GMC framework (Gold Market Concepts)
7 modules vote on every closed bar: Structure · Liquidity · Zone · Pattern · Retest · Momentum · Volume. A trade only fires when ≥3 modules agree AND all hard gates pass. Disagreement = WAIT.
Top-down workflow
- D1 / H4 — macro & structural bias (HH/HL vs LH/LL, last BOS/CHoCH). Mark HTF OB/FVG.
- H1 — dealing range: only BUY in discount (<50%), only SELL in premium (>50%).
- M15 — wait for price to reach an HTF zone or sweep a liquidity pool (EQH/EQL, PDH/PDL, Asia range).
- M5 — entry trigger: CHoCH + retest, or sweep → reclaim + confirmation candle (engulfing / pin / displacement) AT the zone.
Sweep → reclaim
Wick beyond a pool then close back inside = sweep. Next 1–3 candles hold the level = reclaim → trade opposite to the sweep. If price closes back beyond the level → failed reclaim → continuation.
Retest
After BOS/CHoCH, price returns to the broken level (± 0.25 ATR) and closes back on the break side = retest held. Wick rejection or a follow-through candle = confirmed. Close 0.3 ATR beyond the level = failed (the break was a trap).
Order blocks & FVG
OB = last opposite candle before a displacement that broke structure. Unicorn OB = OB overlapping a fresh FVG. Zone graded 0–11: fresh +2, displacement +2, sweep +2, HTF confluence +2, CHoCH origin +1, FVG overlap +1, premium/discount +1, volume +1. Broken OB becomes a Breaker (flip zone).
9 execution gates
- Engine health / fresh data
- WAIT weight ≤ 55%
- MTF alignment (M5+M15 or M5+H1)
- SL cooldown after 3 losses (manual)
- No re-entry in same zone for 45 min (manual)
- Entry location: discount for BUY / premium for SELL
- SL 0.8–2.5× ATR beyond structure
- ≥3 modules agree
- R:R ≥ 1.5
Risk
1 lot gold = 100 oz → $1 move = $100. Lots = (balance × risk%) ÷ (SL distance × 100). Risk 1–2%. BE after +50 pips. Partial at TP1, trail rest. No trades 60/30 min before CPI / NFP / FOMC / Powell — tick "News blackout".
Sessions (UTC)
Asia 22–07 builds the range (liquidity). London killzone 07–10 expands / sweeps Asia. NY killzone 12–15 continues or reverses London. Avoid fresh scalps outside killzones.
Candle library
Pin bar / hammer / shooting star, engulfing, doji (red, dragonfly, gravestone), spinning top, marubozu, inside/outside bar, morning/evening star, tweezers, three soldiers/crows, displacement. Patterns only count AT structure — mid-range candles get low weight.
VSA
No Demand, No Supply, Stopping Volume, Selling/Buying Climax, Upthrust, Spring, Effort-vs-Result. Needs a volume feed (OANDA / MT5 CSV).
Educational decision-support only. Not financial advice. Trading XAUUSD carries substantial risk.