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+# Handoff: Template System Redesign (bd-r6a)
+
+## Status
+
+- **bd-r6a.1**: DONE - Reverted YAML workflow code, deleted workflow.go and types
+- **bd-r6a.2**: IN PROGRESS - Implementing subgraph cloning with variable substitution
+
+## What Was Removed
+
+- `cmd/bd/workflow.go` - entire file
+- `cmd/bd/templates/workflows/` - YAML templates directory
+- `internal/types/workflow.go` - WorkflowTemplate types
+
+Build passes. Tests pass.
+
+## The New Design
+
+### Core Principle
+
+**Templates are just Beads.** An epic with the `template` label and `{{variable}}` placeholders in titles/descriptions.
+
+Beads provides **primitives**:
+- Clone a subgraph (epic + children + dependencies)
+- Substitute `{{variables}}`
+- Return ID mapping (old → new)
+
+Orchestrators (Gas Town) provide **composition**:
+- Multiple instantiations
+- Cross-template dependencies
+- Dynamic task generation
+
+### Commands
+
+```bash
+bd template list                              # List templates (label=template)
+bd template instantiate <id> --var key=value  # Clone + substitute
+bd template instantiate <id> --dry-run        # Preview
+```
+
+### Gas Town Use Case: Witness
+
+The Witness manages polecat lifecycles with a dynamic DAG:
+
+```
+Witness Round (1 instance)
+├── Check context
+├── Initialize tracking
+├── [polecat tasks wired in by Gas Town]
+├── Submit to merge queue
+└── Finalize
+
+Polecat Lifecycle (N instances, one per polecat)
+├── Verify startup
+├── Monitor progress
+├── Verify shutdown
+└── Decommission
+```
+
+Gas Town instantiates templates in a loop and wires dependencies between them.
+
+## Implementation Started
+
+Was creating `cmd/bd/template.go` with:
+
+- `templateCmd` - parent command
+- `templateListCmd` - list templates (issues with template label)
+- `templateInstantiateCmd` - clone subgraph with substitution
+- `TemplateSubgraph` struct - holds issues + dependencies
+- `loadTemplateSubgraph()` - recursive load of epic + descendants
+- `cloneSubgraph()` - create new issues with ID remapping
+- `extractVariables()` - find `{{name}}` patterns
+- `substituteVariables()` - replace patterns with values
+
+File was not written yet (got interrupted).
+
+## Key Functions Needed
+
+```go
+// Load template and all descendants
+func loadTemplateSubgraph(templateID string) (*TemplateSubgraph, error)
+
+// Clone with substitution, return new epic ID and ID mapping
+func cloneSubgraph(subgraph *TemplateSubgraph, vars map[string]string) (string, map[string]string, error)
+
+// Extract {{variable}} patterns
+func extractVariables(text string) []string
+
+// Replace {{variable}} with values
+func substituteVariables(text string, vars map[string]string) string
+```
+
+## Remaining Tasks
+
+1. **bd-r6a.2**: Implement subgraph cloning (in progress)
+2. **bd-r6a.3**: Create version-bump as native Beads template
+3. **bd-r6a.4**: Add `bd template list` command
+4. **bd-r6a.5**: Update documentation
+
+## HOP Context
+
+Templates feed into HOP vision:
+- Work is fractal (templates are reusable work patterns)
+- Beads IS the ledger (templates are ledger entries)
+- Gas Town is execution engine (composes templates into swarms)
+
+See `~/gt/hop/CONTEXT.md` for full HOP context.
+
+## To Resume
+
+```bash
+cd /Users/stevey/src/dave/beads
+bd show bd-r6a          # See epic and tasks
+bd ready                # bd-r6a.2 should be ready
+bd update bd-r6a.2 --status=in_progress
+# Create cmd/bd/template.go with the design above
+```