diff --git a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/dataSources/shards/ExpGrowthLocusShardStrategy.java b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/dataSources/shards/ExpGrowthLocusShardStrategy.java
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..bf6d72537
--- /dev/null
+++ b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/dataSources/shards/ExpGrowthLocusShardStrategy.java
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+package org.broadinstitute.sting.gatk.dataSources.shards;
+
+import net.sf.samtools.SAMSequenceDictionary;
+
+/**
+ *
+ * User: aaron
+ * Date: Apr 6, 2009
+ * Time: 8:23:19 PM
+ *
+ * The Broad Institute
+ * SOFTWARE COPYRIGHT NOTICE AGREEMENT 
+ * This software and its documentation are copyright 2009 by the
+ * Broad Institute/Massachusetts Institute of Technology. All rights are reserved.
+ *
+ * This software is supplied without any warranty or guaranteed support whatsoever. Neither
+ * the Broad Institute nor MIT can be responsible for its use, misuse, or functionality.
+ *
+ */
+
+
+/**
+ * @author aaron
+ * @version 1.0
+ * @date Apr 6, 2009
+ * <p/>
+ * Class LinearShard
+ * <p/>
+ * A exponential strategy
+ */
+public class ExpGrowthLocusShardStrategy extends LocusShardStrategy {
+
+    // fixed size
+    private long baseSize = 100000;
+    private long currentExp = 0;
+
+    /**
+     * the constructor, taking a seq dictionary to parse out contigs
+     *
+     * @param dic the seq dictionary
+     */
+    ExpGrowthLocusShardStrategy(SAMSequenceDictionary dic, long startSize) {
+        super(dic);
+        this.baseSize = startSize;
+        currentExp = 0;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * the constructor, taking a seq dictionary to parse out contigs
+     *
+     * @param strat the shatter to convert from
+     */
+    ExpGrowthLocusShardStrategy(LocusShardStrategy strat) {
+        super(strat);
+        this.baseSize = strat.nextShardSize();
+        currentExp = 0;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * set the next shards size
+     *
+     * @param size adjust the next size to this
+     */
+    public void adjustNextShardSize(long size) {
+        baseSize = size;
+        currentExp = 0;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * This is how the various shards strategies implements their approach
+     *
+     * @return the next shard size
+     */
+    protected long nextShardSize() {
+        // we grow the exponentially, we just have to make sure we start at zero
+        ++currentExp;
+        return (long) Math.floor(Math.pow((double) baseSize, (double) currentExp));
+    }
+
+}
diff --git a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/dataSources/shards/LinearLocusShardStrategy.java b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/dataSources/shards/LinearLocusShardStrategy.java
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..0b29755ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/dataSources/shards/LinearLocusShardStrategy.java
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+package org.broadinstitute.sting.gatk.dataSources.shards;
+
+import net.sf.samtools.SAMSequenceDictionary;
+
+/**
+ *
+ * User: aaron
+ * Date: Apr 6, 2009
+ * Time: 7:18:19 PM
+ *
+ * The Broad Institute
+ * SOFTWARE COPYRIGHT NOTICE AGREEMENT 
+ * This software and its documentation are copyright 2009 by the
+ * Broad Institute/Massachusetts Institute of Technology. All rights are reserved.
+ *
+ * This software is supplied without any warranty or guaranteed support whatsoever. Neither
+ * the Broad Institute nor MIT can be responsible for its use, misuse, or functionality.
