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Agent-Model Matching Guide

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Agent-Model Matching Guide

For agents and users: Why each agent needs a specific model — and how to customize without breaking things.


🚨 READ THIS FIRST — SISYPHUS IS NOT A "RUN IT ON ANY MODEL" SYSTEM 🚨

STOP. BEFORE YOU POINT SISYPHUS AT SOME OTHER MODEL, READ EVERY WORD BELOW. THIS IS THE SINGLE MOST IGNORED THING IN THIS WHOLE GUIDE.

SISYPHUS IS ONLY MAINTAINER-VERIFIED ON THE EXACT MODELS LISTED IN THIS SUPPORTED SET — AND NOTHING, NOTHING, ELSE. The supported set is narrow on purpose:

  • Claude family: Fable 5 · Opus 4.8 · Opus 4.8 · Sonnet 4.6
  • Kimi: K3 · K2.7 · K3 · K3
  • GLM: 5 / 5.1 (acceptable — slightly looser on the long nested workflows)
  • GPT: 5.4 / 5.5 / 5.6 Sol (GPT-native prompt paths exist — supported, but still NOT the recommended default for the orchestrator)

Known GPT-5.6 Sisyphus risk: GPT-5.6 Sol is an automatic fallback and receives a model-aware GPT-native prompt, but issue #6074 tracks over-orchestration on bounded work. Hephaestus remains the recommended GPT-5.6 agent; the Sisyphus route is available for fallback coverage, not a claim that it is the best fit.

Experimental, not supported: GLM 5.2. A dedicated GLM-5.2-calibrated prompt exists, and the selector uses it for model IDs recognized as GLM. One community report describes good results, but maintainers have not yet validated the nested todo, delegation, long-context, and non-ultrawork behavior end to end. The Sisyphus fallback chain is configured with the glm-5 model literal, but fuzzy availability matching can resolve that entry to GLM 5.1 or GLM 5.2. Any resulting GLM 5.2 use remains experimental, not a supported configuration.

IF A MODEL IS NOT ON THE SUPPORTED LIST, IT IS NOT MAINTAINER-VERIFIED WITH SISYPHUS. A community report does not change that status. It may not work at all. It may look like it works and then fall apart three tool-calls later. IT IS NOT A SUPPORTED CONFIGURATION, IT IS NOT BLESSED, AND IT IS NOT A PROMISE THAT IT WILL STILL WORK TOMORROW.

EVERY SINGLE PROMPT CHANGE TO SISYPHUS IS WRITTEN, TUNED, AND REGRESSION-CHECKED AGAINST THE MODELS ABOVE — AND ONLY THOSE MODELS. Nobody is watching how an off-list model behaves. The consequences are not subtle:

  • AN UNLISTED MODEL CAN BREAK AT THE VERY NEXT PATCH, WITH ZERO WARNING. A prompt tweak that helps Claude/Kimi can silently shatter whatever fragile thing was holding your off-list model together — and we will never notice, because we are not testing it. Do not file it as a bug. It was never working on purpose.
  • A PROMPT CANNOT FIX A MODEL. Models have hard, intrinsic characteristics. No amount of prompt-carving makes a model do what it fundamentally cannot do. If a model is the wrong brain for orchestration, it stays the wrong brain — forever, no matter how perfectly the prompt is shaped. We have ground prompts down to the bone; the model that can't, still can't.

SO, GENUINELY AND SINCERELY, FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS: RUNNING SISYPHUS ON ANY MODEL NOT LISTED HERE IS STRONGLY, EMPHATICALLY, DESPERATELY NOT RECOMMENDED. Do it anyway and you are fully on your own — and you should expect it to break.

MiniMax / Qwen / MiMo / DeepSeek as Sisyphus — JUST DON'T

We have NOT found any way to make MiniMax, Qwen, MiMo, or DeepSeek work acceptably as Sisyphus. We tried. They do not hold up under Sisyphus's nested todo + delegation + orchestration prompt. This is not a "tune it more" situation — see the rule above: a prompt cannot fix a model.

MiniMax and Qwen in particular are so bad in the Sisyphus role that we would almost forbid it outright. Treat "Sisyphus on MiniMax" and "Sisyphus on Qwen" as configurations you should simply never reach for. (These models still have legitimate jobs elsewhere — MiniMax for fast utility fallback, Qwen for visual work, both documented below — just NEVER as the orchestrator.)


The Core Insight: Models Are Developers

Think of AI models as developers on a team. Each has a different brain, different personality, different strengths. A model isn't just "smarter" or "dumber." It thinks differently. Give the same instruction to Claude and GPT, and they'll interpret it in fundamentally different ways.

This isn't a bug. It's the foundation of the entire system.

Oh My OpenAgent assigns each agent a model that matches its working style — like building a team where each person is in the role that fits their personality.

Sisyphus: The Sociable Lead

Sisyphus is the developer who knows everyone, goes everywhere, and gets things done through communication and coordination. Talks to other agents, understands context across the whole codebase, delegates work intelligently, and codes well too. But deep, purely technical problems? He'll struggle a bit.

This is why Sisyphus uses Claude / Kimi / GLM. These models excel at:

  • Following complex, multi-step instructions (Sisyphus's prompt is ~1,100 lines)
  • Maintaining conversation flow across many tool calls
  • Understanding nuanced delegation and orchestration patterns
  • Producing well-structured, communicative output

Using Sisyphus with older GPT models would be like taking your best project manager — the one who coordinates everyone, runs standups, and keeps the whole team aligned — and sticking them in a room alone to debug a race condition. Wrong fit. GPT-5.4 has its own prompt, while GPT-5.5 and GPT-5.6 Sol share a model-aware GPT-native prompt family; GPT is still not the default recommendation for the orchestrator.

