# Variable Sword

> Use Variable Sword when you know something needs to be cut but the attack pattern — narrow precision, wide sweep, or long reach — should be determined by the shape of the target at execution time.

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

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# Variable Sword

Choose the shape of the cut when the situation is clear but the right pattern is not.

## Overview

Use Variable Sword when you know something needs to be cut but the attack pattern — narrow precision, wide sweep, or long reach — should be determined by the shape of the target at execution time.

This is the secondary Codex compatibility rendering of a metaphorical battle-chip pattern with a shipping-now execution model.

Canonical chip family: Variable Sword
Codex shelf: Direct Fire and Breach
Provider target: Codex compatibility surface.

## When To Use

- The target is identified but its extent, depth, or blast radius varies depending on context you can only read at execution time.
- You need one tool that can perform a surgical fix, a broad refactor, or a cross-file sweep, and committing to one pattern prematurely would be wasteful.
- The cut is definitely happening — the only question is which configuration fits the terrain.

## Workflow

1. Read the target terrain and classify the required pattern: narrow, wide, or far-reaching.
2. Lock in the configuration and execute the cut in a single committed motion.
3. Confirm the chosen pattern matched the problem and did not overcut or undercut.

## Deliverables

- A context-shaped edit whose pattern was determined by inspection, not assumption.
- A brief note identifying which pattern was selected and why.

## Guardrails

- Do not use Variable Sword as an excuse to avoid committing to a specific pattern — classify, choose, and execute.
- If the terrain is genuinely unknown and cannot be read before the cut, switch to a recon chip first.
- Variable Sword is not a free pass to scope-creep a simple cut into a broad refactor.

## Default Invocation

Use Variable Sword to inspect the target, choose the right cut pattern, and execute one committed edit whose shape matches the actual problem.