
+    """An explicit --proposer that fails still falls back to the next member."""
+    _all_keys(monkeypatch)
+
+    def handler(model, messages, **kwargs):
+        system = _system_text(messages)
+        if "judge of an adversarial review" in system:
+            return make_response("V")
+        if "critic on an adversarial review" in system:
+            return make_response("crit")
+        if model == "perplexity/sonar-pro":
+            raise RuntimeError("perplexity proposal blocked")
+        return make_response(f"prop {model}")
+
+    patch_call_model(handler)
+
+    council = Council(
+        models=["grok", "gemini", "perplexity"],
+        synthesizer="claude",
+        config=_config(),
+    )
+    # Explicitly request perplexity as proposer; it fails -> first available (grok).
+    result = await council.adversarial("q", proposer="perplexity")
+
+    adv = result.adversarial
+    assert adv is not None
+    assert adv.proposer == "grok"
+    assert adv.proposal.ok
+    assert adv.verdict == "V"
 
 
 async def test_adversarial_proposer_no_key_falls_back(monkeypatch, patch_call_model, clear_keys):
diff --git a/tests/test_providers.py b/tests/test_providers.py
index 826193c..d652da8 100644
--- a/tests/test_providers.py
+++ b/tests/test_providers.py
@@ -136,6 +136,33 @@ async def boom(url, headers, json_body, timeout):
     assert "timed out" in answer.error
 
 
+async def test_call_model_gemini_missing_parts_becomes_error(monkeypatch):
+    """A malformed Gemini body (missing candidates[0].content.parts) -> ModelAnswer.error.
+
+    Issue #9 end-to-end: the adapter's ProviderError must flow through call_model
+    as ``.error`` (never a raised KeyError), so one bad proposer cannot abort the
+    adversarial run. Exercises the real GeminiAdapter + the real call_model path
+    with only the transport patched.
+    """
+    monkeypatch.setenv("GEMINI_API_KEY", "AIza-dummy")
+    monkeypatch.setenv("CONCLAVE_CONFIG", "/nonexistent/conclave.yml")
+
+    async def malformed_gemini(url, headers, json_body, timeout):
+        # 200 OK but the candidate carries no content.parts (blocked/empty shape).
+        return 200, {"candidates": [{"finishReason": "SAFETY"}]}
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr("conclave.transport.post_json", malformed_gemini)
+
+    answer = await call_model(
+        "gemini",
+        "gemini/gemini-2.5-pro",
+        [{"role": "user", "content": "hi"}],
+    )
+    assert not answer.ok
+    assert answer.answer is None
+    assert "missing candidates" in answer.error
+
+
 async def test_call_model_missing_key_is_error(monkeypatch):
     """No key in env -> a clean ModelAnswer.error naming the env var, never raises."""
     monkeypatch.delenv("OPENAI_API_KEY", raising=False)