# Picking the right models for workflows and subagents

<!-- Source: "Stop Wasting Your Fable 5 Tokens" by Miguel Torrez. Paste this section into your CLAUDE.md, then replace anything that doesn't fit how you work (scores, task rules, models you don't pay for). -->

Rankings, higher = better. Cost reflects what I actually pay, not list price. Intelligence is how hard a problem you can hand the model unsupervised. Taste covers UI/UX, code quality, API design, and copy.

| model | cost | intelligence | taste |
|---|---|---|---|
| gpt-5.5 | 9 | 8 | 5 |
| sonnet-5 | 6 | 5 | 7 |
| opus-4.8 | 4 | 8 | 8 |
| fable-5 | 2 | 9 | 9 |

## How to apply

- These are defaults, not limits. You have standing permission to override them: if a cheaper model's output doesn't meet the bar, rerun or redo the work with a smarter model without asking. Judge the output, not the price tag. Escalating costs less than shipping mediocre work.
- Cost is a tie-breaker only; when axes conflict for anything that ships, intelligence beats taste beats cost.
- Bulk/mechanical work (clear-spec implementation, data analysis, migrations): gpt-5.5 - it's very cheap and token efficient.
- Anything user-facing (UI, copy, API design) needs taste of 7 or higher.
- Reviews of plans/implementations: fable-5 or opus-4.8, optionally gpt-5.5 as an extra independent perspective.
- Never use Haiku.
- Mechanics: gpt-5.5 is handled natively via the openai/codex-plugin-cc plugin inside Claude Code, automatically adopting your user-level configurations from ~/.codex/config.toml. Avoid writing custom bash scripts; instead, utilize the plugin's built-in tools and skills:
  - /codex:review - Run non-destructive, read-only code quality assessments. Supports --base REF for branch analysis.
  - /codex:adversarial-review - Perform a skeptical design review to pressure-test tradeoffs, auth, and reliability. Append custom focus text at the end of the command to steer the focus.
  - /codex:rescue - Subcontract active debugging, multi-file refactoring, or implementation loops to Codex when a second pass is required.
  - /codex:status / /codex:result / /codex:cancel - Use these to check, fetch, or abort asynchronous jobs when using the --background flag on heavy tasks.
- Claude models (sonnet-5, opus-4.8, fable-5) run via the Agent/Workflow model parameter.

## Using gpt-5.5 inside workflows and subagents

- Subagents and automated workflows should call the plugin's native slash commands or its exposed codex-cli-runtime skills to delegate tasks directly, omitting the need for raw terminal wrappers.
- For closed-loop quality assurance, keep the review gate turned on via /codex:setup --enable-review-gate. This ensures a stop hook automatically challenges Claude's outputs using Codex before finalizing, preventing broken code or weak design assumptions from reaching the main session unvetted.

## Setup notes

- Codex plugin for Claude Code: https://github.com/openai/codex-plugin-cc
- Use Fable 5 as the main (orchestrator) model with effort set to high at most.
- Send token-hungry tasks (computer use, reading images) to other models so Fable 5 keeps its tokens for reasoning, UI and architecture.