⚠️ Sisyphus is ONLY tested on Claude (Fable 5 / Opus 4.8 / 4.7 / Sonnet 4.6), Kimi (K3 / K2.7 / K3 / K3), GLM (5 / 5.1), and GPT (5.4 / 5.5 / 5.6 Sol). Anything else is not maintainer-verified or supported and can break without warning. MiniMax and Qwen as Sisyphus are strongly discouraged to the point we'd almost forbid it. Read the 🚨 READ THIS FIRST warning at the very top of this guide before you override the orchestrator's model.

GLM 5.2 remains experimental. It has a calibrated prompt and one community report, but no maintainer end-to-end validation. The prompt selector applies to model IDs recognized as GLM. The hardcoded Sisyphus fallback entry is the glm-5 literal, which fuzzy availability matching may resolve to GLM 5.1 or GLM 5.2.

Hephaestus: The Deep Specialist

Hephaestus is the developer who stays in their room coding all day. Doesn't talk much. Might seem socially awkward. But give them a hard technical problem and they'll emerge three hours later with a solution nobody else could have found.

This is why Hephaestus uses GPT-5.6 sol (falling back to GPT-5.6 Sol). The GPT-5.x flagship line is built for exactly this:

  • Deep, autonomous exploration without hand-holding
  • Multi-file reasoning across complex codebases
  • Principle-driven execution (give a goal, not a recipe)
  • Working independently for extended periods

Using Hephaestus with GLM or Kimi would be like assigning your most communicative, sociable developer to sit alone and do nothing but deep technical work. They'd get it done eventually, but they wouldn't shine — you'd be wasting exactly the skills that make them valuable.

The Takeaway

Every agent's prompt is tuned to match its model's personality. When you change the model, you change the brain — and the same instructions get understood completely differently. Model matching isn't about "better" or "worse." It's about fit.


How Claude and GPT Think Differently

This matters for understanding why some agents support both model families while others don't.

Claude responds to mechanics-driven prompts — detailed checklists, templates, step-by-step procedures. More rules = more compliance. You can write a 1,100-line prompt with nested workflows and Claude will follow every step.

GPT (especially 5.2+) responds to principle-driven prompts — concise principles, XML structure, explicit decision criteria. More rules = more contradiction surface = more drift. GPT works best when you state the goal and let it figure out the mechanics.

Prometheus used to mirror this split with separate model-family prompts. It now uses a single thin prompt backed by ulw-plan, so swapping its model changes the fallback choice, not the prompt file.

Atlas still supports model-family prompt behavior. Prometheus does not auto-switch prompts at runtime.


Step 1 — Check What's Actually Available

Before configuring anything, see what your current system can run.

List all available models

bash
opencode models

This prints every provider/model combination you can address right now. Providers are derived from your connected auth + the models.dev catalogue.

Opencode sorts the output so opencode* providers appear first — that's intentional, not cosmetic.

List connected providers

bash
opencode auth list

Shows which providers you've already logged into.

If the model you want isn't listed

You need to log in to that provider:

bash
opencode auth login

The interactive picker prioritizes providers in this order:

PriorityProviderOpencode's own hint
0opencode(Recommended)
1opencode-goLow cost subscription for everyone
2openaiChatGPT Plus/Pro or API key
3github-copilot
4anthropicAPI key
5google

You can also skip the picker: opencode auth login --provider opencode-go.

Verify what oh-my-openagent will actually use

bash
bunx oh-my-openagent doctor

This shows the effective model resolution for every agent and category based on your current auth state. If an agent says "system-default" instead of a real fallback, that's a signal you're missing providers from its chain.


You don't need every provider. You need the right two.

The Optimal Combination: OpenCode Go + OpenAI Plus/Pro

~$30/month total. Beats direct Anthropic + OpenAI + Google subscriptions (~$60+/month) on both cost and coverage.

SubscriptionCostWhat You GetCovers
OpenCode Go$10/mokimi-k3, kimi-k3, glm-5, glm-5.2, minimax-m2.5, minimax-m2.7, minimax-m3, mimo-v2-pro, qwen3.5-plus, qwen3.6-plusClaude-family alternatives (Kimi, GLM), Gemini-family alternatives (Qwen), utility/retrieval (MiniMax)
OpenAI Plus/Pro$20+/mogpt-5.4, gpt-5.4-pro, gpt-5.6-sol, gpt-5.6-sol, gpt-5.6-sol, gpt-5.6-terra, gpt-5.6-lunaGPT-native agents (Hephaestus, Oracle, Momus), GPT-5.6 category defaults (deep, ultrabrain, unspecified-low), GPT fallbacks for model-flexible agents

Why this specific combination

  1. Hephaestus requires the GPT-5.x family (default: GPT-5.6 sol). It has no Claude-family fallback. ChatGPT Plus/Pro or OpenAI API access is the cheapest real path.
  2. OpenCode Go covers the orchestration and creative surface. Kimi K3/2.6 behaves like Claude for Sisyphus/Atlas. GLM-5 fills the long tail. Qwen handles visual tasks when Gemini isn't available.
  3. No single provider can cover everything. Anthropic-only setups break Hephaestus. OpenAI-only setups degrade Sisyphus. You need at least one from each family.

What if you already have a Claude subscription?

