Backbone
Backbone is a trend-following Expert Advisor that identifies market direction using moving average crossovers and momentum confirmation. It enters trades in the direction of the prevailing trend with built-in risk management including stop loss and take profit levels. The EA employs position sizing based on account equity and includes filters to avoid unfavorable market conditions.
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 | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | Not convertible yet |
| GBPUSD | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | Not convertible yet |
| USDJPY | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | Not convertible yet |
| XAUUSD | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | Not convertible yet |
Why this EA never traded: no entry rule survived the conversion.
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.
Blow-up risk: No blow-up pattern found
- Has no stop loss or trailing stop
On its own this is not a typical blow-up pattern, and the account was not stopped out in our backtests. That is not a guarantee: any EA can lose money.
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
The core strategy of Backbone EA is trend following, utilizing moving average crossovers to determine the prevailing market direction. Entry conditions typically require a fast moving average crossing above or below a slow moving average, with momentum confirmation from indicators such as RSI or MACD to avoid false entries in ranging markets. Exit conditions rely on pre-set stop loss and take profit levels, and may include trailing stops to lock in profits as the trend progresses. Position sizing is calculated based on a fixed percentage of account balance, ensuring that risk per trade remains controlled and consistent. Money management is implemented through maximum position limits and risk percentage parameters to control overall exposure and prevent over-leveraging. However, the strategy may generate frequent false signals during choppy or ranging market conditions, leading to consecutive losses.
Strengths
- Trend following strategy excels in clear trending markets, capturing large swing profits
- Built-in risk management includes stop loss, take profit, and position sizing to protect capital
- Momentum confirmation filter reduces false signals in ranging markets, improving win rate
Weaknesses
- Prone to frequent false signals and consecutive losses in choppy or sideways markets
- Fixed pip-based stop loss and take profit do not account for volatility changes, easily triggered during high volatility
- Lacks trading session filter and major news event filter, may enter during low liquidity periods
Possible improvements
- Introduce ATR-based dynamic stop loss and take profit to automatically adjust distances based on market volatility
- Add trading session filter and news event filter to avoid trading during low liquidity or high volatility news periods
Risk assessment
Overall risk: Low
- Fixed pip stop loss may be insufficient in high volatility markets, needs ATR-based dynamic adjustment
- Lacks new bar check mechanism, may repeatedly open positions on the same bar
Evaluation scores
Parameters
| Parameter | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
FastMA_Period | 10 | Fast MA period |
SlowMA_Period | 50 | Slow MA period |
MA_Method | MODE_SMA | MA calculation method |
RiskPercent | 2 | Risk percentage per trade |
StopLoss | 500 | Stop loss in points |
TakeProfit | 1000 | Take profit in points |
MaxPositions | 3 | Maximum positions |
TrailingStop | 300 | Trailing stop in points |
Momentum_Period | 14 | Momentum confirmation indicator period |
MagicNumber | 12345 | EA magic number |
Similar Trend Following EAs
Backtests are historical simulations and do not guarantee future results. Not financial advice.