Ilan1.4
Ilan1.4 is a classic Martingale-based Expert Advisor that opens initial positions based on a simple momentum/RSI signal and then doubles the lot size on each subsequent losing trade at fixed price intervals. It relies on the assumption that price will eventually revert, allowing all positions to close at a small net profit. The strategy has no stop-loss and uses an exponential lot increase to recover losses, making it extremely risky in trending markets.
Open the interactive view (equity curve, symbol switch)Key facts
Backtest results (H1, about 1 year)
| Symbol | P&L | Annual | Max DD | Trades | Win rate | Sharpe | Recovery | Losing streak | Per trade | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EURUSD | -5.24% | -4.57% | 8.97% | 30 | 55.20% | -0.96 | -0.58 | 5 | +$10.52 | Reliable |
| GBPUSD | +2.18% | +1.89% | 5.02% | 101 | 51.00% | 0.41 | 0.43 | 6 | +$4.63 | Reliable |
| USDJPY | +6.32% | +5.47% | 3.87% | 93 | 64.10% | 1.13 | 1.63 | 4 | +$6.70 | Reliable |
| XAUUSD | +94.60% | +73.34% | 34.65% | 72 | 63.40% | 1.59 | 2.73 | 4 | +$210.81 | Reliable |
Profitable on 3 of 4 markets with reliable results.
Converted from MQL5 to Python and run with the same rules for every EA. Positions use MT5 lot sizes (100,000 units per FX lot, 100 oz per gold lot) with 1:100 leverage, one order at a time, and a stop-out below 10% of the starting balance. Sharpe is computed from the equity curve. Results marked as unreliable are shown for completeness only.
Against the other Martingale EAs with a reliable result on the same market: EURUSD: better than 12% of 16 · GBPUSD: better than 47% of 15 · USDJPY: better than 100% of 16 · XAUUSD: better than 75% of 16
Month by month
| Market | Months with a gain | Best month | Worst month |
|---|---|---|---|
| EURUSD | 46% | +2.42% 2026-04 | -3.45% 2026-03 |
| GBPUSD | 69% | +2.19% 2026-05 | -2.85% 2026-09 |
| USDJPY | 77% | +2.03% 2026-02 | -1.56% 2026-01 |
| XAUUSD | 54% | +55.78% 2026-02 | -21.68% 2026-06 |
From the backtest equity curve, sampled about every two days; only reliable results.
Blow-up risk: High
- Increases the position size after losses (martingale)
- Has no stop loss or trailing stop
High: stopped out in our backtest, or martingale/grid sizing without a stop loss. Elevated: martingale or grid sizing with a stop loss, or several positions at once without a stop loss. What the label means and what we found →
Strategy analysis
Ilan1.4's core strategy concept is the Martingale doubling method, where it increases lot size on each losing position at fixed price intervals, expecting price reversion to close all positions at a small net profit. Entry conditions are typically based on RSI overbought/oversold levels or simple price momentum reversal signals for the initial trade. Exit conditions trigger when the weighted average price of all open positions reaches a predefined profit target, closing the entire basket at once. Position sizing follows a fixed-interval grid with exponential lot multiplication (typically 2x) on each subsequent level, while the price distance between levels is defined by the Del parameter. Money management lacks any stop-loss mechanism, relying entirely on mean reversion to escape drawdowns, which means account risk grows exponentially with each averaging level. In strong trending markets, consecutive martingale additions can rapidly deplete margin and cause a margin call, which is the strategy's most critical flaw.
Strengths
- Simple and intuitive logic, easy to understand and modify parameters
- Stable performance in ranging markets, consistently capturing small profits
- When price reverts, all positions can be closed at once for profit
Weaknesses
- No stop-loss mechanism; position sizing grows exponentially in trending markets, easily leading to margin calls
- Martingale strategy inherently carries unlimited risk, with capital requirements growing geometrically
- Relies on mean-reversion assumption; may keep adding positions in trending markets until margin is exhausted
- Lacks market state filtering, operating identically in both trending and ranging conditions
Possible improvements
- Add account-level stop-loss or maximum drawdown limit to prevent margin calls
- Add trend-filtering indicators (e.g., MA direction) to pause position-doubling or reduce the multiplier during trends
- Cap maximum additional lots as a percentage of total capital for dynamic position management
Risk assessment
Overall risk: Dangerous
- No stop-loss mechanism, entirely reliant on price reversion for escape
- Martingale exponential lot increase causes geometric margin requirement growth during consecutive losses
- Can cause rapid margin call in strong trending markets with uncontrolled risk
- Lacks account equity check and maximum drawdown protection
Evaluation scores
Parameters
| Parameter | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
Lot | 0.01 | Initial opening lot size |
Del | 30 | Position addition distance in points |
LotExponent | 2.0 | Lot size multiplication exponent factor |
TakeProfit | 10 | Take-profit in points (~10 points) |
MaxTrades | 10 | Maximum position additions |
RSI_Period | 14 | RSI indicator period |
RSI_Level | 70 | RSIoverboughtoversold threshold |
Slip | 3 | Allowed slippage |
MagicNumber | 12345 | EA magic number for order identification |
Similar Martingale EAs
Backtests are historical simulations and do not guarantee future results. Not financial advice.