---

name: opus-critical description: Defines when to use Opus vs Opus Thinking vs Sonnet for NinjaTrader strategy development. Auto-spawns Opus for critical trading logic and standard code work. Reserves Opus Thinking for mission-critical live trading issues.

Opus Critical Sub-Agent

Purpose

Ensure critical trading code gets Opus-level analysis while using cost-effective models for routine work.

Universal Path: ${PROJECT_ROOT} Executors: ${BRAIN} (Reasoning), ${HANDS} (Gemini Flash via delegation_bridge)

Model Selection Rules

🟢 Haiku (Cheapest, Fastest)

Auto-spawn Haiku for:

• File operations (copy, move, list)
• Version loading/switching
• Changelog updates
• Documentation formatting
• Simple property default changes (literals only)

Examples:

Copy// Haiku can change these:
public double RiskPerTrade { get; set; } = 200;  // → 150
public int ORTimeframe { get; set; } = 15;  // → 10
public bool ShowORLabel { get; set; } = true;  // → false

Cost: ~$0.25/M input tokens

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🔵 Sonnet (Medium Cost, General Purpose)

Sonnet handles (when Opus is not spawned):

• Coordination and task delegation
• Deciding which sub-agent to use
• Communicating results to user
• Planning multi-step workflows

Cost: ~$3/M input tokens

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🟡 Opus (Expensive, Smart)

Auto-spawn Opus for:

1. Standard Code Work

• Adding new features
• Refactoring existing code
• Bug fixes (non-critical)
• UI changes (buttons, layouts, colors)
• Adding validation checks
• Performance optimizations
• Code cleanup and organization

2. Trading Logic (Critical)

• Order submission (ExecuteLong, ExecuteShort, SubmitOrder)
• Stop validation (SubmitValidatedStop, ValidateStopPrice)
• Position sizing calculations
• Risk management formulas
• Trailing stop logic (ManageTrailingStops)
• Target management (T1, T2, T3, Runner)
• Breakeven calculations
• Copy trading signal broadcasting

3. Architecture & Design

• Designing new subsystems
• Multi-account scaling architecture
• State management refactoring
• Performance optimization strategies
• Integration patterns

Cost: ~$15/M input tokens

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🔴 Opus Thinking (Most Expensive, Deepest Analysis)

IMPORTANT: Thinking mode CANNOT be auto-spawned. User must manually switch.

Manual activation only:

Copyclaude --model opus --thinking

Use Opus Thinking ONLY for:

Mission-Critical Issues

1. Live Trading Bugs

   • Orders rejected in production
   • Stops failing on Rithmic
   • Position tracking errors with real money
   • Copy trading signal failures
   • Any bug that causes financial loss

2. Multi-Step Debugging

   • Complex state corruption
   • Race conditions in order management
   • Memory leaks affecting live sessions
   • Intermittent failures that are hard to reproduce

3. Critical Architecture Decisions

   • Changing order management paradigm
   • Redesigning position tracking architecture
   • Major refactoring of risk calculations
   • Decisions with 6+ month impact

4. Production Incidents

   • Emergency fixes for live funded accounts
   • Stop-at-market rejections during trading
   • Unexpected flattening or position mismatches
   • Data feed issues affecting order placement

When to Use Thinking Mode:

• Lives Traded: Issue occurred in live funded account
• Money at Risk: Bug could cause financial loss
• Complex Root Cause: Multiple systems interacting
• High Stakes: Wrong fix makes it worse
• Need Reasoning: Want to see Opus's thought process

Cost: ~$15/M input + extra reasoning tokens

How Sonnet Handles This: When Sonnet detects a mission-critical issue, it will recommend you switch to Thinking mode but cannot activate it automatically. You maintain control over when to use this expensive mode.

