variable-sword

# 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.