Bach
Two-tier agent orchestration for Claude Code. A Manager decomposes complex tasks and delegates to specialist Workers.
The Pattern
User Request
↓
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ MANAGER │
│ • Analyze objectives │
│ • Decompose into subtasks │
│ • Delegate to workers │
│ • Synthesize results │
│ • Never does the work │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────┘
↓ ↓ ↓
┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐
│ RESEARCHER │ │ CODER │ │ REVIEWER │
│ Investigate │ │ Implement │ │ Evaluate │
│ Recommend │ │ Test │ │ Approve │
└─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘
↓ ↓ ↓
└────────────────┴────────────────┘
↓
Final Result
Project Structure
bach/
├── .claude-plugin/
│ └── plugin.json # Plugin metadata
├── agents/
│ └── architect.md # CC agent: design authority
├── commands/
│ ├── orchestrate.md # /orchestrate — single-pass decomposition
│ └── mission.md # /mission — multi-phase lifecycle
├── skills/
│ ├── orchestrating-work/
│ │ ├── SKILL.md # Core two-tier orchestration pattern
│ │ └── workers/
│ │ ├── architect-prompt.md # Design and phase planning template
│ │ ├── coder-prompt.md # Implementation task template
│ │ ├── researcher-prompt.md # Investigation task template
│ │ ├── reviewer-prompt.md # Code review task template
│ │ └── tester-prompt.md # Test writing task template
│ ├── lifecycle/
│ │ ├── SKILL.md # Multi-phase orchestration with gates
│ │ └── reference/
│ │ ├── phase-gates.md # Gate pattern reference
│ │ └── dependency-waves.md # Wave algorithm reference
│ └── creating-workers/
│ └── SKILL.md # Guide to adding custom workers
├── README.md
└── LICENSE
Installation
# Clone to your plugins directory
git clone https://github.com/tslateman/bach ~/.claude/plugins/bach
Or add to an existing project:
git clone https://github.com/tslateman/bach .claude-plugins/bach
Quick Start
Single-Pass: /orchestrate
For tasks that decompose into a few subtasks without phase boundaries:
/orchestrate Add input validation to the user registration form
The Manager analyzes, decomposes, dispatches workers, and synthesizes results in one pass.
Multi-Phase: /mission
For projects that span multiple phases with review gates:
/mission Build a CLI tool with auth, config management, and plugin system
The Manager dispatches an architect to plan phases, creates tasks with phase prefixes and gate barriers, executes each phase via the two-tier pattern, and gates transitions with reviewer approval.
Usage
Commands
| Command | Pattern | Use When |
|---|
/orchestrate | Single-pass | 3+ subtasks, no phase boundaries |
/mission | Multi-phase | Distinct phases, dependencies, review gates |
Skills
bach:orchestrating-work — Core skill teaching the two-tier delegation pattern
bach:lifecycle — Multi-phase orchestration with architect planning and review gates
bach:creating-workers — How to create custom specialist workers
Worker Prompt Templates
bach:orchestrating-work/workers/architect-prompt.mdbach:orchestrating-work/workers/coder-prompt.mdbach:orchestrating-work/workers/researcher-prompt.mdbach:orchestrating-work/workers/reviewer-prompt.mdbach:orchestrating-work/workers/tester-prompt.md
When to Use
Good fit for /orchestrate:
- Complex tasks with 3+ distinct parts
- Tasks needing different skills (research, code, review)
- Quality benefits from focused attention
- You want structured delegation
Good fit for /mission:
- Multi-phase projects (design → build → integrate)
- Phase dependencies (phase 2 needs phase 1's output)
- Quality gates between phases matter
- Architect planning adds value
Not a good fit:
- Simple tasks (just do them)
- One-line fixes
- Exploratory investigation (don't know scope yet)
Core Workers