# Gathering Migration > The drum sounds. Bear and Bloodhound gather for safe migration. Use when migrating anything that requires both careful movement and codebase understanding. - Skill: `autumnsgrove/gathering-migration` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add autumnsgrove/gathering-migration` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/autumnsgrove/gathering-migration/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - Author: autumnsgrove (https://skillmd.com/u/autumnsgrove) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/autumnsgrove/gathering-migration --- # Gathering Migration 🌲🐻🐕 The drum echoes through the valleys. The conductor stands at the pass, orchestrating two very different strengths. The Bloodhound arrives first with fresh eyes — no assumptions about what's connected, just a nose for dependencies. Then the Bear wakes, receiving a map it didn't draw — no shortcuts, no "I already know where things are." Together they move mountains safely, each with isolated context, each trusting only what it verified itself. ## When to Summon - Complex migrations requiring codebase exploration before execution - Moving between systems, libraries, or architectural patterns - Schema changes affecting multiple relationships - Component or API migrations spanning many files - Icon, asset, or content migrations with downstream dependencies - Any migration where you need to understand the territory before moving **IMPORTANT:** This gathering is a **conductor**. It never scouts or migrates directly. It dispatches subagents — one per animal — each with isolated context and an intentional model. The conductor only manages handoffs and gate checks. --- ## The Gathering ``` SUMMON → DISPATCH → GATE → DISPATCH → GATE → VERIFY ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ Spec Bloodhound Check Bear Check Final (self) (haiku) ✓ (opus) ✓ Verify ``` ### Animals Dispatched | Order | Animal | Model | Role | Fresh Eyes? | | ----- | ------------- | ----- | --------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- | | 1 | 🐕 Bloodhound | haiku | Scout dependencies, map territory | Yes — sees only the migration spec | | 2 | 🐻 Bear | opus | Execute migration safely | Yes — sees only territory map, not scouting process | **Reference:** Load `references/conductor-dispatch.md` for exact subagent prompts and handoff formats --- ### Phase 1: SUMMON _The drum sounds. The valley listens..._ The conductor receives the migration request and prepares the dispatch plan: **Clarify the Migration:** - What needs to migrate? (data, components, icons, config, conventions...) - From where to where? (old pattern → new pattern) - What downstream dependencies exist? - What does "undo" look like if something goes wrong? **Determine the Bear's domain guide:** | Migration Type | Domain Guide | | -------------------------------------- | ---------------------- | | Database schema, tables, D1/SQLite | `domain-database.md` | | Component props, API upgrades, imports | `domain-components.md` | | Icons, assets, documents, file formats | `domain-content.md` | | Config, conventions, dependencies | `domain-general.md` | **Confirm with the human, then proceed.** **Output:** Migration specification, domain guide identified, dispatch plan confirmed. --- ### Phase 2: SCOUT (Bloodhound) _The conductor signals. The Bloodhound puts its nose to the ground..._ ``` Agent(bloodhound, model: haiku) Input: migration specification only Reads: bloodhound-scout/SKILL.md (MANDATORY) Output: territory map ``` Dispatch a **haiku subagent** to scout the codebase. The Bloodhound receives ONLY the migration specification — no pre-analysis, no assumptions. It reads its own skill file and executes its full SCENT → TRACK → HUNT → REPORT → RETURN workflow. **What the Bloodhound maps:** - Every reference to the items being migrated - Dependency relationships (what depends on what) - Downstream consumers - Edge cases and unusual usage patterns - Current state counts (how many items, how many references) **Handoff to conductor:** Territory map (affected files, dependency graph, edge cases, current state counts, risk assessment). **Gate check:** Territory map has: file lists, dependency relationships, item counts, edge cases identified. If incomplete, resume Bloodhound with specific questions. --- ### Phase 3: MIGRATE (Bear) _The Bear wakes. It receives a map it didn't draw..._ ``` Agent(bear, model: opus) Input: migration spec + territory map (from Bloodhound) Reads: bear-migrate/SKILL.md + references/{domain-guide} (MANDATORY) Output: migration results + file list ``` Dispatch an **opus subagent** to execute the migration. The Bear receives the spec and the Bloodhound's territory map — NOT the Bloodhound's scouting process, just its structured output. **What the Bear does:** - Preserve original state (branch, backup, or snapshot) - Execute migration in manageable chunks - Validate after each chunk - Verify item counts match (source vs destination) - Run integrity checks (references resolve, imports work, no orphans) **Handoff to conductor:** Migration results (items migrated, items skipped, validation reports), file list. **Gate check:** ```bash pnpm install gw dev ci --affected --fail-fast --diagnose ``` Must compile and pass. If it fails, resume Bear with the error. --- ### Phase 4: VERIFY _The journey ends. The conductor confirms safe arrival..._ **Validation Checklist:** - [ ] Bloodhound: All dependencies mapped - [ ] Bloodhound: All references found - [ ] Bloodhound: Edge cases documented - [ ] Bear: Original state preserved (branch, backup, or snapshot) - [ ] Bear: Item counts match (source vs destination) - [ ] Bear: Integrity checks pass (references resolve, imports work, no orphans) - [ ] Bear: Tests pass (`gw dev ci --affected`) - [ ] Bear: Rollback path documented **Completion Report:** ``` 🌲 GATHERING MIGRATION COMPLETE Migration: [Description] DISPATCH LOG 🐕 Bloodhound (haiku) — [territory mapped, X files identified, Y dependencies found] 🐻 Bear (opus) — [Z items migrated, domain guide: {guide}] GATE LOG After Bloodhound: ✅ territory map complete After Bear: ✅ compiles clean, migration verified Final CI: ✅ gw dev ci --affected passes MIGRATION RESULTS Items migrated: [count] Items skipped: [count, reason] Item count match: ✅ [source] = [dest] Integrity checks: ✅ Rollback: [branch/backup location] Everything found its new home. ``` --- ## Conductor Rules ### Never Do Animal Work The conductor dispatches. It does not scout dependencies or execute migrations. ### Fresh Eyes Are a Feature The Bear receives the territory map, not the Bloodhound's scouting process. It trusts the map but verifies what it finds during migration. ### Gate Every Transition Territory map must be complete before Bear starts. CI must pass after Bear finishes. ### Resume, Don't Restart If a gate check fails, resume the failing agent. The Bear especially benefits from resumption — it has the migration context and can fix issues faster than starting fresh. --- ## Anti-Patterns **The conductor does NOT:** - Scout the codebase itself - Execute migration steps directly - Let Bear start without a complete territory map - Skip count validation (source must equal destination) - Skip rollback documentation --- ## Quick Decision Guide | Migration Scope | Strategy | | ------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------- | | Simple rename (< 5 files) | Bear only (no Bloodhound needed) | | Cross-cutting migration (5-50 files) | Standard: Bloodhound → Bear | | Large migration (50+ files) | Bloodhound → Bear with chunked execution | | Unknown scope ("migrate X") | Always start with Bloodhound | --- _When no single animal suffices, the gathering answers._ 🌲🐾