Add --claude=max20 (or yes) on install. The Claude chain default (Opus 4.8, snapshot-backed) activates for Sisyphus/Prometheus/Atlas and you still get the OpenCode Go fallbacks for free. Pin claude-opus-4-8 or claude-fable-5 to run the current top Claude with Sisyphus/Atlas tuned prompts, or pin opencode-go/kimi-k3 to run the top Kimi; Prometheus keeps its single ulw-plan-backed prompt. Best-in-class orchestration + budget safety net.

What if you have zero subscriptions?

OpenCode Go alone gets Sisyphus/Atlas/Oracle/Librarian/Explore working. Hephaestus won't activate without GPT access, so you lose autonomous deep work. Consider adding ChatGPT Plus as soon as you can.

Where to Spend One Scarce Premium Model

If one premium model is quota-limited while your other models are effectively unlimited, optimize in this order:

  1. Match the model family to the agent. A premium model is not an interchangeable upgrade. Claude-family models fit communicators such as Metis, Sisyphus, and Atlas; GPT-family models fit deep specialists such as Oracle, Momus, and Hephaestus.
  2. Prefer a low-frequency, high-leverage role. Avoid spending scarce quota on continuous orchestration, execution, search, or retrieval unless that is the workflow you explicitly want to improve.
  3. Account for loops. Metis normally contributes one gap-analysis pass per plan generation. High-accuracy planning runs one Momus pass and one independent Oracle pass per round, then repeats both after any rejection. Oracle can also be invoked separately for architecture or debugging advice.

For a scarce Claude Fable 5 allocation, Metis is the default value-per-token placement. It is compatible with Metis's prompt style, runs before the plan is finalized, and can prevent expensive downstream work without putting every Sisyphus, Atlas, or worker turn on the limited quota.

jsonc
{
  "agents": {
    "metis": {
      "model": "anthropic/claude-fable-5",
      "variant": "max",
      "fallback_models": [
        { "model": "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6" },
        { "model": "openai/gpt-5.6-sol", "variant": "high" },
        { "model": "kimi-for-coding/kimi-k3" }
      ]
    }
  }
}

The explicit model and variant make Fable 5 the normal Metis model. fallback_models only supplies secondary candidates; putting Fable 5 there without an explicit model does not assign it as the normal model for an agent whose primary model is available.

Use a different slot only when the model family and workflow justify it:

  • A scarce GPT-family reasoning model can be valuable on Oracle or Momus, but high-accuracy planning spends both once per review round. Hephaestus is a better target when the scarce model's purpose is autonomous deep implementation rather than advisory review.
  • Prometheus is lower-frequency than Sisyphus, but a planning interview can span many turns.
  • Sisyphus and Atlas are valid homes for Fable 5 when maximum orchestration quality matters more than quota. They are not the default for a scarce allocation because they run throughout the workflow.
  • Sisyphus-Junior and categories are execution-heavy. Explore and Librarian favor speed and parallelism. These are usually poor places for the rarest model.

Step 3 — Model Family Alternatives (Priority Order)

When the "native" model isn't available, oh-my-openagent walks each agent's fallback chain until something connects. The chains are hardcoded in packages/omo-opencode/src/shared/model-requirements.ts. There is no single global priority list. Every agent and category has its own chain.

There are two separate systems:

  • model-fallback: proactive resolution in chat.params using hardcoded AGENT_MODEL_REQUIREMENTS and CATEGORY_MODEL_REQUIREMENTS
  • runtime-fallback: reactive recovery from session.error, configurable per category/agent in runtime-fallback hooks

Current top tier vs the auto-resolution chain

Two things move at different speeds, and the difference explains why "Opus 4.8" still appears as a default below:

  • The current top models are Claude Fable 5 and Opus 4.8, and Kimi K3 and K2.7. Sisyphus has dedicated tuned prompt paths for all of them; Atlas has tuned paths for Claude Fable 5 / Opus 4.8 / Opus 4.8 / Kimi K2.7; Prometheus keeps one ulw-plan-backed prompt. Pin one in your config: "anthropic/claude-opus-4-8", "anthropic/claude-fable-5", "opencode-go/kimi-k3", "opencode-go/kimi-k2.7-code". Use that when you want to opt into the newer model explicitly.
  • The auto-resolution fallback chains below still lead with Opus 4.8, then Kimi K3, then Kimi K3. That is intentional, not stale: the chains only auto-select models the bundled capability snapshot is built against, so variant and context-window resolution stay correct. They promote Opus 4.8 / K3 / K2.7 to chain defaults once those land in the model catalog; until then you opt into the newer models — and their prompts — by naming them explicitly.

So an "Opus 4.8 (max)" entry in the chains below is the snapshot-backed floor, not a recommendation to prefer 4.7 over 4.8.

Claude Family (communicative, instruction-following)

Used by: Sisyphus, Atlas, Sisyphus-Junior, Metis (Claude path), Prometheus (primary fallback), unspecified-low, unspecified-high.

The priorities below include manual model choices. They are not a literal copy of every agent's automatic fallback chain; see Agent Profiles for the exact runtime chains.