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Decision Tree

CopyUser Request
    │
    ├─ File operation / version loading?
    │   └─ YES → Haiku
    │
    ├─ Simple property default change (literal)?
    │   └─ YES → Haiku
    │
    ├─ Standard code work (feature, UI, refactor)?
    │   └─ YES → Opus
    │
    ├─ Trading logic change?
    │   └─ YES → Opus
    │
    ├─ Live trading bug / emergency?
    │   └─ YES → Opus Thinking (manual switch)
    │
    └─ Complex multi-step debugging?
        └─ YES → Opus Thinking (manual switch)

---

Automatic vs Manual Invocation

Automatic Opus Spawning (Regular Opus 4.5)

Sonnet auto-spawns regular Opus 4.5 when task involves:

• Methods: ExecuteLong, ExecuteShort, SubmitOrder, SubmitStopOrder
• Methods: ManageTrailingStops, UpdateStopOrder, CalculatePositionSize
• Methods: OnOrderUpdate, OnPositionUpdate, OnExecutionUpdate
• Properties: Risk calculations, stop distances, position sizing
• Features: New buttons, dropdowns, UI layouts, validation

Sub-agent configuration:

CopyTask(
  subagent_type: "general-purpose",
  model: "opus",  // Regular Opus 4.5 (NOT Thinking)
  prompt: "[Task description]",
  description: "[Short summary]"
)

Example:

CopyUser: "Add a new breakeven button to the UI"

Sonnet: "This is standard code work. Spawning Opus sub-agent..."
[Spawns regular Opus 4.5 sub-agent]
Opus: [Returns complete implementation]
Sonnet: "Opus implemented the breakeven button. Ready to test."

Manual Opus Thinking (User Switches)

User manually switches to Opus Thinking for:

• Live trading emergencies
• Complex debugging sessions
• Critical architecture decisions

IMPORTANT: Thinking mode cannot be activated via sub-agents. User must switch manually.

How to activate:

Copy# User runs in terminal:
claude --model opus --thinking

Example:

CopyUser: "Stops are getting rejected on Rithmic in live trading.
       Orders failing at market open. Lost $200 this morning."

Sonnet: "⚠️ CRITICAL: Live trading emergency detected.

         I recommend switching to Opus Thinking mode for deep analysis:

         Run: claude --model opus --thinking

         This will show Opus's reasoning process and ensure thorough
         analysis. Should I proceed with regular Opus or do you want
         to switch to Thinking mode?"

→ User switches to Opus Thinking manually
→ Opus analyzes with extended reasoning
→ Shows thought process in <thinking> blocks
→ Provides thorough root cause analysis
→ Suggests tested fix with edge cases covered

---

Critical Code Areas (Opus Territory)

Order Management

Copy// Any changes to these methods = Opus
ExecuteLong()
ExecuteShort()
SubmitOrder()
SubmitStopOrder()
SubmitValidatedStop()
CancelOrder()
FlattenAll()
FlattenPositionByName()

Stop Management

Copy// Any changes to these = Opus
ManageTrailingStops()
UpdateStopOrder()
ValidateStopPrice()
CalculateStopDistance()

Position Tracking

Copy// Any changes to these = Opus
OnOrderUpdate()
OnPositionUpdate()
OnExecutionUpdate()
CleanupPosition()
TrackPosition()

Risk Calculations

Copy// Any changes to these = Opus
CalculatePositionSize()
CalculateDollarRisk()
CalculateStopDistance()
ValidatePositionSize()

Copy Trading

Copy// Any changes to these = Opus
BroadcastEntrySignal()
BroadcastFlattenSignal()
BroadcastBreakevenSignal()
OnTradeSignalReceived()

---

Standard Code Work (Opus Territory)

UI Changes

Copy// Opus handles these:
- Adding new buttons
- Changing layouts (vertical → horizontal)
- Creating dropdown menus
- Resizing panels
- Adding tooltips
- Changing colors/fonts

Feature Implementation

Copy// Opus handles these:
- New entry methods (RMA, TREND)
- New target management (T4, T5)
- Hotkey additions
- Display enhancements
- Property additions

Refactoring

Copy// Opus handles these:
- Code organization
- Method extraction
- Removing duplicated code
- Improving readability

---

Safe for Haiku (Simple Changes)

Property Defaults

Copy// Haiku can change these literals:
public double RiskPerTrade { get; set; } = 200;  // Change value
public int ORTimeframe { get; set; } = 15;  // Change value
public bool EnableCopyTrading { get; set; } = false;  // Toggle
public string SignalPrefix { get; set; } = "OR";  // Change string

// Haiku can change display properties:
[Display(Name = "Risk Per Trade", Order = 1)]
// Change Name or Order values

NOT Safe for Haiku

Copy// These require Opus (involve logic):
public double StopDistance { get; set; } = CalculateStopDistance();
private double CalculatePositionSize() { return RiskPerTrade / StopDistance; }

---

Communication Protocol

When Sonnet Spawns Opus

Sonnet says:

Copy"This involves [trading logic / standard code work]. Spawning Opus sub-agent to ensure quality..."

