Descent Blade Indicator - Complete User Manual (MT4 & MT5)

Descent Blade Indicator - Complete User Manual (MT4 & MT5)

7 May 2026, 09:14
Kestutis Balciunas
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Descent Blade Indicator - Complete User Manual (MT4 & MT5)

Introduction

The Descent Blade Indicator is a non-repainting trend reversal signal system for MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. It combines a Wilder Parabolic SAR with a one-bar lagging variant for entry detection and a Bill Williams Fractal layer for take profit and re-entry signals. Every signal is calculated on a confirmed bar close — historical signals never move, change, or disappear.

Key Features:

  • Lagging PSAR Cross Entries: BUY and SELL signals fire on confirmed cross of the bar's high or low through the lagging PSAR line
  • BW Fractal TP Engine: Take Profit signals appear at fractal-confirmed structural exhaustion points along the trend
  • RE (Re-Entry) Signals: Optional counter-direction scale-in signals for grid and pyramid management
  • Non-Repainting: All signals fire on bar close only and remain permanent
  • Direction Filter: Buy & Sell, Buy Only, or Sell Only modes
  • 8 Alert Events: Enter-Buy, Enter-Sell, Exit-Buy, Exit-Sell, TP-Buy, TP-Sell, RE-Buy, RE-Sell with popup, push, email, and sound delivery
  • Symbol-Agnostic: Works on Forex, indices, commodities, equities, and cryptocurrencies on any timeframe

Download the indicator: 


TIP: This indicator suits traders who want a structured rules-based approach to trend reversal trading. It works on any symbol and any timeframe available in MetaTrader.

Understanding Lagging PSAR Cross Signals

The Descent Blade Indicator uses a Wilder Parabolic SAR with a custom lagging variant. The standard SAR computes a bar-by-bar trailing dot using an acceleration factor; the lagging SAR is the standard SAR shifted by one bar. At any bar  t , the lagging value equals the standard SAR at bar  t-1 .

This formulation has a clean property: a cross of the bar's high above the lagging line corresponds exactly to a standard SAR flip from above-price to below-price (a bullish reversal). A cross of the bar's low below the lagging line corresponds to a SAR flip from below-price to above-price (a bearish reversal).

Visual rendering:

  • Yellow line (Lagging PSAR Up): drawn when the lagging value sits below the bar's low — typically during an uptrend
  • Magenta line (Lagging PSAR Down): drawn when the lagging value sits above the bar's low — typically during a downtrend
  • Lime/red dotted segments (Standard PSAR): hidden by default; enable via  InpShowPsar = true  if you want both lines visible

How signals fire:

  1. The indicator monitors the bar's high vs. the lagging PSAR for a BUY cross and the bar's low vs. the lagging PSAR for a SELL cross
  2. A BUY signal fires when  high[current] > lagging[current]  AND  high[previous] <= lagging[previous]
  3. A SELL signal fires when  low[current] < lagging[current]  AND  low[previous] >= lagging[previous]
  4. The cross is evaluated only on confirmed (closed) bars to ensure non-repainting

NOTE: The cross detection is mathematically identical to the standard SAR flip detection. The benefit is the lagging line provides a stable visual reference on the chart that traders can use as a structural pivot.

Installation Guide

The Descent Blade Indicator is distributed through the MQL5.com Market. Installation is automatic.

Steps:

  1. Purchase the indicator from the MQL5 Market product page
  2. The indicator installs automatically into your MetaTrader terminal
  3. Open MetaTrader and press Ctrl+N to open the Navigator panel
  4. Expand Indicators > Market
  5. Locate Descent Blade Indicator in the list
  6. Drag the indicator onto any chart, or double-click its name
  7. The settings dialog appears — adjust parameters as needed (see sections below)
  8. Click OK to apply

After loading, you will see:

  • Lagging PSAR line drawn across the chart in yellow (uptrend) or magenta (downtrend)
  • BUY entry labels in green below the bar at upward cross points
  • SELL entry labels in red above the bar at downward cross points
  • TP labels in teal (BUY trade) or maroon (SELL trade) at fractal-confirmed take profit moments
  • RE labels in olive (BUY-side) or purple (SELL-side) at fractal-confirmed re-entry moments

IMPORTANT: Do not manually copy files to the data folder. The MQL5 Market handles all file placement and updates automatically.

Signal System Overview

Each signal consists of a single text label drawn at the closed signal bar.

