ICT Intraday Trading Strategy — Daily Bias + Sessions + 5-Min CISD/MSS for 50-100 Pips

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ICT Intraday Trading Strategy is the exact model I used to pass the FTMO $100K funded account challenge with an 81% consistency rate. The whole framework is built on three pillars — the ICT daily bias, the trading sessions (Asia, London, New York), and the lower-timeframe CISD or MSS as the entry trigger.

Sharing is caring — so I am going to share my ICT intraday trading strategy with you.

In this guide I walk you through the full strategy — the four bullish scenarios (Consolidated Asia, Asian Expansion, Consolidated London, London Expansion), the Asia-trading exception, the realistic objectives, the risk-reward rules, the step-by-step trade flow, common mistakes and the FAQ.

You can jump to the section you are most interested in from below or continue reading the full article for a complete view.

What is My Ultimate ICT Intraday Trading Strategy?

In my long journey of trading I have traded so many strategies — the one I am sharing with you is one of my favorite and most fruitful.

This strategy is based on the trading sessions — Asia, London and New York — in conjunction with the Bias Harian TIK dan Penyisiran Likuiditas TIK dan Likuiditas Berjalan.

Mainly I do not trade the Asia session — which starts at 06:00 PM New York local time and ends at 03:00 AM NY local time.

But there are conditions when I have to trade Asia — which will be discussed later in this blog.

Mostly I wait for the London session opening at 03:00 AM NY local time and look for the London Judas Swing — either below Asia’s low or back into the Asia range.

After the London Judas Swing I look for the trade confirmation — either the ICT-CISD atau ICT-MSS on a lower timeframe like M-5, M-3 or even M-1.

You can see the illustration of the ICT intraday trading strategy in the picture given below.

Realistic Objectives

Trade duration: typically 1 to 3 hours or less.

Pips per trade: 50 to 100 pips, or maximum 150 pips.

Timing chart interval: 1-day and 4-hour for the daily bias. 15-minute to look for the liquidity sweep. M-5 or lower for trade entry confirmation.

Frequency of Setups

Per week: as many as 15 or less.

Per day: 2 to 3 setups typically.

Per session: 1 per session typically — London, New York and Asia.

Risk-to-Reward Ratio

Minimum 1:2 and the maximum 1:3.

Book half of your profits at 1:1.

Now let me discuss each scenario of this strategy, focusing on the Bullish Daily Bias.

Consolidated Asian Range on a Bullish Day

Asia can do one of two price engines — consolidation in a range, or expansion.

When Asia consolidates in a range, you just need to mark the high and low of the Asian range and wait for the London session opening.

The Asian range may vary between 20 to 50 pips.

After the tight range of Asia, when London opens it is going to create the Judas Swing to attract sellers.

You just need to sit down and watch price take the low of the Asian range and hit any Discount Array PD.

When price takes the Asian low it can go down more to attract more sellers at the discounted price — that is why you need to look for confirmation for the trade entry.

For the confirmation you would look for the ICT-CISD atau ICT-MSS on the lower timeframe like the 5-minute or lower.

After the trade confirmation, you can execute a buy trade directly — or wait for price to retrace back if the price has expanded more than 50 pips.

In this scenario your stop loss will be below the London low marked, and your take profit level will be the Asian range high or the previous day high.

You can see the example of this intraday trading strategy in the picture given below.

Asian Expansion on a Bullish Day

When the Asian session expands more than 50 pips — probably 70 to 100 pips — you would plot the Fibonacci retracement tool from low to high of the Asian expansion.

Mark the 50% retracement level and the ICT-OTE levels.

After the London open, look for the London Judas Swing and the retracement back into the Asian range at the 50% retracement level or the OTE levels.

When price hits the 50% retracement level or the OTE levels, look for the trade confirmation on the 5-minute chart or lower timeframes.

After the confirmation, you can execute a buy trade with stop-loss below the London low and the target at the Asian high or the previous day high.

You can see the example of this ICT intraday trading strategy in the picture given below.

Consolidated London Range on a Bullish Day

London can either consolidate in a range or expand.

When London consolidates in a range, you simply need to mark the high and low of the London session range and wait for the New York session opening.

The London range typically varies between 20 to 50 pips.

After this tight consolidation, when New York opens it often creates a Judas Swing to attract sellers.

You need to patiently observe the New York open taking out the low of the London range and hitting any Discount PD Array.

Once price takes out the London low, it may continue lower to attract more sellers at a discounted price — which is why confirmation is key before entering a buy trade.

For confirmation, look for ICT-CISD or ICT-MSS on a lower timeframe (5-minute or lower).

Once confirmed, you can either execute a buy trade immediately or wait for a retracement if price has already expanded more than 50 pips.

Stop loss: below the New York low marked.

Take profit: London range high or the previous day’s high.

You can see an example of this intraday trading strategy in the picture below.

London Expansion on a Bullish Day

When the London session expands more than 50 pips — typically 70 to 100 pips — you should plot the Fibonacci retracement tool from the low to high of the London expansion.

Key steps:

Mark the 50% retracement level and the ICT-OTE levels.

After the New York Open, watch for the New York Judas Swing and the retracement back into the London range at the 50% retracement level or the OTE levels.

When price hits the 50% retracement level or the OTE levels, look for trade confirmation on the 5-minute chart or lower timeframes.

After confirmation, execute a buy trade with:

Stop-loss: below the New York low.

Take profit: London high or the previous day’s high.

You can see an example of this ICT intraday trading strategy in the picture below.

When to Trade Asia

Best Days: Monday or Tuesday — when price may mark the weekly low.