+ *
+ */
+
+
+/**
+ * @author aaron
+ * @version 1.0
+ * @date Apr 6, 2009
+ * <p/>
+ * Class AdaptiveShard
+ * <p/>
+ * allows you to change the sharding length as you traverse
+ */
+class LinearLocusShardStrategy extends LocusShardStrategy {
+
+    // default the next size to 100,000
+    private long nextShardSize = 100000;
+
+    /**
+     * the constructor, taking a seq dictionary to parse out contigs
+     *
+     * @param dic the seq dictionary
+     */
+    LinearLocusShardStrategy(SAMSequenceDictionary dic, long startSize) {
+        super(dic);
+        this.nextShardSize = startSize;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * the constructor, taking a seq dictionary to parse out contigs
+     *
+     * @param strat the shatter to convert from
+     */
+    LinearLocusShardStrategy(LocusShardStrategy strat) {
+        super(strat);
+        this.nextShardSize = strat.nextShardSize();
+    }
+
+
+    /**
+     * set the next shards size
+     *
+     * @param size adjust the next size to this
+     */
+    public void adjustNextShardSize(long size) {
+        nextShardSize = size;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * This is how the various shards strategies implements their approach
+     *
+     * @return the next shard size
+     */
+    protected long nextShardSize() {
+        return nextShardSize;
+    }
+
+}
diff --git a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/dataSources/shards/LocusShard.java b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/dataSources/shards/LocusShard.java
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..011840ba5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/dataSources/shards/LocusShard.java
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+package org.broadinstitute.sting.gatk.dataSources.shards;
+
+import org.broadinstitute.sting.utils.GenomeLoc;
+
+/**
+ *
+ * User: aaron
+ * Date: Apr 7, 2009
+ * Time: 1:19:49 PM
+ *
+ * The Broad Institute
+ * SOFTWARE COPYRIGHT NOTICE AGREEMENT 
+ * This software and its documentation are copyright 2009 by the
+ * Broad Institute/Massachusetts Institute of Technology. All rights are reserved.
+ *
+ * This software is supplied without any warranty or guaranteed support whatsoever. Neither
+ * the Broad Institute nor MIT can be responsible for its use, misuse, or functionality.
+ *
+ */
+
+
+/**
+ * @author aaron
+ * @version 1.0
+ * @date Apr 7, 2009
+ * <p/>
+ * Class Shard
+ * <p/>
+ * This is the base class for shards.  Right now it does little more then
+ * wrap GenomeLoc (actually nothing more), but it's good to have the class
+ * in place so it's easier to change guts later.
+ */
+public class LocusShard implements Shard {
+
+    // currently our location
+    final GenomeLoc mLoc;
+
+    public LocusShard(GenomeLoc loc) {
+        this.mLoc = loc;
+    }
+
+    /** @return the genome location represented by this shard */
+    public GenomeLoc getGenomeLoc() {
+        return mLoc;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * what kind of shard do we return
+     *
+     * @return ShardType, indicating the type
+     */
+    public ShardType getShardType() {
+        return ShardType.LOCUS;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * return a shard representing the passed in GenomeLoc
+     *
+     * @return
+     */
+    public static LocusShard toShard(GenomeLoc loc) {
+        return new LocusShard(loc);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/dataSources/shards/LocusShardStrategy.java b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/dataSources/shards/LocusShardStrategy.java
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..feeacaa3b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/dataSources/shards/LocusShardStrategy.java
@@ -0,0 +1,171 @@
+package org.broadinstitute.sting.gatk.dataSources.shards;
+
+import net.sf.samtools.SAMSequenceDictionary;
+import org.broadinstitute.sting.utils.GenomeLoc;
+
+import java.util.Iterator;
+/**
+ *
+ * User: aaron
+ * Date: Apr 6, 2009
+ * Time: 11:23:17 AM
+ *
+ * The Broad Institute
+ * SOFTWARE COPYRIGHT NOTICE AGREEMENT 
+ * This software and its documentation are copyright 2009 by the
+ * Broad Institute/Massachusetts Institute of Technology. All rights are reserved.
+ *
+ * This software is supplied without any warranty or guaranteed support whatsoever. Neither
+ * the Broad Institute nor MIT can be responsible for its use, misuse, or functionality.
