Token Burn Analysis · Skill Architecture · Engineering Gap Closure
obra/superpowers (14 skills) vs GadaaLabs/claude-code-on-steroids (24 skills) · Data verified from source files · 2026-04-14
Real engineering scenarios. Actual token costs modeled from source file word counts (words × 1.3 = tokens). obra numbers use their available skills only.
Lower is better for routine tasks. Steroids costs more upfront on first encounter — pays back massively on every subsequent encounter.
8 tasks/day across all 6 scenario types. obra re-investigates every repeated problem. Steroids caches, routes, compresses.
Day-by-day total. obra diverges after day 1 as repeat problems compound. Steroids flattens due to chronicle cache hits.
Assumes: 2 debug repeats/day, 1 mechanical/day, 1 new codebase/week, context limit 2×/week. Midpoint estimates used for ranges.
Where the savings actually come from. Chronicle and Pathfinder dominate. Vector is a perfect zero.
Actual word counts from source SKILL.md files. More content = more encoded decision-making = less LLM reasoning required.
12 skills evolved from obra originals. GadaaLabs additions (API verification, Phase 0, domain triggers) drove the largest gains.
New skills that don't exist in obra at all. Each adds structured knowledge the LLM would otherwise derive from scratch each session.
Composite scoring across the dimensions that matter for serious engineering work.
obra excels at structured workflow coverage. Steroids adds intelligence, memory, and domain layers.
obra: 14 skills. Steroids: 24. 9 overridden with GadaaLabs engineering additions. 10 entirely new.
6 specific gaps identified in both obra and the official expansion. Directed and built by GadaaLabs.
Does the capability exist? obra is a zero across all 6 gaps. The official expansion missed them too.
Full origin tracking, GadaaLabs additions flagged, override status shown.
| Codename | Role | Origin | GadaaLabs Addition | Pinned |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ascend | Session bootstrap | Evolved (obra: using-superpowers) | 13-domain trigger table + 6 workflow chains | ✓ Pinned |
| blueprint | Planning | Evolved (obra: writing-plans) | Phase 0 API Documentation Discovery | ✓ Pinned |
| forge | TDD | Evolved (obra: test-driven-development) | API Pre-Verification before test authorship | ✓ Pinned |
| commander | Parallel dispatch | Evolved (obra: dispatching-parallel-agents) | COMMANDER vs PHANTOM 6-row decision table | ✓ Pinned |
| vector | Model cost routing | New (no obra equivalent) | Tier 0 ($0) → Tier 3 (Opus) routing logic | ✓ Pinned |
| chronicle | Self-learning memory | New (no obra equivalent) | ReasoningBank + 3-layer token-efficient search | ✓ Pinned |
| pathfinder | Codebase onboarding | New (no obra equivalent) | 5-phase systematic exploration framework | ✓ Pinned |
| phantom | Sequential execution | Evolved (obra: executing-plans + subagent-driven-development) | — | ✓ Pinned |
| legion | Swarm coordination | New (no obra equivalent) | 4 topology templates: hierarchical, mesh, ring, star | ✓ Pinned |
| oracle | Task classifier | New (no obra equivalent) | Complexity tier + model + skill chain assignment | — |
| horizon | Context management | New (no obra equivalent) | Token budget tracking + compression + clean handoff | — |
| gradient | ML engineering | New (no obra equivalent) | Pipelines, training, serving, MLOps, drift detection | — |
| nexus | AI/RAG engineering | New (no obra equivalent) | RAG, agents, prompt engineering, LLM eval | — |
| ironcore | Embedded systems | New (no obra equivalent) | ISRs, RTOS, state machines, HAL, timing | — |
| prism | UI/UX engineering | New (no obra equivalent) | 67 styles, 25 chart types, WCAG 2.1 AA, Core Web Vitals | — |
| hunter | Systematic debugging | Evolved (obra: systematic-debugging) | — | — |
| spark | Brainstorming | Evolved (obra: brainstorming) | — | — |
| mirror | Receive code review | Evolved (obra: receiving-code-review) | — | — |
| critic | Request code review | Evolved (obra: requesting-code-review) | — | — |
| exodus | Finish branch / ship | Evolved (obra: finishing-a-development-branch) | — | — |
| sentinel | Verification | Evolved (obra: verification-before-completion) | — | — |
| scaffold | Writing skills | Evolved (obra: writing-skills) | — | — |
| anchor | Git worktrees | Evolved (obra: using-git-worktrees) | — | — |
| archivist | This skill guide | Evolved (obra: using-superpowers) | — | — |