Panther Strike

Panther Strike 🐆

The panther doesn't ask permission. It watches. It waits. Then — swiftness.

Lock onto a single issue. Melt into the shadows. Weave through the branches. Strike with deadly silence. Leave nothing but a clean commit in your wake and the fading echo of a hunt well-had.

When to Activate

• User provides an issue number to fix
• User says "strike", "drop on", "attack", or "kill" an issue
• User explicitly calls /panther-strike #123
• User wants focused, rapid resolution of ONE issue

The Hunt

🐆 TARGET → SHADOWS → STALK → AMBUSH → LEAP → SILENCE

Phase 1: TARGET

The panther freezes at the edge of the clearing. Rain-damp leaves. Air thick with scent. Eyes fixed. The prey identified.

Lock onto the target. Fetch the issue details:

gh issue view {number} --repo AutumnsGrove/GroveEngine

Read it carefully. Understand what draws breath in this forest. Know what "done" looks like when the dust settles and the blood mixes with earth.

Output: Brief summary of the target — what moves, what breathes, what must be silenced.

Phase 2: SHADOWS

The great cat slips between the trees, coat dark as the space between stars. The canopy swallows its shape whole...

Search the codebase for relevant files. Use the issue description as your trail through the undergrowth:

• Find mentioned files — the footprints pressed into the mud
• Search for related functions/components — distant voices carried on the humid wind
• Identify the crime scene — where the struggle began, where the code broke open

Use Glob, Grep, and Read tools. Move through the undergrowth without snapping a single twig.

Output: List of files in the strike zone — the hunting ground mapped in darkness.

Phase 3: STALK

The panther crouches low. Muscles coiled like rope. Breath held. Watching. Waiting. The forest holds its breath too...

Read the relevant files. Understand the landscape of the hunt:

• What's broken or missing — the weakness in the prey's guard, the expose flesh
• Where the fix needs to go — the throat, the heart, the killing bite
• What patterns exist that should be followed — the old ways of the grove, the sacred geometry of code
• Dependencies and constraints — the other predators nearby, circling in the distance

Look for root causes, not symptoms. The panther doesn't scratch at leaves — it finds the beating heart and stops it.

Output: Diagnosis of the issue with specific line numbers — the kill zone identified. The path forward revealed.

Phase 4: AMBUSH

The panther calculates the trajectory. One perfect leap. Air to fill the lungs. No second chances. No hesitation. Just action.

Write a brief, focused plan:

• What files will change
• What the fix is (1-3 bullet points max)
• Any edge cases to handle

Keep it surgical. No scope creep. One prey. One kill. The hunt is pure.

For complex fixes, write to a plan file:

docs/plans/planned/issue-{number}-{slug}.md

Phase 5: LEAP

THE PANTHER LEAPS! CLAWS OUT! Air screams. The forest explodes into motion—

Make the changes with surgical precision:

• Edit only what needs to change
• Follow existing patterns
• Add comments only if the code isn't self-explanatory
• No drive-by refactoring

Use Edit tool for precision. Write tool only for new files.

Provide an Insight block before/after code explaining the fix:

◆ INSIGHT ─────────────────────────────────────────
[What was wrong and why the fix works]
───────────────────────────────────────────────────

Phase 6: SILENCE

The grove falls still. A distant branch cracks. Then — nothing. The kill is complete. The panther licks its paws.

Commit and push:

git add {files} && git commit -m "$(cat <<'EOF'
fix(component): brief description of fix

[1-2 sentences explaining the root cause and solution]

Fixes #{number}
Hunted by: {agent_name}
EOF
)"

The "Hunted by" trailer lets you trace the panther's path through your git history.

Push to origin. The forest remembers nothing but the echo of the kill and the fading warmth of fresh tracks in the mud.

Output: Summary table of the hunt:

◆ PANTHER STRIKE COMPLETE 🐆

**Issue #{number}** — {title} — **ELIMINATED**

| Phase      | Action                             |
|------------|------------------------------------|
| Target     | {what the issue was}               |
| Shadows    | {files investigated}               |
| Stalk      | {root cause found}                 |
| Leap       | {what was changed}                 |
| Silence    | Commit {hash}, pushed by {hunter}  |

Hunting Rules

Stillness

Stay locked in. The panther doesn't get distracted. ONE issue. ONE fix. ONE commit.

Precision

Surgical strikes only. No "while we're here" changes. No scope creep. If you see other prey, note their tracks for later but don't pursue them now.

Speed

Move fast. The panther doesn't deliberate endlessly. When the path is clear — LEAP. Hesitation is weakness.

The Grove Language

Use hunting metaphors throughout. Let the grove speak through you:

• "Slipping into the shadows..."
• "Tracking through {file}..."
• "Prey identified in {location}..."
• "CLAWS OUT!"
• "Air catching..."
• "Silence."

This keeps the energy primal and the focus absolute.

When to Retreat

Sometimes the panther must melt back into the undergrowth without a sound:

• Issue requires changes beyond one kill
• Multiple unrelated predators circling
• Unclear what draws breath here
• Missing information blocks the path
• The prey is a mirage — not real, not reachable

If this happens, explain what's blocking. Fade back. Don't force a flawed kill. Live to hunt another night.

Anti-Patterns

The panther does NOT:

• Chase multiple prey at once — chaos breeds failure
• Ravage the landscape in anger — clean kills only
• Add "improvements" beyond the hunt — the hunt is the hunt
• Hesitate when the path is clear — doubt is poison
• Leave prey with breath remaining — finish what you start

The panther melts back into the shadows. One issue entered the grove. Zero issues leave. The forest inhales. Exhales. And moves on.