+ *
+ */
+
+/**
+ * @author aaron
+ * @version 1.0
+ * @date Apr 6, 2009
+ * <p/>
+ * Interface Shard
+ * <p/>
+ * The shard interface, which controls how data is divided
+ */
+public abstract class LocusShardStrategy implements ShardStrategy  {
+
+    // this stores the seq dictionary, which is a reference for the
+    // lengths and names of contigs, which you need to generate an iterative stratagy
+    protected final SAMSequenceDictionary dic;
+
+    // the current genome location
+    protected GenomeLoc mLoc = null;
+
+    // current seq location
+    protected int seqLoc = 0;
+
+    // the actual last size; this can change based on contig endings
+    protected long lastGenomeLocSize = 0;
+
+    // do we have another contig?
+    private boolean nextContig = false;
+
+
+    /**
+     * the constructor, taking a seq dictionary to parse out contigs
+     *
+     * @param dic the seq dictionary
+     */
+    LocusShardStrategy(SAMSequenceDictionary dic) {
+        this.dic = dic;
+        mLoc = new GenomeLoc(dic.getSequence(0).getSequenceName(), 0, 0);
+        if (dic.getSequences().size() > 0) {
+            nextContig = true;
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * the copy constructor,
+     *
+     * @param old the old strategy
+     */
+    LocusShardStrategy(LocusShardStrategy old) {
+        this.dic = old.dic;
+        this.mLoc = old.mLoc;
+        this.seqLoc = old.seqLoc;
+        this.lastGenomeLocSize = old.lastGenomeLocSize;
+        this.nextContig = old.nextContig;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     *
+     * Abstract methods that each strategy has to implement
+     *
+     */
+
+    /**
+     * set the next shards size
+     *
+     * @param size adjust the next size to this
+     */
+    public abstract void adjustNextShardSize(long size);
+
+
+    /**
+     * This is how the various shards strategies implements their approach
+     *
+     * @return the next shard size
+     */
+    abstract long nextShardSize();
+
+
+    /**
+     *
+     * Concrete methods that each strategy does not have to implement
+     *
+     */
+
+    /**
+     * get the next shard, based on the return size of nextShardSize
+     *
+     * @return
+     */
+    public LocusShard next() {
+        // lets get some background info on the problem
+        long length = dic.getSequence(seqLoc).getSequenceLength();
+        long proposedSize = nextShardSize();
+        long nextStart = mLoc.getStop() + 1;
+        // can we fit it into the current seq size?
+        if (nextStart + proposedSize < length) {
+            lastGenomeLocSize = proposedSize;
+            mLoc = new GenomeLoc(dic.getSequence(seqLoc).getSequenceName(), nextStart, nextStart + proposedSize);
+            return LocusShard.toShard(new GenomeLoc(dic.getSequence(seqLoc).getSequenceName(), nextStart, nextStart + proposedSize));
+        }
+        // else we can't make it in the current location, we have to stitch one together
+        else {
+            lastGenomeLocSize = nextStart + proposedSize - length;
+
+
+            // move to the next contig
+            jumpContig();
+            return LocusShard.toShard(new GenomeLoc(dic.getSequence(seqLoc).getSequenceName(), nextStart, lastGenomeLocSize));
+        }
+
+    }
+
+    /** jump to the next contig */
+    private void jumpContig() {
+        ++seqLoc;
+        if (dic.getSequences().size() <= seqLoc) {
+            nextContig = false;
+            return;
+        }
+
+        // the next sequence should start at the begining of the next contig
+        mLoc = new GenomeLoc(dic.getSequence(seqLoc).getSequenceName(), 0, 0);
+
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * is there another GenomeLoc to get?
+     *
+     * @return
+     */
+    public boolean hasNext() {
+        return nextContig;
+    }
+
+    /** we don't support remove */
+    public void remove() {
+        throw new UnsupportedOperationException("Can not remove records from a shard iterator!");
+    }
+
+
+    /**
+     * to be for-each(able), we must implement this method
+     *
+     * @return
+     */
+    public Iterator<Shard> iterator() {
+        return this;
+    }
+
+
+}
diff --git a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/dataSources/shards/ReadShard.java b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/dataSources/shards/ReadShard.java
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..c42fddda6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/dataSources/shards/ReadShard.java
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+package org.broadinstitute.sting.gatk.dataSources.shards;
+
+import org.broadinstitute.sting.utils.GenomeLoc;
+
+/**
+ *
+ * User: aaron
+ * Date: Apr 10, 2009
+ * Time: 5:03:13 PM
+ *
+ * The Broad Institute
+ * SOFTWARE COPYRIGHT NOTICE AGREEMENT 
+ * This software and its documentation are copyright 2009 by the
+ * Broad Institute/Massachusetts Institute of Technology. All rights are reserved.
