Agent skill · JuliusBrussee
cavecrew
Decision guide for delegating to caveman-style subagents. Tells the main thread WHEN to spawn `cavecrew-investigator` (locate code), `cavecrew-builder` (1-2 file edit), or `cavecrew-reviewer` (diff review) instead of doing the work inline or using vanilla `Explore`. Subagent output is caveman-compressed so the tool-result injected back into main context is ~60% smaller — main context lasts longer across long sessions. Trigger: "delegate to subagent", "use cavecrew", "spawn investigator/builder/reviewer", "save context", "compressed agent output".
What it needs
About 2k tokens when loaded.
What this skill does
Cavecrew = three subagent presets that emit caveman output. Same job as Anthropic defaults (Explore, edit-style agents, reviewer); difference is the tool-result they return is compressed, so main context shrinks per delegation. When to use cavecrew vs alternatives Task Use --- --- "Where is X defined / what calls Y / list uses of Z" cavecrew-investigator Same but you also want suggestions/architecture commentary Explore (vanilla) Surgical edit, ≤2 files, scope obvious cavecrew-builder New feature / 3+ files / cross-cutting refactor Main thread or feature-dev:code-architect Review diff, branch, or file for bugs cavecrew-reviewer Deep code review with rationale + alternatives Code Reviewer (vanilla) One-line answer you already know Main thread, no subagent Rule of thumb: if you'd want the subagent's output in 1/3 the tokens, pick cavecrew. If you'd want prose, pick vanilla. Why this exists (the real win) Subagent tool results get injected into main context verbatim. A vanilla Explore that returns 2k tokens of prose costs 2k tokens of main-context budget every time. The same finding from cavecrew-investigator returns ~700 tokens. Across 20 delegations in one session that's the difference between context exhaustion and finishing the task. Output contracts What main thread can rely on per agent: cavecrew-investigator Or No match. Always file-path-first, line-number-attached, backticked symbols. Safe to grep with path:\d+. cavecrew-builder Or one of: too-big. / needs-confirm. / ambiguous. / regressed. (terminal first token). cavecrew-reviewer Or No issues. Findings sorted file → line ascending. Chaining patterns Locate → fix → verify (most common): 1. cavecrew-investigator returns site list. 2. Main thread picks 1-2 sites, hands paths to cavecrew-builder. 3. cavecrew-reviewer audits the diff. Parallel scout (when investigation is broad): Spawn 2-3 cavecrew-investigator calls in one message (different angles: defs vs callers vs tests). Aggregate in main thread. …
How to use it
Reference it in AdaL, Claude Code, Cursor or any coding agent — nothing to install:
@skills JuliusBrussee/cavecrew