Shipped: Epic Support for Large Feature Breakdown

We’ve shipped the /epic command—AI-assisted breakdown of large features into deliverable backlog items with full traceability.

What We Built

Large features like Storyboarding don’t fit single backlog items. The /epic command uses Opus as both Business Analyst and Technical Architect to decompose them into 3-10 independently valuable items.

The Workflow

/epic docs/feature-spec.md
    ↓
Parse input (text, local path, or GitHub URL)
    ↓
Opus analysis (BA + Architect roles)
    ↓
Generate 3-10 items with:
  - [Ex] prefix for traceability
  - Category, complexity, dependencies
    ↓
Update BACKLOG.md (Epics table + Items table)
    ↓
Create GitHub issues (with offline fallback)

Key Features

Three input modes: Feed it a text description, local markdown file, or GitHub URL. The command fetches and parses whatever you provide.

Opus-powered analysis: The breakdown follows clear principles—vertical slices over horizontal layers, infrastructure first if it unblocks, research spikes early to reduce uncertainty.

Full traceability: Items get an [E01] prefix linking back to their parent epic. The Epics table tracks status and child items.

Offline support: Core breakdown works without network. GitHub issues are created when gh is available, with fallback to local files.

Example Output

## Epic Created: E01 - Storyboarding Briefings

### Breakdown (7 items)

| ID | Category | Title | Complexity |
|----|----------|-------|------------|
| 024 | Infrastructure | [E01] Add storyboard schema | Low |
| 025 | Feature | [E01] Create storyboard panel | Medium |
| 026 | Feature | [E01] Implement scene capture | Medium |
...

### Next Steps
1. Score items with backlog-prioritizer
2. Approve with the-ideas-guy
3. Start with /speckit.start {ID}

Technical Details

The command is implemented as a Claude Code skill at .claude/commands/epic.md. It’s a prompt-based workflow that orchestrates:

• Input parsing and document fetching
• Opus model analysis with structured guidelines
• BACKLOG.md table manipulation
• GitHub issue creation via gh CLI

No new code dependencies—just workflow orchestration using existing tools.

What’s Next

The first epic to use this workflow will be Storyboarding Briefings—a feature complex enough to validate the decomposition approach. Stay tuned for that breakdown.

Epic workflow support is live. Try /epic with your next large feature.