+ *
+ * This software is supplied without any warranty or guaranteed support whatsoever. Neither
+ * the Broad Institute nor MIT can be responsible for its use, misuse, or functionality.
+ *
+ */
+
+
+/**
+ * @author aaron
+ * @version 1.0
+ * @date Apr 10, 2009
+ * <p/>
+ * Class ReadShard
+ * <p/>
+ * A class for sharded reads.
+ */
+public class ReadShard implements Shard {
+
+    // the count of the reads we want to copy off
+    int size = 0;
+
+    /**
+     * create a read shard, given a read size
+     * @param size
+     */
+    public ReadShard(int size) {
+        this.size = size;     
+    }
+
+    /** @return the genome location represented by this shard */
+    public GenomeLoc getGenomeLoc() {
+        return null;  //To change body of implemented methods use File | Settings | File Templates.
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * what kind of shard do we return
+     *
+     * @return ShardType, indicating the type
+     */
+    public ShardType getShardType() {
+        return ShardType.READ;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/dataSources/shards/Shard.java b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/dataSources/shards/Shard.java
index d23375d68..0c94b6e37 100644
--- a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/dataSources/shards/Shard.java
+++ b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/dataSources/shards/Shard.java
@@ -2,11 +2,12 @@ package org.broadinstitute.sting.gatk.dataSources.shards;
 
 import org.broadinstitute.sting.utils.GenomeLoc;
 
+import java.io.Serializable;
 /**
  *
  * User: aaron
- * Date: Apr 7, 2009
- * Time: 1:19:49 PM
+ * Date: Apr 10, 2009
+ * Time: 5:00:27 PM
  *
  * The Broad Institute
  * SOFTWARE COPYRIGHT NOTICE AGREEMENT 
@@ -18,38 +19,26 @@ import org.broadinstitute.sting.utils.GenomeLoc;
  *
  */
 
-
 /**
  * @author aaron
  * @version 1.0
- * @date Apr 7, 2009
+ * @date Apr 10, 2009
  * <p/>
- * Class Shard
+ * Interface Shard
  * <p/>
- * This is the base class for shards.  Right now it does little more then
- * wrap GenomeLoc (actually nothing more), but it's good to have the class
- * in place so it's easier to change guts later.
+ * The base interface for shards.