PriorityModelProviderWhy
1claude-fable-5 / claude-opus-4-8 / claude-opus-4-8 (max)anthropic, github-copilot, opencode, vercelBest overall compliance with the ~1,100-line Sisyphus prompt. Sisyphus carries per-version prompts for all three; Prometheus uses its single ulw-plan-backed prompt. Opus 4.8 is the hardcoded chain default for budget stability.
2claude-sonnet-4-6sameFaster, cheaper, still Claude.
3kimi-k3 - RECOMMENDED ALTERNATIVE (newest Kimi)opencode-go, kimi-for-coding, moonshotai, opencode, vercelStrongest Kimi for Sisyphus. Use when you can accept the thinking-token cost; the prompt is calibrated to stop overthinking and keep work moving.
4kimi-k2.7 - RECOMMENDED ALTERNATIVEsame as K3Restrained, outcome-first, and the top Kimi when Anthropic isn't connected. Agents with Kimi-specific prompt paths use their K2.7 tuning; Prometheus keeps its ulw-plan-backed prompt.
5kimi-k3 or kimi-k3 — RECOMMENDED ALTERNATIVEsame as K3Instruction-following mirrors Claude closely. Current default Kimi in the chains after K3.
6glm-5 or glm-5.1 — ACCEPTABLE ALTERNATIVEopencode-go, zai-coding-plan, opencode, vercelClaude-like, slightly looser on long nested workflows. The automatic Sisyphus chain is configured with glm-5; fuzzy availability matching may select GLM 5.1 or GLM 5.2 for that literal.
7glm-5.2 — EXPERIMENTALopencode-go, zai-coding-plan, opencode, vercelUses the GLM-5.2-calibrated prompt because its model ID is recognized as GLM. It may be selected by fuzzy matching or configured directly, but remains backed by one community report rather than maintainer end-to-end validation.
8big-pickle (GLM 4.6)opencodeFree-tier safety net.

Kimi ≻ GLM. Kimi (K3 newest, then K2.7, then K3/K3) holds up under Sisyphus's nested todo+delegation prompts better than GLM. Use Kimi whenever both are available.

GPT Family (principle-driven, autonomous)

Used by: Hephaestus, Oracle, Momus, deep, ultrabrain, quick, unspecified-low, Prometheus (GPT fallback), Atlas (GPT path).

PriorityModelProviderWhy
1gpt-5.6-sol (xhigh / high / medium)openai, vercelThe GPT-5.6 flagship. Default for Hephaestus (medium) and ultrabrain (xhigh); first fallback for deep.
1gpt-5.6-terra (xhigh / high)openai, vercelGPT-5.6 mid-tier. New default for the deep category; default for Momus (high).
1gpt-5.6-luna (xhigh)openai, vercelGPT-5.6 light tier. New default for the unspecified-low category.
2gpt-5.6-sol / gpt-5.4 (pro / xhigh / high / medium)openai, github-copilot, opencode, vercelPrevious flagship generation; first fallback on providers without GPT-5.6. Hephaestus requires this family.
3gpt-5.6-solsameStill the deep-coding powerhouse. Kept as an explicit override option.
3DeepSeek — LIMITED ALTERNATIVE (deepseek-v3.2, deepseek-chat-v3.1)openrouter/deepseekClosest OSS equivalent for autonomous coding behavior. Not wired into default chains — add via fallback_models.
4MiniMax — STRONGLY DISCOURAGED (minimax-m3, minimax-m2.7, minimax-m2.5)opencode-go, opencode, openrouter/minimaxUsed only in utility fallback chains (Explore, Librarian, quick). Consistency and long-context management issues make it a poor substitute for Hephaestus/Oracle. Do NOT override deep agents to MiniMax.

DeepSeek ≻≻ MiniMax. DeepSeek retains GPT's autonomous exploration character. MiniMax loses coherence on multi-step deep work. MiniMax is fine for grep-style utility agents, nothing more.

Gemini Family (visual, different reasoning style)

Used by: visual-engineering, artistry, Oracle (visual fallback), Multimodal-Looker.

PriorityModelProviderWhy
1gemini-3.1-pro (high)google, github-copilot, opencode, vercelBest for UI/UX, CSS, design tokens, layout decisions. artistry category requires this family.
2gemini-3-flashsameFast variant, writing/doc tasks.
3Qwen — ALTERNATIVE (qwen3.6-plus, qwen3.5-plus)opencode-go, openrouter/qwenClosest vision-capable substitute when Google isn't connected. Uses different reasoning style but handles visual tasks competently.

No GLM/Kimi here. They're not Gemini substitutes for visual work. Use Qwen.


Cheat Sheet: Substitution Rules

If you lose...Swap to (in order)Avoid
Claude Opus/SonnetKimi K3 → Kimi K2.7 → K3/K3 → GLM 5 → Big PickleOlder GPT models
GPT-5.4/5.5/5.6 SolGPT-5.6 Sol Codex → DeepSeek v3.2MiniMax (except for utility work)
Gemini 3.1 ProQwen 3.6-plus / 3.5-plusClaude/Kimi (wrong reasoning style for visual)
GPT-5.4 Mini Fast (Explore/Librarian)Qwen 3.5-plus → MiniMax M2.7 Highspeed → MiniMax M3 → Claude HaikuOpus (massive cost waste)

GLM 5.2 is not an explicit model literal in that automatic substitution order. The Sisyphus chain is configured with glm-5, but fuzzy availability matching may resolve that entry to GLM 5.1 or GLM 5.2. If GLM 5.2 is selected, its status is still experimental.


Agent Profiles

Exact current runtime chains from agent-model-requirements.ts.

