cavecrew

name	cavecrew
version	1.0.0
targets	["claude-code"]
type	skill
description	Use when the user says "delegate to subagent", "use cavecrew", "spawn investigator/builder/reviewer", "save context", or "compressed agent output". Decision guide for delegating to caveman-style subagents (`cavecrew-investigator`, `cavecrew-builder`, `cavecrew-reviewer`) whose tool-results return ~60% smaller than vanilla equivalents, so the main context lasts longer across long sessions.
category	{"primary":"economy"}
license	{"upstream":"MIT","source":"https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman@63a91ec","path":"skills/cavecrew/SKILL.md"}

Cavecrew

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 the main thread can rely on per agent:

cavecrew-investigator

<Header>:
- path:line — `symbol` — short note
totals: <counts>.

Or No match. Always file-path-first, line-number-attached, backticked symbols. Safe to grep with path:\d+.

cavecrew-builder

<path:line-range> — <change ≤10 words>.
verified: <re-read OK | mismatch @ path:line>.

Or one of: too-big. / needs-confirm. / ambiguous. / regressed. (terminal first token).

cavecrew-reviewer

path:line: <emoji> <severity>: <problem>. <fix>.
totals: N🔴 N🟡 N🔵 N❓

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.

Single-shot edit (when site is already known): Skip investigator. Hand exact path:line to cavecrew-builder directly.

What NOT to do

• Don't use cavecrew-builder when the file isn't already known. Spawn investigator first or the main thread will eat tokens passing context.
• Don't chain cavecrew-investigator → cavecrew-builder for a 5-file refactor. Builder will return too-big. and a turn is wasted.
• Don't ask cavecrew-reviewer for "general feedback" — it returns findings only, no architecture opinions. Use Code Reviewer for that.
• Don't expect prose. Cavecrew output is structured, sometimes terse to the point of cryptic. If a human will read it directly, paraphrase.

Auto-clarity (inherited)

Subagents drop caveman → normal English for security warnings, irreversible-action confirmations, and any output where fragment ambiguity could be misread. Resume caveman after.

Subagent companions

The three subagents this skill orchestrates are bundled separately in the wardrobe as agent components:

• agents/cavecrew-investigator — read-only locator
• agents/cavecrew-builder — surgical 1-2 file edit
• agents/cavecrew-reviewer — diff/branch/file reviewer

Load them alongside this skill to get the full orchestration loop.