  */
-public class Shard {
-
-    // currently our location
-    final GenomeLoc mLoc;
-
-    public Shard(GenomeLoc loc) {
-        this.mLoc = loc;
+public interface Shard extends Serializable {
+    enum ShardType {
+        READ, LOCUS
     }
 
     /** @return the genome location represented by this shard */
-    public GenomeLoc getGenomeLoc() {
-        return mLoc;
-    }
+    public GenomeLoc getGenomeLoc();
 
     /**
-     * return a shard representing the passed in GenomeLoc
-     *
-     * @return
+     * what kind of shard do we return
+     * @return ShardType, indicating the type
      */
-    public static Shard toShard(GenomeLoc loc) {
-        return new Shard(loc);
-    }
+    public ShardType getShardType();
 }
diff --git a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/dataSources/shards/ShardStrategy.java b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/dataSources/shards/ShardStrategy.java
index e35e92254..30a3fd6ed 100644
--- a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/dataSources/shards/ShardStrategy.java
+++ b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/dataSources/shards/ShardStrategy.java
@@ -1,17 +1,11 @@
 package org.broadinstitute.sting.gatk.dataSources.shards;
 
-
-import net.sf.samtools.SAMSequenceDictionary;
-import org.apache.log4j.Logger;
-import org.broadinstitute.sting.utils.GenomeLoc;
-
 import java.util.Iterator;
-import java.util.List;
 /**
  *
  * User: aaron
- * Date: Apr 6, 2009
- * Time: 11:23:17 AM
+ * Date: Apr 10, 2009
+ * Time: 4:55:37 PM
  *
  * The Broad Institute
  * SOFTWARE COPYRIGHT NOTICE AGREEMENT 
@@ -26,239 +20,12 @@ import java.util.List;
 /**
  * @author aaron
  * @version 1.0
- * @date Apr 6, 2009
+ * @date Apr 10, 2009
  * <p/>
- * Interface Shard
+ * Interface ShardStrategy
  * <p/>
- * The shard interface, which controls how data is divided
+ * The base interface for the sharding strategy; before we had a base abstract
+ * class, but not this will be an interface to accomidate read based sharding
  */
-public abstract class ShardStrategy implements Iterator<Shard>, Iterable<Shard> {
-
-    // this stores the seq dictionary, which is a reference for the
-    // lengths and names of contigs, which you need to generate an iterative stratagy
-    protected final SAMSequenceDictionary dic;
-
-    // the current genome location
-    protected GenomeLoc mLoc = null;
-
-    // current seq location
-    protected int seqLoc = 0;
-
-    // the actual last size; this can change based on contig endings
-    protected long lastGenomeLocSize = 0;
-
-    // do we have another contig?
-    private boolean nextContig = false;
-
-    /** our log, which we want to capture anything from this class */
-    private static Logger logger = Logger.getLogger(ShardStrategy.class);
-
-    /** our interal list * */
-    private List<GenomeLoc> intervals = null;
-    /** our interal list * */
-    private int currentInterval = -1;
-
-    /**
-     * the constructor, taking a seq dictionary to parse out contigs
-     *
-     * @param dic the seq dictionary
-     */
-    ShardStrategy(SAMSequenceDictionary dic) {
-        this.dic = dic;
-        mLoc = new GenomeLoc(dic.getSequence(0).getSequenceName(), 0, 0);
-        if (dic.getSequences().size() > 0) {
-            nextContig = true;
-        }
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * the copy constructor,
-     *
-     * @param old the old strategy
-     */
-    ShardStrategy(ShardStrategy old) {
-        this.dic = old.dic;
-        this.mLoc = old.mLoc;
-        this.seqLoc = old.seqLoc;
-        this.lastGenomeLocSize = old.lastGenomeLocSize;
-        this.nextContig = old.nextContig;
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * the constructor, taking a seq dictionary to parse out contigs
-     *
-     * @param dic       the seq dictionary
-     * @param intervals file
-     */
-    ShardStrategy(SAMSequenceDictionary dic, List<GenomeLoc> intervals) {
-        this.dic = dic;
-        this.intervals = intervals;
-        this.currentInterval = 0;
-
-        mLoc = new GenomeLoc(intervals.get(0).getContig(), intervals.get(0).getStart() - 1, intervals.get(0).getStart() - 1);
-        if (dic.getSequences().size() > 0) {
-            nextContig = true;
-        }
-    }
-
-    /**
-     *
-     * Abstract methods that each strategy has to implement
-     *
-     */
-
-    /**
-     * set the next shards size
-     *
-     * @param size adjust the next size to this
-     */
-    public abstract void adjustNextShardSize(long size);
-
-
-    /**
-     * This is how the various shards strategies implements their approach
-     *
-     * @return the next shard size
-     */
-    abstract long nextShardSize();
-
-
-    /**
-     *
-     * Concrete methods that each strategy does not have to implement
-     *
-     */
-
-    /**
-     * get the next shard, based on the return size of nextShardSize
-     *
-     * @return the next shard
-     */
-    public Shard next() {
-
-        // lets get some background info on the problem
-        long length = dic.getSequence(seqLoc).getSequenceLength();
-        long proposedSize = nextShardSize();
-        long nextStart = mLoc.getStop() + 1;
-
-        // if we don't have an interval file, use the non interval based approach.  Simple, eh?