AgentPrimaryFull fallback chain
sisyphusclaude-opus-4-8anthropic|github-copilot|opencode|vercel/claude-opus-4-8 (max)opencode-go|kimi-for-coding|moonshotai|opencode|vercel|bailian-coding-plan|moonshotai-cn|firmware|ollama-cloud|aihubmix/kimi-k3openai|github-copilot|opencode|vercel/gpt-5.6-sol (medium)zai-coding-plan|opencode|bailian-coding-plan|vercel/glm-5opencode/big-pickle
hephaestusgpt-5.6-solopenai|github-copilot|vercel|opencode/gpt-5.6-sol (medium)
oraclegpt-5.6-solopenai|opencode|vercel/gpt-5.6-sol (xhigh)github-copilot/gpt-5.6-sol (high)google|github-copilot|opencode|vercel/gemini-3.1-pro (high)anthropic|github-copilot|opencode|vercel/claude-opus-4-8 (max)opencode-go|vercel/glm-5.2
librariangpt-5.4-mini-fastopenai/gpt-5.4-mini-fastopencode-go|bailian-coding-plan/qwen3.5-plusvercel/minimax-m2.7-highspeedopencode-go|vercel/minimax-m3minimax-coding-plan|minimax-cn-coding-plan/MiniMax-M3opencode-go|vercel/minimax-m2.7anthropic|github-copilot|vercel/claude-haiku-4-5openai|vercel/gpt-5.4-nano
exploregpt-5.4-mini-fastopenai/gpt-5.4-mini-fastopencode-go|bailian-coding-plan/qwen3.5-plusvercel/minimax-m2.7-highspeedopencode-go|vercel/minimax-m3minimax-coding-plan|minimax-cn-coding-plan/MiniMax-M3opencode-go|vercel/minimax-m2.7anthropic|github-copilot|vercel/claude-haiku-4-5openai|vercel/gpt-5.4-nano
multimodal-lookergpt-5.6-solopenai|opencode|vercel/gpt-5.6-sol (low)opencode-go|vercel/kimi-k3zai-coding-plan|vercel/glm-4.6vopenai|github-copilot|opencode|vercel/gpt-5-nano
prometheusclaude-opus-4-8anthropic|github-copilot|opencode|vercel/claude-opus-4-8 (max)openai|github-copilot|opencode|vercel/gpt-5.6-sol (high)opencode-go|vercel/glm-5.2google|github-copilot|opencode|vercel/gemini-3.1-pro
metisclaude-sonnet-4-6anthropic|github-copilot|opencode|vercel/claude-sonnet-4-6anthropic|github-copilot|opencode|vercel/claude-opus-4-8 (max)openai|github-copilot|opencode|vercel/gpt-5.6-sol (medium)opencode-go|vercel/glm-5.2kimi-for-coding/kimi-k3
momusgpt-5.6-terraopenai|vercel/gpt-5.6-terra (high)github-copilot/gpt-5.6-terra (high)openai|opencode|vercel/gpt-5.6-sol (xhigh)github-copilot/gpt-5.6-sol (high)anthropic|github-copilot|opencode|vercel/claude-opus-4-8 (max)google|github-copilot|opencode|vercel/gemini-3.1-pro (high)opencode-go|vercel/glm-5.2
atlasclaude-sonnet-4-6anthropic|github-copilot|opencode|vercel/claude-sonnet-4-6opencode-go|vercel/kimi-k3openai|github-copilot|opencode|vercel/gpt-5.6-sol (medium)opencode-go|vercel/minimax-m3minimax-coding-plan|minimax-cn-coding-plan/MiniMax-M3opencode-go|vercel/minimax-m2.7
sisyphus-juniorclaude-sonnet-4-6anthropic|github-copilot|opencode|vercel/claude-sonnet-4-6opencode-go|vercel/kimi-k3openai|github-copilot|opencode|vercel/gpt-5.6-sol (medium)opencode-go|vercel/minimax-m3minimax-coding-plan|minimax-cn-coding-plan/MiniMax-M3opencode-go|vercel/minimax-m2.7opencode/big-pickle

Model Families

Claude Family

Communicative, instruction-following, structured output. Best for agents that need to follow complex multi-step prompts. Sisyphus, Sisyphus-Junior, Atlas, and Metis use tuned prompt paths for supported communicative models. Prometheus uses one thin ulw-plan-backed prompt across model families.

ModelStrengths
Claude Fable 5Top tier, above Opus. Highest compliance; has its own per-agent prompt variants.
Claude Opus 4.8Current best Opus — steerable and literal. Dedicated per-agent prompt variants.
Claude Opus 4.8Still excellent; the hardcoded default in the Sisyphus chain for budget stability.
Claude Sonnet 4.6Faster, cheaper. Good balance for everyday tasks.
Claude Haiku 4.5Fast and cheap. Good for quick tasks and utility work.
Kimi K3Newest Kimi generation. Strong reasoning and instruction following; tuned Sisyphus prompt explicitly bounds overthinking so it keeps moving on routine work. Recommended when the thinking-token cost is acceptable.
Kimi K2.7Restrained and outcome-first, a GPT-5.6 Sol-leaning Opus 4.8 in a Claude-family body. Top Kimi for the orchestrators; agents with Kimi-specific prompt paths use K2.7 tuning while Prometheus keeps its ulw-plan-backed prompt.
Kimi K3Behave very similarly to Claude. Great all-rounders at lower cost; K3 is the Kimi fallback in the Sisyphus chain.
GLM 5Claude-like behavior. Solid for orchestration tasks.
GLM 5.2Experimental for Sisyphus. Model IDs recognized as GLM use a GLM-5.2-calibrated prompt, but evidence is one community report without maintainer end-to-end validation.

GPT Family

Principle-driven, explicit reasoning, deep technical capability. Best for agents that work autonomously on complex problems.

