Adversarial code review using the opposite model. Spawns 1–3 reviewers on the opposing model (Claude spawns Codex, Codex spawns Claude) to challenge work from distinct critical lenses. Triggers: "adversarial review".
Spawn reviewers on the opposite model to challenge work. Reviewers attack from distinct lenses grounded in the bundled review lens definitions. The deliverable is a synthesized verdict; do not make changes.
Hard constraint: Reviewers MUST run via the opposite model's CLI (codex exec or
claude -p). Do NOT use subagents, the Agent tool, or any internal delegation mechanism as
reviewers — those run on your own model, which defeats the purpose.
Read references/reviewer-lenses.md. These bundled lens definitions govern reviewer
judgments and are the only required local reference material for this skill.
Identify what to review from context (recent diffs, referenced plans, user message).
Determine the intent — what the author is trying to achieve. This is critical: reviewers challenge whether the work achieves the intent well, not whether the intent is correct. State the intent explicitly before proceeding.
Assess change size:
| Size | Threshold | Reviewers |
|---|---|---|
| Small | < 50 lines, 1–2 files | 1 (Skeptic) |
| Medium | 50–200 lines, 3–5 files | 2 (Skeptic + Architect) |
| Large | 200+ lines or 5+ files | 3 (Skeptic + Architect + Minimalist) |
Create a temp directory for reviewer output:
REVIEW_DIR=$(mktemp -d /tmp/adversarial-review.XXXXXX)
Determine which model you are, then spawn reviewers on the opposite:
If you are Claude → spawn Codex reviewers via codex exec:
codex exec --skip-git-repo-check -o "$REVIEW_DIR/skeptic.md" "prompt" 2>/dev/null
Use --profile edit only if the reviewer needs to run tests. Default to read-only.
Run reviewer commands concurrently with your environment's available shell background
mechanism and wait for every output file before synthesis.
If you are Codex → spawn Claude reviewers via claude CLI:
claude -p "prompt" > "$REVIEW_DIR/skeptic.md" 2>/dev/null
Run reviewer commands concurrently with your environment's available shell background mechanism and wait for every output file before synthesis.
Name each output file after the lens: skeptic.md, architect.md, minimalist.md.
Each reviewer gets a single prompt containing:
Spawn all reviewers in parallel.
Before reading reviewer output, log which CLI was used and confirm the output files exist:
echo "reviewer_cli=codex|claude"
ls "$REVIEW_DIR"/*.md
If any output file is missing or empty, note the failure in the verdict — do not silently skip a reviewer.
Read each reviewer's output file from $REVIEW_DIR/. Deduplicate overlapping findings.
Produce a single verdict:
## Intent
<what the author is trying to achieve>
## Verdict: PASS | CONTESTED | REJECT
<one-line summary>
## Findings
<numbered list, ordered by severity (high → medium → low)>
For each finding:
- **[severity]** Description with file:line references
- Lens: which reviewer raised it
- Lens principle: which bundled review lens principle it maps to
- Recommendation: concrete action, not vague advice
## What Went Well
<1–3 things the reviewers found no issue with — acknowledge good work>
Verdict logic:
After synthesizing the reviewers, apply your own judgment. Using the stated intent and bundled review lenses as your frame, state which findings you would accept and which you would reject and why. Reviewers are adversarial by design; not every finding warrants action. Call out false positives, overreach, and findings that mistake style for substance.
Append to the verdict:
## Lead Judgment
<for each finding: accept or reject with a one-line rationale>