-        if (this.intervals == null) {
-            return nonIntervaledNext(length, proposedSize, nextStart);
-        } else {
-            return intervaledNext(length, proposedSize, nextStart);
-        }
-
-    }
-
-    private Shard intervaledNext(long length, long proposedSize, long nextStart) {
-        // get the current genome location
-        GenomeLoc loc = intervals.get(currentInterval);
-        if (nextStart + proposedSize > loc.getStop()) {
-            // we need to move the next interval
-            proposedSize = loc.getStop() - nextStart;
-            lastGenomeLocSize = proposedSize;
-
-            // the next sequence should start at the begining of the next contig
-            Shard ret = Shard.toShard(new GenomeLoc(intervals.get(currentInterval).getContig(), nextStart, nextStart + proposedSize - 1));
-
-            ++currentInterval;
-            if (intervals.size() > currentInterval) {
-                mLoc = new GenomeLoc(intervals.get(currentInterval).getContig(), intervals.get(currentInterval).getStart() - 1, intervals.get(currentInterval).getStart() - 1);
-            }
-            return ret;// return 
-
-        } else {
-            // we need to move the next interval
-            lastGenomeLocSize = proposedSize;
-
-            // the next sequence should start at the begining of the next contig
-            Shard ret = Shard.toShard(new GenomeLoc(intervals.get(currentInterval).getContig(), nextStart, nextStart + proposedSize - 1));
-
-            mLoc = new GenomeLoc(intervals.get(currentInterval).getContig(), nextStart, nextStart + proposedSize - 1);
-
-            return ret;// return
-        }
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Get the next shard, if we don't have intervals to traverse over
-     *
-     * @param length       the length of the contig
-     * @param proposedSize the proposed size
-     * @param nextStart    the next start location
-     * @return the shard to return to the user
-     */
-    private Shard nonIntervaledNext(long length, long proposedSize, long nextStart) {
-        // can we fit it into the current seq size?
-        if (nextStart + proposedSize - 1 < length) {
-            lastGenomeLocSize = proposedSize;
-            mLoc = new GenomeLoc(dic.getSequence(seqLoc).getSequenceName(), nextStart, nextStart + proposedSize - 1);
-            return Shard.toShard(new GenomeLoc(dic.getSequence(seqLoc).getSequenceName(), nextStart, nextStart + proposedSize - 1));
-        }
-        // else we can't make it in the current location, we have to stitch one together
-        else {
-            // lets find out the remaining size of the current contig
-            long overflow = nextStart + proposedSize - 1 - length;
-            logger.debug("Overflow = " + overflow + " length: " + length);
-
-            // set our last size counter to the remaining size
-            lastGenomeLocSize = proposedSize - overflow;
-
-            // move to the next contig
-            // the next sequence should start at the begining of the next contig
-            Shard ret = Shard.toShard(new GenomeLoc(dic.getSequence(seqLoc).getSequenceName(), nextStart, nextStart + lastGenomeLocSize));
-
-            // now  jump ahead to the next contig
-            jumpContig();
-
-            // return the shard
-            return ret;
-        }
-    }
-
-    /** jump to the next contig */
-    private void jumpContig() {
-        ++seqLoc;
-
-        if (!(seqLoc < dic.getSequences().size())) {
-            nextContig = false;
-            return;
-        }
-        logger.debug("Next contig, name = " + dic.getSequence(seqLoc).getSequenceName());
-        mLoc = new GenomeLoc(dic.getSequence(seqLoc).getSequenceName(), 0, 0);
-
-
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * is there another GenomeLoc to get?
-     *
-     * @return
-     */
-    public boolean hasNext() {
-        // if we don't have an interval file, use the non interval based approach.  Simple, eh?