ModelStrengths
GPT-5.6 Sol CodexDeep coding powerhouse. Autonomous exploration. Still available for deep category and explicit overrides.
GPT-5.6 SolThe GPT-5.6 flagship. Default for Hephaestus (medium); default for the ultrabrain category and first fallback for deep.
GPT-5.6 TerraGPT-5.6 mid-tier. Default for the deep category (xhigh) and Momus (high).
GPT-5.6 LunaGPT-5.6 light tier. Default for the unspecified-low category (xhigh).
GPT-5.6 SolHigh intelligence, strategic reasoning. Default for Oracle, first fallback for Momus (xhigh) and Hephaestus, and a key fallback for Prometheus / Atlas.
GPT-5.4 MiniFast + strong reasoning. Good for lightweight autonomous tasks. Default for quick category.
GPT-5-NanoUltra-cheap, fast. Good for simple utility tasks.

Other Models

ModelStrengths
Gemini 3.1 ProExcels at visual/frontend tasks. Different reasoning style. Default for visual-engineering and artistry.
Gemini 3 FlashFast. Good for doc search and light tasks.
GPT-5.4 Mini FastDefault for Explore and Librarian agents. Blazing-fast reasoning-capable mini model.
MiniMax M3Latest MiniMax flagship. Primary MiniMax fallback in OpenCode Go utility chains, ahead of M2.7.
MiniMax M2.7Fast and smart. Used in OpenCode Go and OpenCode Zen utility fallback chains.
MiniMax M2.7 HighspeedHigh-speed OpenCode catalog entry used in utility fallback chains that prefer the fastest available MiniMax path.

OpenCode Go

A premium subscription tier ($10/month) that provides reliable access to Chinese frontier models through OpenCode's infrastructure.

Available Models:

ModelUse Case
opencode-go/kimi-k3Strongest Kimi orchestration model. Primary recommended Kimi for Sisyphus when thinking cost is acceptable.
opencode-go/kimi-k3Vision-capable, Claude-like reasoning. Used by Sisyphus, Atlas, Sisyphus-Junior, Multimodal Looker.
opencode-go/glm-5.2Text-only orchestration model. Used by Oracle, Prometheus, Metis, Momus, deep, and ultrabrain.
opencode-go/minimax-m3Latest MiniMax flagship on OpenCode Go. Primary MiniMax fallback for Atlas, Sisyphus-Junior, Explore and Librarian, ahead of M2.7.
opencode-go/minimax-m2.7Ultra-cheap, fast responses. Used by Atlas, Sisyphus-Junior, Explore and Librarian fallbacks for utility work.
opencode-go/qwen3.5-plusQwen coding model used as the first OpenCode Go utility fallback for Explore and Librarian when GPT-5.4 Mini Fast is unavailable.

When It Gets Used:

OpenCode Go models appear throughout the fallback chains as intermediate options. Depending on the agent, they can sit before GPT, after GPT, or act as the last structured-model fallback before cheaper utility paths.

Go-Only Scenarios:

Some model identifiers in fallback chains are provider-specific aliases. For example, kimi-k3 resolves through kimi-for-coding, while glm-5 can resolve through zai-coding-plan, opencode, or vercel depending on availability.

About Free-Tier Fallbacks

You may see model names like kimi-k3-free, minimax-m3, minimax-m2.7, minimax-m2.7-highspeed, or big-pickle (GLM 4.6) in the source code or logs. These are provider-specific or speed-optimized entries in fallback chains.

You don't need to configure them. The system includes them so it degrades gracefully when you don't have every paid subscription. If you have the paid version, the paid version is always preferred.


Task Categories

When agents delegate work, they don't pick a model name — they pick a category. The category maps to the right model automatically.

CategoryUsed ForDefault ModelFull fallback chain
visual-engineeringFrontend, UI, CSS, designgoogle/gemini-3.1-pro (high)google|github-copilot|opencode|vercel/gemini-3.1-pro (high)zai-coding-plan|opencode|bailian-coding-plan|vercel/glm-5anthropic|github-copilot|opencode|vercel/claude-opus-4-8 (max)opencode-go|vercel/glm-5.2kimi-for-coding/kimi-k3
ultrabrainMaximum reasoning neededopenai/gpt-5.6-sol (xhigh)openai|vercel/gpt-5.6-sol (xhigh)github-copilot/gpt-5.6-sol (high)openai|opencode|vercel/gpt-5.6-sol (xhigh)google|github-copilot|opencode|vercel/gemini-3.1-pro (high)anthropic|github-copilot|opencode|vercel/claude-opus-4-8 (max)opencode-go|vercel/glm-5.2
deepDeep coding, complex logicopenai/gpt-5.6-terra (xhigh)openai|vercel/gpt-5.6-terra (xhigh)github-copilot/gpt-5.6-terra (high)openai|github-copilot|vercel/gpt-5.6-sol (high)openai|github-copilot|opencode|vercel/gpt-5.6-sol (medium)anthropic|github-copilot|opencode|vercel/claude-opus-4-8 (max)google|github-copilot|opencode|vercel/gemini-3.1-pro (high)opencode-go|vercel/kimi-k3opencode-go|vercel/glm-5.2
artistryCreative, novel approachesgoogle/gemini-3.1-pro (high)google|github-copilot|opencode|vercel/gemini-3.1-pro (high)anthropic|github-copilot|opencode|vercel/claude-opus-4-8 (max)openai|github-copilot|opencode|vercel/gpt-5.6-sol (high)opencode-go|vercel/kimi-k3opencode-go|vercel/glm-5.2
quickSimple, fast tasksopenai/gpt-5.4-miniopenai|github-copilot|opencode|vercel/gpt-5.4-minianthropic|github-copilot|vercel/claude-haiku-4-5google|github-copilot|opencode|vercel/gemini-3-flashopencode-go|vercel/minimax-m3minimax-coding-plan|minimax-cn-coding-plan/MiniMax-M3opencode-go|vercel/minimax-m2.7opencode|vercel/gpt-5-nano
unspecified-lowGeneral standard workopenai/gpt-5.6-luna (xhigh)openai|vercel/gpt-5.6-luna (xhigh)github-copilot/gpt-5.6-luna (high)anthropic|github-copilot|opencode|vercel/claude-sonnet-4-6openai|opencode|vercel/gpt-5.6-sol (medium)opencode-go|vercel/kimi-k3google|github-copilot|opencode|vercel/gemini-3-flashopencode-go|vercel/minimax-m3minimax-coding-plan|minimax-cn-coding-plan/MiniMax-M3opencode-go|vercel/minimax-m2.7
unspecified-highGeneral complex workanthropic/claude-opus-4-8 (max)anthropic|github-copilot|opencode|vercel/claude-opus-4-8 (max)openai|github-copilot|opencode|vercel/gpt-5.6-sol (high)zai-coding-plan|opencode|bailian-coding-plan|vercel/glm-5kimi-for-coding/kimi-k3opencode-go|vercel/glm-5.2opencode|bailian-coding-plan|vercel|moonshotai|moonshotai-cn|firmware|ollama-cloud|aihubmix/kimi-k3
writingText, docs, prosekimi-for-coding/kimi-k3google|github-copilot|opencode|vercel/gemini-3-flashopencode-go|vercel/kimi-k3anthropic|github-copilot|opencode|vercel/claude-sonnet-4-6opencode-go|vercel/minimax-m3minimax-coding-plan|minimax-cn-coding-plan/MiniMax-M3opencode-go|vercel/minimax-m2.7

