Looking for a clean, rules-driven MT4 robot that actually waits for proof? Black Crow EA v1.0 is built around price-action patterns (yes, including the famous Three Black Crows / Three White Soldiers) plus trend and volatility filters—so it only fires when structure says “go.” No roulette grids, no martingale “hold and hope.” Just disciplined automation that favors quality over noise.


Below is a trader-first walkthrough: how it works, what to trade, starter settings, install steps, and a risk playbook that keeps you in control. Use it as a baseline, then tweak to your style after a couple of demo weeks.


What Is Black Crow EA v1.0?


Black Crow EA v1.0 is a MetaTrader 4 Expert Advisor that blends pattern detection with trend bias and ATR-aware risk. It aims to catch early trend continuation and clean momentum shifts triggered by classic candlestick patterns—especially Three Black Crows (bearish) and Three White Soldiers (bullish)—confirmed by a break/retest or decisive close beyond a micro-level.



  • Style: Pattern → Confirmation → ATR-sized risk

  • Pairs: EURUSD, GBPUSD, USDJPY; optional XAUUSD (Gold)

  • Timeframes: M15–H1 (H1 cleaner, M15 more active)

  • Account type: ECN/Raw spread is best; VPS strongly recommended


Who it’s for
Traders who want non-martingale automation that’s explainable, auditable, and ok with skipping meh conditions. If you like structure and fewer but better trades, you’ll vibe with it.


Why the Name “Black Crow”?


The EA’s core pattern logic watches for Three Black Crows (three consecutive long-bodied bearish candles closing near lows) and Three White Soldiers (bullish mirror). These often appear near momentum shifts. Black Crow EA doesn’t trade the pattern blindly; it requires trend alignment and a structural trigger so you’re not fading random candles in the middle of chop.



How the Strategy Works (Under the Hood)


1) Directional Bias
A dual-MA baseline (e.g., mid + slow) plus a light momentum filter decides whether longs or shorts are even allowed. You won’t fight higher-timeframe flow if you enable MTF bias.


2) Pattern Detector
The robot scans for the Three Black Crows / Three White Soldiers signature (with tunable body size and wick tolerance). Other strong impulse sequences can also qualify if they meet body/wick constraints.


3) Structural Confirmation
No confirmation, no entry. The EA looks for a break–retest or decisive close beyond a tiny level in the pattern’s direction. It’s a sanity check that moves from “looks good” to “is moving.”


4) Volatility Gate (ATR)
The EA sizes stops via ATR (e.g., 1.5×–2.5× ATR). If implied stops are too wide or too tiny for your risk, it skips. You’re not forced into ridiculous distances.


5) Risk Lifecycle
Risk uses % of equity. The EA can partial-close around +1R and trail behind swing/ATR so winners don’t bleed back. If a fresh confirmation appears and exposure caps allow, it may lightly scale in (adds to winners only). No averaging down, ever.


Key Features (v1.0)



  • Pattern-aware logic: Three Black Crows / Three White Soldiers with tunable thresholds

  • Trend + momentum gate: Optional MTF bias so you trade with the bigger flow

  • ATR-aware SL/TP: Stops sized to current conditions, not guesswork

  • No martingale, no grid: Optional light scale-ins only on new confirmation

  • Equity guard & daily stop: Auto-pause new entries beyond your limits

  • Spread/slippage caps: Skip trades when execution gets hostile

  • Session/news windows: Favor liquid hours; optionally block red-flag minutes

  • Readable logs: Transparent “why” for every entry, exit, or veto


Recommended Settings (Starter Template)


Environment



  • Broker: ECN/Raw-spread, consistent liquidity

  • VPS: Yes (uptime + low latency)

  • Leverage: 1:200–1:500 (leverage isn’t the edge—risk is)


Symbols & Timeframes



  • EURUSD / GBPUSD / USDJPY: M15–H1

  • XAUUSD (optional): M30–H1 to offset wider spreads


Pattern Sensitivity



  • Min body factor: 0.6–0.7 (body relative to full candle)

  • Max upper wick (for shorts): 0.25 of candle size (tune per pair)

  • Max lower wick (for longs): 0.25 of candle size

  • Sequence strictness: “High” (first weeks), then relax slightly if signals are too rare


Risk Controls



  • Risk per trade: 0.5%–1.0% (beginners: 0.5%)

  • Max concurrent trades (all charts): 3–5

  • Max scale-ins per symbol: 1–2 (light only, winners only)

  • Daily loss stop: 2%–3% (pause for the day)

  • Equity guard (floating DD): 5%–8% (auto-pause until recovery)


Execution Filters



  • Max spread: realistic caps (e.g., EURUSD ≤ 15–20 points; XAUUSD ≤ 35–60 points—broker-dependent)

  • Max slippage: 1–3 points (adjust to your feed)

  • Sessions: Focus London/NY overlap; avoid rollover

  • News block (optional): 10–15 min before/after CPI, NFP, FOMC, etc.


Stops & Targets



  • SL: 1.5×–2.5× ATR or a tick beyond last clean swing

  • TP: 1.5R–2.0R baseline; partial at +1R, then trail remainder with ATR/swing



Installation & Setup (MT4)



  1. Copy Black_Crow_EA_v1_0.ex4 into MQL4/Experts/ (MT4 Data Folder).

  2. Restart MT4 → confirm under Navigator → Experts.

  3. Enable AutoTrading on the toolbar.

  4. Attach Black Crow EA to your chart (one symbol per chart).

  5. Inputs: Load a preset or apply the starter template above.

  6. Permissions: Allow DLL imports only if using a calendar/news module.

  7. Forward-test on demo for 1–2 weeks to validate spreads, slippage, and broker quirks before going live.


Backtesting & Forward-Testing Tips



  • Tick-quality data with variable spread beats pretty fixed-spread backtests.

  • Mark event timestamps (CPI, NFP, Fed) to understand slippage risk even if you don’t block them.

  • Test across multiple months and regimes (trend, range, high vol).

  • Forward test on a VPS to mirror real execution (latency, rejects, widening spreads).


Risk Playbook (Pin This)



  • Small, constant risk (0.5%–1.0%) beats yolo sizing—every time.

  • Respect circuit breakers (daily stop, equity guard) so a bad day doesn’t wreck the month.

  • Costs matter: if spreads/slippage creep up, reduce risk or pause.

  • Avoid curve-fit fever: the “perfect” parameter set usually breaks out of sample.

  • Withdraw periodically (if live) to keep effective risk aligned as equity grows.


FAQs


Does Black Crow EA martingale or grid?
No. It can lightly add to winners on fresh confirmation within your exposure cap. No averaging down losers.


Will it trade every day?
Not guaranteed. It’s designed to skip weak conditions; that’s part of the edge.


Account size to start?
Demo anything; for live many begin around $500–$1,000 with 0.5% risk and a VPS, then scale slowly.


Best timeframe?
H1 is calmer (cleaner structure, fewer signals). M15 is more active but more cost-sensitive. For Gold, M30/H1 balances quality vs. cost.


Disclaimer


Trading Forex/CFDs involves risk. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Always forward-test on demo, size conservatively, and never trade funds you can’t afford to lose.


Call to Action


Want pattern-aware automation that respects structure and risk? Install Black Crow EA v1.0 on MT4, run the starter template on demo, and watch it through various sessions. When execution looks steady and you’re comfy with behavior, go live gradually—tight risk, tight rules, and let the confirmation logic carry the weight.


Happy Trading