-        if (this.intervals == null) {
-            return nextContig;
-        } else {
-            return (this.currentInterval < this.intervals.size());
-        }
-    }
-
-    /** we don't support remove */
-    public void remove() {
-        throw new UnsupportedOperationException("Can not remove records from a shard iterator!");
-    }
-
-
-    /**
-     * to be for-each(able), we must implement this method
-     *
-     * @return
-     */
-    public Iterator<Shard> iterator() {
-        return this;
-    }
-
-
-    
+public interface ShardStrategy extends Iterator<Shard>, Iterable<Shard> {
 }
diff --git a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/dataSources/shards/ShardStrategyFactory.java b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/dataSources/shards/ShardStrategyFactory.java
index 3c6877980..91097fce4 100644
--- a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/dataSources/shards/ShardStrategyFactory.java
+++ b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/dataSources/shards/ShardStrategyFactory.java
@@ -1,10 +1,6 @@
 package org.broadinstitute.sting.gatk.dataSources.shards;
 
 import net.sf.samtools.SAMSequenceDictionary;
-import org.apache.log4j.Logger;
-import org.broadinstitute.sting.utils.GenomeLoc;
-
-import java.util.List;
 
 /**
  *
@@ -35,13 +31,9 @@ import java.util.List;
  */
 public class ShardStrategyFactory {
     public enum SHATTER_STRATEGY {
-        LINEAR, EXPONENTIAL
+        LINEAR, EXPONENTIAL, READS
     }
 
-    /** our log, which we want to capture anything from this class */
-    private static Logger logger = Logger.getLogger(ShardStrategyFactory.class);
-
-
     /**
      * get a new shatter strategy
      *
@@ -53,29 +45,9 @@ public class ShardStrategyFactory {
     static public ShardStrategy shatter(SHATTER_STRATEGY strat, SAMSequenceDictionary dic, long startingSize) {
         switch (strat) {
             case LINEAR:
-                return new LinearShardStrategy(dic, startingSize);
+                return new LinearLocusShardStrategy(dic, startingSize);
             case EXPONENTIAL:
-                return new ExpGrowthShardStrategy(dic, startingSize);
-            default:
-                throw new RuntimeException("Strategy: " + strat + " isn't implemented");
-        }
-
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * get a new shatter strategy
-     *
-     * @param strat        what's our strategy - SHATTER_STRATEGY type
-     * @param dic          the seq dictionary
-     * @param startingSize the starting size
-     * @return
-     */
-    static public ShardStrategy shatter(SHATTER_STRATEGY strat, SAMSequenceDictionary dic, long startingSize, List<GenomeLoc> lst) {
-        switch (strat) {
-            case LINEAR:
-                return new LinearShardStrategy(dic, startingSize, lst);
-            case EXPONENTIAL:
-                return new ExpGrowthShardStrategy(dic, startingSize, lst);
+                return new ExpGrowthLocusShardStrategy(dic, startingSize);
             default:
                 throw new RuntimeException("Strategy: " + strat + " isn't implemented");
         }
@@ -89,16 +61,26 @@ public class ShardStrategyFactory {
      * @param convertFrom convert from this strategy
      * @return
      */
-    static public ShardStrategy transitionToShardStrategy(SHATTER_STRATEGY strat, ShardStrategy convertFrom) {
+    static public ShardStrategy transitionToShardStrategy(SHATTER_STRATEGY strat, LocusShardStrategy convertFrom) {
         switch (strat) {
             case LINEAR:
-                return new LinearShardStrategy(convertFrom);
+                return new LinearLocusShardStrategy(convertFrom);
             case EXPONENTIAL:
-                return new ExpGrowthShardStrategy(convertFrom);
+                return new ExpGrowthLocusShardStrategy(convertFrom);
             default:
                 throw new RuntimeException("Strategy: " + strat + " isn't implemented");
 
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * convert between types
+     *
+     * @param readCount the number of reads to include in each shard
+     * @return
+     */
+    static public ShardStrategy shatterByReadCount(long readCount) {
+        return null;    
+    }
+
 }