Key Setup: Asia distributes over 100 pips and raids the previous day’s low. Price reverses after taking the low.

Trade Confirmation: Look for ICT-CISD or ICT-MSS on the 5-minute chart. Enter a buy trade immediately or wait for a retracement to a Fair Value Gap (FVG) or Breaker Block.

Trade Setup:

Stop-loss: below the Asian low.

Take profit: Asian high or previous day’s high.

For a swing trade: if it is Monday or Tuesday and price marks a weekly low, hold the trade to target the weekly high.

You can see the example of this trade setup in the picture given below.

This guide focuses on the Bullish Bias — you can invert every scenario for the Bearish Bias.

Step-by-Step Intraday Trade Flow

This is the exact sequence I run every day for the intraday strategy.

1. Set the daily bias. 1-day and 4-hour structure — bullish or bearish.
2. Identify the Asian session range. 06:00 PM to 03:00 AM NY time — mark high and low. Note whether it is consolidation (20–50 pips) or expansion (70–100 pips).
3. If Asia is expanding, plot Fibonacci. 50% retracement and OTE on the Asian range.
4. Wait for the London open at 03:00 AM NY time. Watch for the London Judas Swing below the Asian low (bullish bias).
5. Mark the London range once it forms. Track whether London consolidates or expands.
6. If London is consolidating, wait for NY open. The NY Judas Swing below the London low becomes the trigger zone.
7. Drop to the 5-minute or lower for confirmation. Wait for ICT-CISD or ICT-MSS in the bias direction.
8. Enter on the post-CISD/MSS retest. Buy at the discount level.
9. Set the stop. Below the London low (if entering at London) or below the NY low (if entering at NY).
10. Take profit. Asian high or previous day high. Book half at 1:1, run to 1:2 or 1:3.
11. Asia exception (Monday/Tuesday only). Asia distributes 100+ pips and raids the previous day low — enter on 5-minute CISD with stop below Asian low.

Best Pairs for ICT Intraday Strategy

The strategy works on every major instrument that respects the three sessions — GBP/USD, EUR/USD, USD/CAD, USD/JPY plus metals such as XAU/USD and XAG/USD.

For traders in the United States who follow the CFTC FIFO and no-hedge rules, the intraday framework maps cleanly onto NQ and ES futures (CME Group) plus regulated forex pairs through US-based brokers. The 09:50 NY-AM macro window is a particularly strong execution window for the New York Judas Swing scenarios.

Common Mistakes Around the Intraday Strategy

These are the recurring mistakes I see when traders first start trading the intraday model.

1. Trading Asia by default. Asia is not the main session. Only trade Asia on Monday or Tuesday when it distributes 100+ pips and raids the previous day low.
2. Skipping the daily bias. Every scenario assumes a correct daily bias. Without it, every Judas Swing looks like a setup.
3. Confusing consolidation with expansion. 20–50 pips Asia or London = consolidation (no Fibonacci needed). 70–100 pips = expansion (Fibonacci required).
4. Entering at the Judas Swing without CISD or MSS. The Judas Swing creates the zone. The entry trigger is the lower-timeframe CISD or MSS — never the Judas Swing alone.
5. Stop too tight. Stop must be below the London low (London entry) or NY low (NY entry) — NOT at the entry level. Tight stops at the entry get hunted on the second test.
6. Greedy targets. The model targets the Asian high or previous day high — typically 50–100 pips. Beyond that, the trade becomes a swing and breaks the intraday framework.

FAQs about ICT Intraday Trading Strategy

Brief answers to the questions readers ask most often about the intraday strategy.

What is the ICT intraday trading strategy?

A daily-bias-driven session model that targets 50 to 100 pips per day using the London Judas Swing (or NY Judas Swing if London consolidated) into a discount PD array, confirmed by a 5-minute CISD or MSS.

How many pips per trade?

50 to 100 pips typically, with a maximum of 150 pips. Book half at 1:1 and run the rest to 1:2 or 1:3.

How many setups per day?

2 to 3 setups typically — one per session (London, New York, optionally Asia).

What is the risk-reward ratio?

Minimum 1:2, maximum 1:3. Book half of your profits at 1:1.

What timeframes do I use?

1-day and 4-hour for the daily bias. 15-minute for the liquidity sweep. M-5 or lower (M-3, M-1) for trade entry confirmation.

When do I trade Asia?

Only Monday or Tuesday when Asia distributes 100+ pips and raids the previous day low — and price reverses after taking the low.

What is the Judas Swing?

The false move at the start of a session that fakes retail traders into the wrong direction before the real session move begins. London open and NY open both produce textbook Judas Swings.

Why CISD or MSS for confirmation?

Because the Judas Swing is the trigger zone, not the entry. CISD (Change in State of Delivery) or MSS (Market Structure Shift) on the 5-minute confirms that smart money is reversing — which is the actual entry signal.

Where do I place the stop loss?

Below the London low if entering at London. Below the NY low if entering at NY. Below the Asian low if trading the Asia exception.

Where do I take profit?

Asian high or previous day high (for London-based entries). London high or previous day high (for NY-based entries). Weekly high if it is a Monday/Tuesday swing.

Does this strategy work for funded accounts?

Yes — this is the exact strategy I used to pass the FTMO $100K challenge with 81% consistency. The strict risk-reward profile (1:2 to 1:3 with 1:1 partial) fits prop-firm consistency rules cleanly.

Does the strategy work on indices and gold?

Yes — NQ, ES and XAU/USD all produce textbook session-based Judas Swings, especially during the New York AM session and around US economic releases.

Can I trade this on a small account?

Yes — the percentage-based risk per trade scales to any account size. The 50–100 pip target is the same regardless of account.