# Shotgun

> Use Shotgun when one direct action should punch through a narrow lane instead of a single point. It fits moments where quick close-range pressure should catch the target and the immediate depth behind it.

- Skill: `hmbown/shotgun-2` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add hmbown/shotgun-2`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/hmbown/shotgun-2/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- License: CC0-1.0
- Author: Hmbown (https://skillmd.com/u/hmbown)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/hmbown/shotgun-2

---

# Shotgun
Fire a short burst that hits the nearest problem and anything stacked just behind it.
## What This Skill Does
Use Shotgun when one direct action should punch through a narrow lane instead of a single point. It fits moments where quick close-range pressure should catch the target and the immediate depth behind it.
In this chip pack, Shotgun is treated as a metaphorical battle-chip procedure with a shipping-now delivery profile.
Canonical reference input: Shotgun.
Hermes shelf: [Direct Fire and Breach](../DESCRIPTION.md).
## When To Use

- One direct strike is too narrow, but a broad-area move would be wasteful.
- You need to pressure a tightly stacked lane of related targets or concerns.
- The right move is a short burst that opens space immediately.

## Prerequisites

- These procedures rely on the normal tools already present in the active Hermes runtime; this repo does not ship a separate integration layer.

## Procedure

1. Restate the target, success condition, and no-touch boundaries before you spend the chip.
2. Identify the narrow lane where a burst will do more than a single-point hit.
3. Aim at the closest meaningful target and include only the depth directly behind it that actually matters.
4. Fire once, inspect what the burst cleared, and decide whether to follow with a cleaner cut or a wider chip.
5. Package the result with concrete evidence, what stayed untouched, and the next recommended chip only if follow-up is truly needed.

## Deliverables

- A compact burst of work that clears or pressures a small stack of related targets.
- A short note on what the burst reached and what remained out of range.

## Pitfalls / Guardrails

- Keep the metaphor anchored to a real operator move instead of drifting into lore.
- Do not use Shotgun when the target is singular and surgical precision matters.
- Do not widen the burst just because the first pass feels underpowered.
- If the situation needs sustained room control, switch to a control chip instead.
- Keep the chip metaphor anchored to a real operating move; do not let flavor substitute for procedure.

## Verification

- Check that the response includes every promised deliverable and leaves an inspectable audit trail.
- Check that confirmed facts, assumptions, and proposed follow-up are visibly separated.
- Check that the metaphor still maps cleanly to a real operator mechanism.

## Example Invocation
```text
/shotgun fire one compact burst down the nearest useful lane: hit the target, catch only the immediate depth behind it, and report what the burst actually cleared
```