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Models Setup

To balance cost, performance, and reasoning capabilities, this workflow uses three Claude model tiers.

Model Tiers

Tier Model Characteristics Used by
High-Reasoning Claude Opus Deep architecture analysis, complex planning, orchestration Conductor
Production Claude Sonnet Code review, structured analysis, standard triage Code Reviewer, Project Manager, OSS Triage Auditor
Utility Claude Haiku Lightweight monitoring, simple fixes, fast responses Delivery Manager

1. The "Eco" Plan (Budget-First)

Best for: Side projects, small utilities, or early-stage experiments.

  • Planning & Research: Production (Sonnet)
  • Implementation: Production (Sonnet)
  • QA/Review: Production (Sonnet)
  • Estimated Cost: ~$20/month (Claude Pro subscription)

2. The "Balanced" Plan (Standard OSS)

Best for: Production-grade libraries with regular contributions.

  • Planning & Research: High-Reasoning (Opus)
  • Implementation: Production (Sonnet)
  • QA/Review: Production (Sonnet)
  • Estimated Cost: ~$100/month (Claude Max subscription)

3. The "Power" Plan (High-Velocity)

Best for: Complex systems, security-critical code, or high-traffic projects.

  • Planning & Research: High-Reasoning (Opus)
  • Implementation: High-Reasoning (Opus) + Human verification
  • QA/Review: High-Reasoning (Opus)
  • Estimated Cost: $200+/month (heavy API usage)

Configuration

Settings are controlled via:

  • CLAUDE.md — Project-wide instructions, agent roster, hook-first rule
  • .mcp.json — MCP server configuration, default model
  • .claude/agents/*.md — Per-agent model tier (set in frontmatter)
  • .claude/project-config.md — Runtime constants (limits, labels, repo)