See the Orchestration System Guide for how agents dispatch tasks to categories.

Vercel AI Gateway fallback coverage

packages/omo-opencode/src/shared/model-requirements.ts includes vercel on nearly every gateway-compatible fallback entry across both agent and category chains. Treat it as a universal extra provider path for the listed model IDs, not as a different model family.


Customization

jsonc
{
  "$schema": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/code-yeongyu/oh-my-openagent/dev/assets/oh-my-opencode.schema.json",

  "agents": {
    // Sisyphus: Kimi K3 is the top alternative to Claude for orchestration
    "sisyphus": {
      "model": "opencode-go/kimi-k3",
      "ultrawork": { "model": "opencode-go/kimi-k3" },
    },

    // Hephaestus: needs GPT. ChatGPT Plus gets you here.
    "hephaestus": { "model": "openai/gpt-5.6-sol", "variant": "medium" },

    // Architecture consultation: GPT or Claude Opus
    "oracle": { "model": "openai/gpt-5.6-sol", "variant": "high" },

    // Prometheus keeps the same ulw-plan-backed prompt across model families
    "prometheus": { "model": "opencode-go/kimi-k2.7-code" },

    // Atlas also communicative — Kimi works great
    "atlas": { "model": "opencode-go/kimi-k3" },

    // Utility agents stay cheap
    "explore": { "model": "opencode-go/qwen3.5-plus" },
    "librarian": { "model": "opencode-go/qwen3.5-plus" },
  },

  "categories": {
    "visual-engineering": { "model": "opencode-go/qwen3.6-plus" },  // Qwen as Gemini alt
    "deep": { "model": "openai/gpt-5.6-terra", "variant": "xhigh" },
    "ultrabrain": { "model": "openai/gpt-5.6-sol", "variant": "xhigh" },
    "quick": { "model": "openai/gpt-5.4-mini" },
    "unspecified-high": { "model": "opencode-go/kimi-k3" },
    "unspecified-low": { "model": "opencode-go/kimi-k2.7-code" },
    "writing": { "model": "opencode-go/kimi-k3" },
  },

  "background_task": {
    "providerConcurrency": {
      "openai": 3,
      "opencode-go": 10,
    },
  },
}

Example B — All Native (Anthropic + OpenAI + Google)

Highest quality, highest cost. No surprises.

jsonc
{
  "agents": {
    "sisyphus": {
      "model": "anthropic/claude-opus-4-8",
      "variant": "max",
    },
    "hephaestus": { "model": "openai/gpt-5.6-sol", "variant": "medium" },
    "oracle": { "model": "openai/gpt-5.6-sol", "variant": "high" },
  },
  "categories": {
    "visual-engineering": { "model": "google/gemini-3.1-pro", "variant": "high" },
    "deep": { "model": "openai/gpt-5.6-terra", "variant": "xhigh" },
    "unspecified-high": { "model": "anthropic/claude-opus-4-8", "variant": "max" },
  },
}

Example C — OpenCode Go Only (Budget, No GPT)

Cheapest full-stack path. Hephaestus won't activate — accept that trade-off.

jsonc
{
  "agents": {
    "sisyphus": { "model": "opencode-go/kimi-k3" },
    "atlas": { "model": "opencode-go/kimi-k3" },
    // Omit hephaestus entirely; it needs GPT.
    "oracle": { "model": "opencode-go/glm-5.2" },  // Degraded but functional
    "explore": { "model": "opencode-go/qwen3.5-plus" },
    "librarian": { "model": "opencode-go/qwen3.5-plus" },
  },
  "categories": {
    "visual-engineering": { "model": "opencode-go/qwen3.6-plus" },
    "deep": { "model": "opencode-go/kimi-k3" },  // Not ideal — Kimi isn't GPT, but best available
    "unspecified-high": { "model": "opencode-go/kimi-k3" },
    "unspecified-low": { "model": "opencode-go/kimi-k2.7-code" },
    "quick": { "model": "opencode-go/minimax-m2.7" },
    "writing": { "model": "opencode-go/kimi-k3" },
  },
}