[Opus works]

"Opus completed the [feature/fix]. Here's what changed:
- [List changes]
Ready to test in NinjaTrader."

When User Should Switch to Opus Thinking

Sonnet says:

Copy"⚠️ CRITICAL ISSUE: This is a live trading bug affecting your funded account.

I recommend switching to Opus Thinking mode for deep analysis:

Run: claude --model opus --thinking

This will:
- Show extended reasoning process
- Analyze all edge cases
- Provide thorough root cause analysis
- Ensure the fix won't introduce new issues

Should I proceed with regular Opus, or do you want to switch to Thinking mode?"

---

Cost Comparison

Typical Session (1 hour coding)

Optimal Balance:

• Haiku: Routine file/doc operations
• Sonnet: Coordination and simple tasks
• Opus: Standard code work + critical trading logic
• Opus Thinking: Live trading emergencies only

Savings: ~50-70% vs using Opus for everything

---

Example Workflows

Workflow 1: Add New UI Button (Standard Code Work)

CopyUser: "Add a 'Close T1 Now' button"

Sonnet: "This is standard code work. Spawning Opus..."
Opus: [Designs button, adds to UI, implements handler]
Sonnet: "Done. Button added to target row. Test in NinjaTrader."

Cost: ~$1.20 (Opus sub-agent)

Workflow 2: Change Default Risk (Simple)

CopyUser: "Change default risk from $200 to $150"

Sonnet: "Simple property change. Spawning Haiku..."
Haiku: [Changes literal value, saves file]
Sonnet: "Done. RiskPerTrade default now $150."

Cost: ~$0.03 (Haiku sub-agent)

Workflow 3: Fix Stop Rejection (Critical Trading Logic)

CopyUser: "Stops getting rejected on Rithmic"

Sonnet: "This is critical trading logic. Spawning Opus..."
Opus: [Analyzes SubmitValidatedStop, finds buffer issue, fixes]
Sonnet: "Opus found the issue - 4-tick buffer wasn't accounting for
        Rithmic's specific rules. Fixed and ready to test."

Cost: ~$1.50 (Opus sub-agent)

Workflow 4: Emergency Live Bug (Use Thinking)

CopyUser: "Live account - orders failing, down $200 this morning"

Sonnet: "⚠️ CRITICAL: This is a live trading emergency.

        Recommendation: Switch to Opus Thinking mode for deep analysis.

        Run: claude --model opus --thinking

        Should I proceed with regular Opus or do you want Thinking mode?"

User: [Switches to Opus Thinking]

Opus Thinking: <thinking>
Let me analyze the order submission flow...
[Extended reasoning about state management, timing, Rithmic quirks]
</thinking>

The issue is a race condition between order submission and position
tracking. Here's the fix with full edge case analysis...

Cost: ~$8.00 (Opus Thinking for thorough analysis)

---

Integration with Other Skills

Works With:

• version-safety: Opus creates new versioned files
• file-manager: Haiku deploys Opus-created code
• docs-manager: Haiku updates changelog after Opus changes
• code-formatter: Haiku cleans up Opus-created code

Workflow:

1. Sonnet receives request
2. Sonnet decides: Haiku, Opus, or escalate to Opus Thinking
3. Sub-agent does the work
4. Sonnet reports results to user
5. User tests in NinjaTrader

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Summary: When to Use What

Key Principle: Use the cheapest model that ensures quality and safety.

Related Skills

• multi-ide-router - IDE routing
• opus-deployment-guide - Code deployment options
• delegation-bridge - Delegation standards
• wearable-project - Portability standards