TST Combine - Entering Algo into TST

[SimpleMeLike]

So you have exponential EMA crossover around 6am, the price is below solid red line/previous days close. The price bounces off trendline and than retraces and fails. Resumes trend down and non farm payrolls comes out price breaks level, system goes short.

High Probability

-close to monthly highs(mean reversion)
-EMA crossover bearish
-below previous days close
-failure to breach trendline
-economic report
-break of 240 tick support(thin blue line)

I agree with you with the high probability trades setup, especially with passing the combine.

Question, what indicator are you using the draw trend lines in NT?

So for combine here is the goals I have to get funded moneywise:

Combine goals
Avoid $2000 trailing drawdown, make $2500 profit target

Funded Trader Prep
Avoid $2000 trailing drawdown again, make another $2500 profit target

Funded
Avoid $2000 trailing drawdown again, make another $2500 or more. In funded stage the trailing drawdown is no longer required once account get above $2500. The only rule is don't let the account get to $0 or booted. So I would say once in funded account, assume need $5000 to be safe.


So lets add it up for the system requirement

Drawdown goal:
$2000

Daily loss max:
$1000

Profits goal:
$10K ($2500 + $2500 + $5000)

Then withdraw $5000 from the funded account 100% free

 

[SimpleMeLike]

I've looked at the TST rules as well and see the max draw down as the biggest hurdle. But looking at their rules, they treat max draw differently than I would expect.

I think it should be a -$2,000 from any peak to any trough. But their explanation doesn't treat it as such. If you get a $50K combine account build up to $54K, then drop it down to $51K by their rule set it doesn't violate the max draw down rule as it remains set at penetrating below $50K after you build up $2K in profits.

https://help.topsteptrader.com/hc/en-us/articles/235514547

The trick is not to start trading a systematic method and be unlucky to start trading at the beginning of a draw down period. I have single contract, 1 trade a day variants that risk $500 a day in NQ, CL, and GC that should in theory have a shot at passing the TST combine and second phase. But all variants on all instruments experience draw downs of around -$3,000 at some point or another. How to avoid this as a systematic strategy trader when you should be taking every trade, every day as the system dictates?

As @Xela pointed out, one option is to trade the higher threshold combine. Another approach would be to not begin trading until your strategy hits a draw down stretch between -2K to -3K, then begin trading it hoping it will revert to the mean and have a successful run and not set an all time draw down record on you.

Good point MidwesternTrader,

TST uses trailing drawdown. The best way I can explain it is using a spreadsheet I developed to practice passing the Combine. Notice the every profit increases the drawdown. For system building I just ignore the trailing drawdown and stick to drawdown

 

[Spectre2007]

https://ninjatrader.com/support/forum/local_links.php

It’s from their forum, but best to get in habit of drawing your own.

Aiming for homeruns and scratching the others, minimizing losses is your goal to get through those stages. It’s tempting to trade all the time, but can defeat you.

 

[SimpleMeLike]

Drawdown less than $4,500 and daily loss limit $3,000, when you take the $150k Combine, if that helps?

Yes, I agree Xela. It cost a bit more per month to accomplish, but you mention a good point I was forgetting lol

 

[Spectre2007]

 

[Spectre2007]

I passed TST with algo.

 

[SimpleMeLike]

I passed TST with algo.

Hello Spectre2007,

Very very very good trading and accomplishment. Great job and execution well done.

Few questions please:

1. How does it feel passing the Combine personally?
2. Did you stop intervening with the algo during trading day?
3. Any advice for me and others as I am developing algo in NT to pass and get funded in TST as well?

Thank you and great job.

 

[Spectre2007]

Hello Spectre2007,

Very very very good trading and accomplishment. Great job and execution well done.

Few questions please:

1. How does it feel passing the Combine personally?
2. Did you stop intervening with the algo during trading day?
3. Any advice for me and others as I am developing algo in NT to pass and get funded in TST as well?

Thank you and great job.

Intraday you have to discern what segment of the day is consolidative vs trending. If you don’t give the opportunity for the algo to work, it will never show you what is possible.

I remotely checked on it, and didn’t intervene as usual.

 

[SimpleMeLike]

Intraday you have to discern what segment of the day is consolidative vs trending. If you don’t give the opportunity for the algo to work, it will never show you what is possible.

I remotely checked on it, and didn’t intervene as usual.

Thanks and I agree with you. Every trade has probability (expectancy) of being a winner.

I have a question regarding the NT data feed used to back test strategies. Do you use NT free CQG demo data or some other paid data service?

 

[Spectre2007]

Thanks and I agree with you. Every trade has probability (expectancy) of being a winner.

I have a question regarding the NT data feed used to back test strategies. Do you use NT free CQG demo data or some other paid data service?

I paid for tick data couple years ago. You can go back and formulate trade plan and actually look at what would happen. And design algo around that data set. You have to find something inherently inefficient in price action where just by its mere existence in the human framework.

Most data services don’t give you greater than 3 years of tick data.