Trading Modes and Risk Management

Illustrations

TL;DR

The important news first: AutoBuy and AutoSell no longer exist in this version — that code was compiled out during development · what actually works are the M and S buttons on the pre-auth face · M is Manual, you press every trade yourself · S is Semi, which automatically prepares the RadAV pending-order ladder · the ladder numbers are constants in the code and cannot be edited from the Inputs page

Trade sizing in Sword is easy to grasp like this · normally you type the lots yourself into the number field · press the MM button and that field becomes the Devide field: the system divides the money in your account by the number in this field to compute the lots · the default is five thousand · three more helpers exist: DD_Stop, which halts trading when the account draws down deeper than your setting, MaxSpread, which filters the spread, and MagicNumber, which separates Sword's trades from other trades

When to use this feature

Use M when you want to decide every trade yourself — safest for beginners · use S when you have a clear grid plan and already understand pending-order ladders · if you are just starting out, stay with M until you are fluent

Use MM when you want trade size to grow with the account automatically · use DD_Stop when you want a brake against deep drawdowns · use MaxSpread when trading around news, where the spread is wide (widening the filter means accepting a higher spread cost — suited to experienced users; beginners should keep the default for now)

How to use

On the pre-auth face you will see the M and S buttons in the right column of the panel · whichever button shows green is the one currently active · press M and the system stays in Manual mode: every trade comes from your own press · press S and the system enters Semi mode, ready to prepare the pending-order ladder following the RadAV approach

The RadAV ladder already has its rules in the code · the first few trades use a 1.1 multiplier; from the fourth trade onward it switches to a 1.8 multiplier, and the grid step distance grows incrementally · these values are constants embedded in the code — open the Inputs page and you will not find fields with these names, because there is nothing to edit · anyone who used AutoBuy AutoSell in the old manual can forget them; those buttons are not built into v4.67

In the row of the MM button you will also see a number field · when nothing is pressed, that field is the lots used to open trades · press MM until it turns green, and the same field changes role into the Devide field · a simple example: a five-thousand-dollar account with Devide set to five thousand gives a trade of about one lot; if the account grows to ten thousand, the trade grows to two · the formula is money divided by the number — it is not the one-percent risk rule that some places write about

DD_Stop is a switch on the Inputs page and it ships off · turn it on, and when the account draws down deeper than the set value the system stops first; the default value is minus fifty percent · MaxSpread defaults to fifty — if the spread is wider than that, the system opens no new trades · MagicNumber defaults to 1111 and is used to separate Sword's trades from other programs' trades in the same account

Pro Tip · Mr. Bom

Run the RadAV ladder on Demo for at least one week · watch whether your account can handle the fourth trade, where the multiplier changes to 1.8 · remember, a ladder averages your entry price, it does not guarantee results — trading always involves real risk

I recommend starting the Devide field at a large number: trades stay small and you stay calm · once you understand the rhythm, lower it a little at a time · and keeping DD_Stop on, even at the default value, is still a good idea — trading involves real risk

FAQ

Q: I cannot find the AutoBuy button

A: That button is not in v4.67; that part of the code was compiled out before the version shipped — use M and S instead

Q: Where are the M and S buttons?

A: In the right column of the panel on the pre-auth face; after passing auth, the button set there changes

Q: Can I edit the RadAV ladder multipliers?

A: No — they are constants in the code; the Inputs page has no field for them

Q: Which trade does the 1.8 multiplier start from?

A: From the fourth trade onward; the first three use the 1.1 multiplier

Q: Can I just leave Semi mode running on its own?

A: No — you must follow your plan and cut trades by your own rules; trading always involves real risk

Q: Is MM the one-percent risk rule?

A: No — Sword's MM is the money in the account divided by the number in the Devide field; the default is five thousand

Q: I pressed MM — where did the lots field go?

A: It did not disappear; the same field changed role into the Devide field · press MM again to switch it back

Q: Is DD_Stop on by default?

A: On a fresh install it is off; you must turn it on yourself on the Inputs page · the default value is minus fifty percent

Q: What is a good MaxSpread value?

A: The default fifty works for gold in normal conditions; during major news you should raise it or wait until things calm down

Q: Do I need to change MagicNumber?

A: If Sword is the only program on one account, no; if you run several programs at once, give each a unique number