The Asian session typically forms a tight consolidation range due to lower volatility. When London opens, institutional traders break this range with momentum. The key is waiting for a confirmed break above/below the Asian high/low, then riding the momentum into NY session.
BULLISH SCENARIO
Any Close→Tight Range→Break HIGH→Continue UP
📊 Trading Signal
Buy Break Above Asian Range High
Asian range must be tight (30-50 pips for majors)
🎯 Key Confluence
Tighter Asian range = stronger breakout
Best when Asian range is smaller than average
BEARISH SCENARIO
Any Close→Tight Range→Break LOW→Continue DOWN
📊 Trading Signal
Sell Break Below Asian Range Low
Wait for 15min candle close below range for confirmation
🎯 Key Confluence
Previous day closed bearish adds strength
Look for rejection wicks at Asian high before break
📈 Bullish Breakout
📉 Bearish Breakout
💡 Pro Tip
Mark Asian High/Low before London opens. The tighter the Asian range, the more explosive the breakout. Wait for a 15-minute candle close outside the range for confirmation - don't chase the initial spike.
🎯
London Open Killzone
⏰ London Killzone (02:00-05:00 EST)75% Success
Smart money uses the London open to hunt liquidity built up during the Asian session. They push price to sweep stops at Asian highs/lows, then reverse aggressively. The key is patience - don't trade the first move, wait for the liquidity sweep and reversal confirmation.
BULLISH SCENARIO
Any Close→Builds Lows→Sweep LOW → Reverse→Expansion UP
📊 Trading Signal
Buy After Sweep of Asian Lows
Smart money grabs liquidity below Asian lows first
🎯 Key Confluence
Look for strong rejection after sweep
Bullish engulfing or hammer candle after liquidity grab
BEARISH SCENARIO
Any Close→Builds Highs→Sweep HIGH → Reverse→Expansion DOWN
📊 Trading Signal
Sell After Sweep of Asian Highs
Smart money grabs liquidity above Asian highs first
🎯 Key Confluence
Look for strong rejection after sweep
Bearish engulfing or shooting star after liquidity grab
📈 Bullish (Sweep Lows → Reverse Up)
📉 Bearish (Sweep Highs → Reverse Down)
💡 Pro Tip
Don't buy the first dip or sell the first spike! Wait for the liquidity sweep to complete. The reversal candle should show strong momentum (engulfing pattern, long wick rejection). Patience for manipulation = higher probability entry.
🗽
NY Open Killzone
⏰ NY Killzone (08:30-11:00 EST)70% Success
The NY session often opens with a fake move against the London trend, trapping retail traders before reversing to the true direction. This is especially common around 8:30 AM EST news releases. The key is waiting 30 minutes after open to see the fake move complete.
BULLISH SCENARIO
Any Close→Range→Trend UP→Fake Down → True UP
📊 Trading Signal
Buy After NY Fakes Against London Trend
London was bullish → NY dips first → Then continues up
🎯 Key Confluence
Fake move should NOT break London low
If London low holds, bullish continuation is likely
BEARISH SCENARIO
Any Close→Range→Trend DOWN→Fake Up → True DOWN
📊 Trading Signal
Sell After NY Fakes Against London Trend
London was bearish → NY spikes first → Then continues down
🎯 Key Confluence
Fake move should NOT break London high
If London high holds, bearish continuation is likely
📈 Bullish (London Up → NY Fake Down → True Up)
📉 Bearish (London Down → NY Fake Up → True Down)
💡 Pro Tip
9:00-9:30 EST is the reversal sweet spot! News at 8:30 causes the fake move, then 9:00-9:30 shows the true direction. Don't trade the initial news spike - wait for the dust to settle and the true direction to emerge.
The ultimate ICT session pattern combining all sessions into one high-probability setup. Smart money establishes bias in NY Close (Accumulation), engineers liquidity during Asian (Manipulation), then delivers price to the target during London/NY (Distribution). This is the Judas Swing concept across sessions — fake move in Asian, true move in London.
📋 Session-by-Session Breakdown
1️⃣ NY CLOSE
Strong (Bullish/Bearish)
Sets directional bias
2️⃣ ASIAN
Sweep & Reverse
Liquidity grab (manipulation)
3️⃣ LONDON
Sweep Above/Below
Expansion (distribution)
4️⃣ NY OPEN
Retracement/Continuation
Pullback to FVG/OB zones
BULLISH SCENARIO
NY Strong ↑→Sweep LOW ↓→Break HIGH ↑→Retrace to FVG
📊 Pattern Sequence
NY Close Bullish → Asian Sweeps SSL → London Takes BSL
Judas Swing: Fake down in Asian, true move up in London
🎯 NY Open Entry
Wait for pullback to FVG or OB support
Target: Previous high or new BSL above
⚠️ Invalidation
If price fails to hold FVG/OB, bias shifts bearish
New target becomes Asian Low / SSL below
BEARISH SCENARIO
NY Strong ↓→Sweep HIGH ↑→Break LOW ↓→Retrace to FVG
📊 Pattern Sequence
NY Close Bearish → Asian Sweeps BSL → London Takes SSL
Judas Swing: Fake up in Asian, true move down in London
🎯 NY Open Entry
Wait for pullback to FVG or OB resistance
Target: Previous low or new SSL below
⚠️ Invalidation
If price fails to reject FVG/OB, bias shifts bullish
New target becomes Asian High / BSL above
📈 Bullish PO3: NY Strong → Asian Sweep Low → London BSL
📉 Bearish PO3: NY Strong → Asian Sweep High → London SSL
🎯 Key Levels & Zones
SSL - Sell-Side Liquidity
BSL - Buy-Side Liquidity
FVG - Fair Value Gap
OB - Order Block
💡 Pro Tip: The Golden Rule
"If London already took the liquidity, NY Open is for retracement — not chasing."
Wait for price to pull back to your FVG or OB zone during NY Open. This gives you a discounted entry with clear invalidation. If price fails to hold these zones, your bias is invalidated — no trade is better than a losing trade!
📋 NY Open Playbook
✅ IF Bullish Setup
1. Wait for pullback to FVG/OB
2. Look for bullish reaction (displacement/engulfing)
3. Target: Previous high or new BSL
❌ IF Reversal Signal
1. Price fails to hold FVG/OB
2. Bias shifts opposite direction
3. New target: Asian range low/high