NQ Initial Balance + EMA + Fibs + ATR (Prop Firm Optimized) — Strategy by MerlinGraves
By MerlinGraves
Performance Metrics
- Author: MerlinGraves
- Symbol: CME_MINI:MNQ1!
- Timeframe: 30 minutes
- Net P&L: +34,010.00 USD (+68.02%)
- Win Rate: 66.1%
- Profit Factor: 1.226
- Max Drawdown: 19,420.00 USD (23.80%)
- Total Trades: 472
Description
Title: Prop Firm Sniper: MNQ Initial Balance Breakout + Macro Trend FilterDescription:Passing a prop firm evaluation (and keeping the funded account) requires a fundamental shift in mindset: prioritizing trade quality over trade frequency. Overtrading in choppy conditions is the number one cause of failed trailing drawdowns.This strategy is specifically engineered to protect prop firm accounts from the "death by a thousand cuts" during directionless, low-volume mid-day sessions. It transforms a standard Initial Balance (IB) breakout model into a highly selective, high-probability system designed for Nasdaq (MNQ/NQ) futures.Core Strategy Mechanics:The Entry Window (No-Chop Zone): Entries are strictly limited to the 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM EST window. By allowing the opening 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM session to establish the Initial Balance (High/Low), the strategy waits for the initial market manipulation to settle before capturing the true institutional volume of the morning.Macro & Micro Trend Alignment: A breakout is only valid if short-term momentum aligns with the macro trend. The strategy uses a 9/34 EMA crossover for short-term direction, but strictly filters trades against a 200 Macro EMA. If the asset is below the 200 EMA, longs are blocked.Buffered Breakouts: To avoid being swept by liquidity grabs, entries trigger a customizable buffer (e.g., 2 points) beyond the IB High or Low.Dynamic Fibonacci Exits: Instead of rigid targets that ignore daily volatility, this strategy maps the previous day's data to calculate standard Floor Pivots (R1, R2, R3 / S1, S2, S3). Profit targets dynamically adjust to these structural liquidity zones.Prop-Firm Specific Risk Management Built-In:Hard Daily Limits: Shuts off trading for the rest of the day if a set daily loss limit is reached, preventing tilt.Max Trade Cap: Limits the total number of trades per day to prevent overtrading during sideways grinds.Commission-Adjusted Breakeven: Once a trade achieves a set amount of favorable excursion, the stop-loss is moved to entry plus a point offset to ensure commissions are covered and unrealized gains aren't given back to the trailing drawdown.Recent Performance Profile (Last 90 Days on 30m MNQ):Through strict trade filtering, this configuration reduced total trade count significantly while pushing the win rate to ~69.2% with a 1.91 Profit Factor.Suggested UI Settings to Include in PublicationWhen you publish, you can share these exact parameters from your successful backtest so other users can replicate your results:Timeframe: 30 MinutesFast EMA: 9Slow EMA: 34Macro EMA: 200 (Enabled)Allowed Entry Time: 10:30 – 12:00Breakout Buffer: 2 PointsTarget Mode: Dynamic FibonacciMax Trades Per Day: 5Max Daily Loss: $750Enable Breakeven: On (Trigger: 20 points, Offset: 5 points)recommend checking the fill on bar close and calculate on every tick for best results.