SCALP
Shortest horizon. Flow H4/H1/M15 and structural execution on M15.
MCS v2.2 · choose a pace
SCALP, DAY or SWING?
They are three timeframe sets for the same strategy. MCS does not switch to a different trading method when you change mode.
New to MCS?Start with DAY on demo. It is the factory default and a practical middle horizon for learning the dashboard.
The simple difference
DAY
Middle horizon. Flow D1/H4/H1 and structural execution on H1.
SWING
Longest horizon. Flow W1/D1/H4 and structural execution on H4.
What stays the same?
Every mode analyses the same 28-pair ecosystem and follows the same sequence:
FLOWClosed-candle currency ranking and direction
STRUCTUREStructural Order Block on the execution timeframe
RISKLocal swing SL and RR-based TP
What changes?
| Mode | Flow timeframes | SMC / Execution TF | Fastest Flow close |
|---|---|---|---|
| SCALP | H4 / H1 / M15 | M15 | M15 |
| DAY | D1 / H4 / H1 | H1 | H1 |
| SWING | W1 / D1 / H4 | H4 | H4 |
All three Flow components use closed candles. Therefore the composite ranking does not need to change on every tick; its fastest possible structural refresh is tied to the fastest Flow candle shown above.
Which one should I use?
I want the shortest structural horizon
Choose SCALP. M15 execution reacts to smaller structural changes, so spread and execution quality deserve particular attention.
I want the default middle option
Choose DAY. It is the factory default and a sensible functional starting point for learning MCS. That is not a claim that DAY is more profitable.
I want the slowest structural horizon
Choose SWING. H4 is the execution structure. If positions are intended to survive intraday session boundaries, keep UseTradingHours OFF because enabling it also enables forced session-end closes.
What about Stop Loss?
v2.2 no longer documents a mode-specific fixed lookback as the strategy SL source. BUY uses the latest confirmed local swing low below Entry; SELL uses the latest confirmed local swing high above Entry, using closed execution-timeframe bars. If no valid local swing exists, the setup is rejected.
What about pending expiry?
The factory value is VirtualPendingExpiryMinutes=360. If you intentionally experiment on demo, shorter lifetimes may make more operational sense for SCALP and longer lifetimes for SWING, but there is no guaranteed optimum. The expiry applies to both hidden and broker-visible pending modes.
Trading hours are separate from StrategyModeWith
UseTradingHours=true, the configured London/New York boundaries apply to whichever mode you selected, including session-end position close and pending clearing. OFF disables those session restrictions.