# Wide Sword

> Use Wide Sword when the problem is not a single precise target but a line of related issues sitting side by side. Where Sword cuts one thing cleanly, Wide Sword addresses a horizontal band of similar problems in one motion.

- Skill: `hmbown/wide-sword-2` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add hmbown/wide-sword-2`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/hmbown/wide-sword-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/wide-sword-2

---

# Wide Sword
Sweep the row clean in one horizontal pass.
## What This Skill Does
Use Wide Sword when the problem is not a single precise target but a line of related issues sitting side by side. Where Sword cuts one thing cleanly, Wide Sword addresses a horizontal band of similar problems in one motion.
In this chip pack, Wide Sword is treated as a metaphorical battle-chip procedure with a shipping-now delivery profile.
Canonical reference input: Wide Sword.
Hermes shelf: [Direct Fire and Breach](../DESCRIPTION.md).
## When To Use

- Several adjacent items share the same defect and should be fixed together rather than one at a time.
- A rename, reformat, or policy change needs to land across a row of related files or entries in a single coherent pass.
- The target surface is visible and bounded — you can see the full width of the sweep before you commit.

## 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. Read the full horizontal extent of the target area to confirm every item in the sweep.
3. Apply the same corrective action across the entire row in one pass, keeping edits uniform.
4. Verify that the sweep did not clip unrelated items above or below the intended row.
5. Package the result with concrete evidence, what stayed untouched, and the next recommended chip only if follow-up is truly needed.

## Deliverables

- A uniform batch edit or sweep patch covering all items in the horizontal band.
- A short accounting of what was in the sweep and what was intentionally left outside it.

## Pitfalls / Guardrails

- Keep the metaphor anchored to a real operator move instead of drifting into lore.
- Do not use Wide Sword when a single precise cut would suffice — use Sword instead.
- If items in the row differ enough to need individual treatment, break the sweep into separate strikes.
- Never sweep blindly. Confirm the full width of the target area before committing.
- 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
/wide-sword sweep across a row of related items: apply the same corrective action uniformly across every adjacent target in one pass, then verify nothing outside the intended band was touched
```