diff --git a/cmd/mesh-controller/main.go b/cmd/mesh-controller/main.go
index 70346c6..41defbb 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-controller/main.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-controller/main.go
@@ -72,6 +72,8 @@ func run() error {
 		return askCommand(ctx, args[1:])
 	case "builds":
 		return buildsCommand(ctx, args[1:])
+	case "plans":
+		return plansCommand(ctx, args[1:])
 	case "pin":
 		return pinCommand(ctx, args[1:], true)
 	case "unpin":
diff --git a/cmd/mesh-controller/release_plan.go b/cmd/mesh-controller/release_plan.go
index 550a3e9..92521e9 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-controller/release_plan.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-controller/release_plan.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"flag"
 	"fmt"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
@@ -524,3 +525,62 @@ func openPlans(plans []inventory.Plan) ([]inventory.Plan, int) {
 	}
 	return open, late
 }
+
+// plansCommand says what the last merges produced and where each stands; given an id, one plan
+// tier by tier with every module's state.
+func plansCommand(ctx context.Context, args []string) error {
+	set := flag.NewFlagSet("plans", flag.ContinueOnError)
+	limit := set.Int("n", 10, "how many to show")
+	positionals, err := parseAround(set, args)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	open, err := openStores(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer open.Close()
+	inv := open.inventory
+	now := time.Now()
+	if len(positionals) == 1 {
+		p, err := inv.PlanByID(ctx, positionals[0])
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		fmt.Printf("%s — %s\n", p.ID, planLine(p, now))
+		for i, tier := range p.Tiers {
+			marker := " "
+			if i == p.Tier && p.Open() {
+				marker = ">"
+			}
+			fmt.Printf("%s tier %d\n", marker, i)
+			for _, m := range tier {
+				s := p.Modules[m]
+				state := "not yet asked"
+				if s != nil && s.State != "" {
+					state = s.State
+					if s.Commit != "" {
+						state += " from " + short(s.Commit)
+					}
+					if s.Why != "" {
+						state += ": " + s.Why
+					}
+				}
+				fmt.Printf("    %-22s %s\n", m, state)
+			}
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
+	plans, err := inv.RecentPlans(ctx, *limit)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if len(plans) == 0 {
+		fmt.Println("no merge has produced a plan yet")
+		return nil
+	}
+	for _, p := range plans {
+		fmt.Printf("%-28s %s\n", p.ID, planLine(p, now))
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/cmd/mesh-controller/seatverbs.go b/cmd/mesh-controller/seatverbs.go
index 5e7f0b6..e95a5dc 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-controller/seatverbs.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-controller/seatverbs.go
@@ -69,6 +69,11 @@ func argvFor(verb string, args map[string]any) ([]string, error) {
 			return []string{"builds", m}, nil
 		}
 		return []string{"builds"}, nil
+	case "plans":
+		if id := str("id"); id != "" {
+			return []string{"plans", id}, nil
+		}
+		return []string{"plans"}, nil
 	case "plan":
 		if err := need("node"); err != nil {
 			return nil, err
diff --git a/internal/catalogue/verbs.go b/internal/catalogue/verbs.go
index 4d573a5..71aeea4 100644
--- a/internal/catalogue/verbs.go
+++ b/internal/catalogue/verbs.go
@@ -91,6 +91,9 @@ var ControllerVerbs = []Verb{
 			"module": "one module's name; every module when absent",
 			"log":    "a build's id (as `builds` lists it): print what the build machine said, line by line",
 		}, nil)},
+	{Name: "plans", Description: "What the last merges produced and where each stands (novox/hq ADR 0162): " +
+		"the tiers, the tier a plan is at, what it waits for and since when; one plan whole, given its id.",
+		Input: schema(map[string]string{"id": "a plan's id (as `plans` lists them): that plan, tier by tier"}, nil)},
 	{Name: "plan", Description: "What one machine would run, and why: the declaration the mesh would send it.",
 		Input: schema(map[string]string{"node": "the machine's name"}, []string{"node"})},
 	{Name: "assign", Description: "Put a module on a machine. Refused with the mesh's own words when it cannot resolve there.",