Market Scope¶
Instrument Tiers¶
The strategy is designed for instruments that exhibit strong ICT price action characteristics: clear liquidity pools, institutional order flow, and reliable SMT divergence pairings.
Primary: CME E-mini Futures¶
| Symbol | Name | Tick Size | Tick Value | SMT Pair |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ES | E-mini S&P 500 | 0.25 | $12.50 | NQ |
| NQ | E-mini Nasdaq 100 | 0.25 | $5.00 | ES |
Why primary: ES and NQ are the most liquid equity index futures in the world. Their deep order books produce clean liquidity sweeps, well-defined order blocks, and the most reliable SMT divergence pairing available. The strategy was designed and tested against these instruments first.
Secondary: Micro Futures¶
| Symbol | Name | Tick Size | Tick Value | SMT Pair |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MES | Micro E-mini S&P 500 | 0.25 | $1.25 | MNQ |
| MNQ | Micro E-mini Nasdaq 100 | 0.25 | $0.50 | MES |
| MYM | Micro E-mini Dow | 1.00 | $0.50 | MNQ |
Why secondary: Identical price action to their E-mini counterparts with 1/10th the contract size. The analysis is the same -- only the position sizing differs. Suitable for smaller accounts or scaling into positions.
Tertiary: Commodities and Forex¶
| Symbol | Name | Tick Size | Tick Value | SMT Pair |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GC | Gold Futures | 0.10 | $10.00 | SI |
| SI | Silver Futures | 0.005 | $25.00 | GC |
| CL | Crude Oil Futures | 0.01 | $10.00 | RB |
| RB | RBOB Gasoline | 0.0001 | $4.20 | CL |
| EUR/USD | Euro / US Dollar | 0.0001 | $10.00 | GBP/USD |
| GBP/USD | Pound / US Dollar | 0.0001 | $10.00 | EUR/USD |
Why tertiary: These instruments exhibit ICT characteristics but have different liquidity profiles, session timing, and volatility patterns. They require separate configuration for entry windows and ATR parameters.
SMT Pairing Requirement¶
Every instrument traded by the strategy must have a liquid paired instrument for SMT divergence analysis. Without a pair, the SMT confluence factor is unavailable, reducing the maximum confluence score from 9 to 7.
What Makes a Valid SMT Pair¶
- Correlated instruments: The pair must move in the same general direction under normal conditions (e.g., ES and NQ are both US equity indices).
- Structural divergence potential: When one makes a higher high and the other does not, that divergence is meaningful -- it signals institutional activity in one instrument that has not been confirmed by the other.
- Sufficient liquidity: Both instruments must have enough volume that their price action reflects genuine institutional order flow, not thin-market noise.
SMT Pair Table¶
| Primary | Pair | Correlation Basis |
|---|---|---|
| ES / MES | NQ / MNQ | US equity indices |
| NQ / MNQ | ES / MES | US equity indices |
| GC | SI | Precious metals |
| CL | RB | Energy complex |
| EUR/USD | GBP/USD | Dollar-denominated majors |
Chart Setup¶
Recommended TradingView Layout¶
For optimal strategy operation, configure a two-chart layout with both paired instruments visible:
+----------------------------+----------------------------+
| ES1! (M5) | NQ1! (M5) |
| | |
| Indicators: | Indicators: |
| - Bias AI | - Bias AI |
| - Session Hunt AI | - Session Hunt AI |
| - OB AI | - SMT Divergences |
| - SMT Divergences | |
+----------------------------+----------------------------+
Layout requirements:
- Both charts set to the same timeframe (typically M5 for entry precision).
- All four indicators applied to the primary instrument chart.
- At minimum, Bias AI and SMT Divergences on the paired instrument chart.
- Chart must be actively streaming (not paused or in replay mode during live scanning).
- Sufficient visible bars to include the current session range (at least 200 bars on M5).
Multi-Timeframe Tab Setup¶
For multi-timeframe analysis, maintain additional tabs:
| Tab | Chart | Timeframe | Indicators |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ES1! / NQ1! | D1 | Bias AI |
| 2 | ES1! / NQ1! | H1 | Session Hunt AI, OB AI |
| 3 | ES1! / NQ1! | M15 | OB AI |
| 4 | ES1! / NQ1! | M5 | All four indicators |
The strategy layer reads from Tab 4 (M5) as its primary data source. Higher timeframe tabs provide context that the indicators already incorporate into their calculations.