Example D — Adding DeepSeek as GPT Alternative

If you have OpenRouter and want DeepSeek in the chain when GPT is unavailable:

jsonc
{
  "agents": {
    "oracle": {
      "model": "openai/gpt-5.6-sol",
      "variant": "high",
      "fallback_models": [
        "anthropic/claude-opus-4-8",
        { "model": "openrouter/deepseek/deepseek-v3.2", "temperature": 0.7 },
        "opencode-go/glm-5.2",
      ],
    },
  },
}

fallback_models accepts a mix of plain model strings and per-fallback objects with variant, reasoningEffort, temperature, top_p, maxTokens, thinking.


Safe vs Dangerous Overrides

Safe — same personality type:

  • Sisyphus: Opus → Sonnet, Kimi K3 / K2.7 / K3 / K3, GLM 5 (all communicative models)
  • Prometheus: Opus → GPT-5.6 Sol (same ulw-plan-backed prompt, different model)
  • Atlas: Claude Sonnet 4.6 → Kimi K3 → GPT-5.6 Sol (auto-switches to the GPT prompt)

Experimental — not maintainer-verified:

  • Sisyphus: GLM 5.2. Model IDs recognized as GLM use the calibrated GLM 5.2 prompt. The hardcoded fallback entry is glm-5, and fuzzy availability matching may select GLM 5.2 for it, but the model is not in the maintainer-verified set.

Dangerous — personality mismatch:

  • Sisyphus → ANY model not on the tested list: The supported set is Claude (Fable 5 / Opus 4.8 / 4.7 / Sonnet 4.6), Kimi (K3 / K2.7 / K3 / K3), GLM (5 / 5.1), GPT (5.4 / 5.5 / 5.6 Sol). Everything else is not maintainer-verified and can break at the very next patch. A prompt cannot fix a model — if it doesn't fit, no tuning makes it fit. See the 🚨 READ THIS FIRST warning at the very top of this guide.
  • Sisyphus → MiniMax / Qwen: Strongly discouraged to the point of "almost forbidden." Neither holds up under the orchestration prompt. Never use them as the orchestrator.
  • Sisyphus → MiMo / DeepSeek: No working configuration found. Untested and unsupported as the orchestrator.
  • Sisyphus → older GPT models: Still a bad fit. GPT-5.4 has its own prompt; GPT-5.5 and GPT-5.6 Sol share the supported model-aware GPT-native prompt family.
  • Hephaestus → Claude: Built for Codex's autonomous style. Claude can't replicate this.
  • Hephaestus → MiniMax: MiniMax loses coherence on multi-step deep work. Never do this.
  • Oracle → MiniMax: Same reason. Oracle needs sustained reasoning; MiniMax drifts.
  • Explore → Opus: Massive cost waste. Explore needs speed, not intelligence.
  • Librarian → Opus: Same. Doc search doesn't need Opus-level reasoning.
  • visual-engineering → Kimi/GLM: Wrong reasoning style. Use Qwen if Gemini is unavailable, not Claude-likes.

How Model Resolution Works

Each agent has a fallback chain. The system tries models in priority order until it finds one available through your connected providers. You don't need to configure providers per model. Just authenticate (opencode auth login) and the system figures out which models are available and where.

Resolution pipeline (from packages/omo-opencode/src/shared/model-resolution-pipeline.ts):

1. Override          → User's explicit config or UI-selected model (primary agents only)
2. Category default  → From category config (when agent has category set)
3. User fallback_models → Configured strings/objects tried before hardcoded chain
4. Provider fallback → AGENT_MODEL_REQUIREMENTS / CATEGORY_MODEL_REQUIREMENTS
5. System default    → Ultimate safety net

Core-agent tab cycling is deterministic via injected runtime order field. The fixed priority order is Sisyphus (order: 0), Hephaestus (order: 1), Prometheus (order: 2), and Atlas (order: 3), then the remaining agents follow.

Your explicit configuration always wins. If you set a specific model for an agent, that choice takes precedence even when resolution data is cold.

Variant and reasoningEffort overrides are normalized to model-supported values, so cross-provider overrides degrade gracefully instead of failing hard.

Model capabilities are models.dev-backed, with a refreshable cache and capability diagnostics. Use bunx oh-my-openagent refresh-model-capabilities to update the cache, or configure model_capabilities.auto_refresh_on_start to refresh at startup.

To see which models your agents will actually use, run bunx oh-my-openagent doctor. This shows effective model resolution based on your current authentication and config.

Agent Request → User Override (if configured) → Fallback Chain → System Default

File-Based Prompts

You can load agent system prompts from external files using file:// URLs in the prompt field, or append additional content with prompt_append. The prompt_append field also works on categories.

jsonc
{
  "agents": {
    "sisyphus": {
      "prompt": "file:///path/to/custom-prompt.md",
    },
    "oracle": {
      "prompt_append": "file:///path/to/additional-context.md",
    },
  },
  "categories": {
    "deep": {
      "prompt_append": "file:///path/to/deep-category-append.md",
    },
  },
}

The file content is loaded at runtime and injected into the agent's system prompt. Supports ~ expansion for home directory and relative file:// paths.


See Also