Ask HN: What models do you use for your OpenClaw so that skills work well

[zlatkov]

Question for anyone using OpenClaw (or similar) agents daily.

I've been writing new skills for my OpenClaw setup and keep running into the same thing: strong models (like Opus 4.6) do great even with complex skills, but if my OpenRouter switches to a smaller model, things just don't hold up as I have to constantly follow up, give further instructions, etc.

Using bigger models constantly (via API credit top-ups) could get quite expensive.

Are there any smaller models that do well with skills?

Or maybe self-hosting models with Ollama?