1. Entry Signals (BUY / SELL)

  • BUY entry: green label with the text  BUY  placed below the bar at the upward lagging cross
  • SELL entry: red label with the text  SELL  placed above the bar at the downward lagging cross
  • The internal position state transitions from NONE to BUY or SELL on entry
  • The recorded entry price is the lagging PSAR value at the cross bar

2. Exit Signals (EXIT BUY / EXIT SELL)

  • EXIT BUY: green label with text  EXIT BUY  below the bar when an opposite cross occurs while in BUY state
  • EXIT SELL: red label with text  EXIT SELL  above the bar when an opposite cross occurs while in SELL state
  • Disabled by default ( InpShowExitBuy = false ,  InpShowExitSell = false ) because the next opposite entry communicates the same information
  • When a flip occurs, both the EXIT label for the closing trade and the new entry label can appear on the same bar

3. TP Signals (Take Profit)

  • BUY trade: teal label with text  TP  above the bar
  • SELL trade: maroon label with text  TP  below the bar
  • TP fires when a candle direction reversal occurs at a fractal-confirmed swing pivot, with current close beyond the entry price
  • Multiple TPs can fire during one trade as price moves through successive fractals

4. RE Signals (Re-Entry / Scale-In)

  • BUY-side scale-in (during SELL trade): olive label with text  RE  below the bar
  • SELL-side scale-in (during BUY trade): purple label with text  RE  above the bar
  • RE fires only after at least one TP has occurred in the trade (unless  InpReBuyNoTp  or  InpReSellNoTp  is enabled)
  • Subject to a minimum proximity-to-lagging-PSAR ratio configurable via  InpReMinProximity

Non-Repainting Confirmation:

  • The state machine processes only confirmed bars (shift >= 1, never the live forming bar at shift 0)
  • Once a signal label appears, it is permanent and never moves
  • The historical scan on indicator load is silent — alerts are suppressed until the scan completes
  • What you see in the chart history is exactly what would have appeared in real time at bar close


Position Direction Filter

The Direction input controls which entry side the indicator generates.

Parameter Default Description
InpDirection Buy & Sell Buy & Sell / Buy Only / Sell Only
  • Buy & Sell: Both BUY entries and SELL entries are generated. Standard mode.
  • Buy Only: Only BUY entries fire on upward lagging crosses. Downward crosses are ignored.
  • Sell Only: Only SELL entries fire on downward lagging crosses. Upward crosses are ignored.

The TP and RE logic respects the active position regardless of the Direction filter — once a trade is open, all corresponding TP and RE signals fire normally.

TIP: Use Buy Only mode on instruments showing strong long-term bullish bias (e.g. major equity indices) to avoid counter-trend SELL signals. Use Sell Only sparingly — it is best suited for instruments in confirmed multi-month downtrends.

Show Signals Configuration

These toggles control which signal types are visualized on the chart. They do not affect the internal state machine — alerts continue to fire regardless of visibility settings.

Parameter Default Description
InpShowEntryBuy true Show BUY entry labels
InpShowTpBuy true Show TP labels during BUY trades
InpShowReBuy true Show RE labels during SELL trades (BUY-side scale-in)
InpShowExitBuy false Show EXIT BUY labels
InpShowEntrySell true Show SELL entry labels
InpShowTpSell true Show TP labels during SELL trades
InpShowReSell true Show RE labels during BUY trades (SELL-side scale-in)
InpShowExitSell false Show EXIT SELL labels

TIP: Disable RE labels ( InpShowReBuy = false ,  InpShowReSell = false ) for a cleaner chart if you don't use grid/pyramid management. Enable EXIT labels only if you trade hard exits separate from the next opposite entry.

PSAR Configuration

The standard Wilder PSAR parameters control the speed and aggressiveness of the lagging line.

Parameter Default Description
InpPsarStart 0.02 Initial Acceleration Factor
InpPsarIncrement 0.02 AF increment per new extreme point
InpPsarMax 0.025 Maximum AF cap

Logic: The standard SAR uses these values directly. The lagging variant is the standard SAR shifted by one bar. Higher Max values (e.g. 0.05, 0.1) produce a faster-trailing SAR that flips more often. Lower values (e.g. 0.01) produce a slower SAR with fewer flips. The defaults match the original Trend Trader-Remastered Pine Script source.

TIP: Most traders should leave these at their defaults. Modify only if you have a clear backtest justification. The default 0.025 maximum is intentionally conservative to keep the lagging cross meaningful rather than reactive.

BW Fractal Configuration

The Bill Williams Fractal layer drives the TP and RE signal logic.

Parameter Default Description
InpFracHighSrc High Price source for high fractal detection
InpFracLowSrc Low Price source for low fractal detection
InpFracLbHigh 2 Lookback bars for high fractal confirmation
InpFracLbLow 2 Lookback bars for low fractal confirmation

Available price sources for  InpFracHighSrc  and  InpFracLowSrc :

  • High: the bar's high (default for high fractal source)
  • Low: the bar's low (default for low fractal source)
  • Close: the bar's close
  • Open: the bar's open
  • Median: (High + Low) / 2
  • Typical: (High + Low + Close) / 3
  • Weighted: (High + Low + Close + Close) / 4

Logic: A high fractal forms at a bar whose source value exceeds the source values of  InpFracLbHigh  bars on each side. A low fractal forms at a bar whose source value is below the surrounding lows within the same window. With the default lookback of 2, fractals confirm 2 bars after they form.

When subsequent price action causes a close above a high fractal's price, the fractal is marked as broken out. The TP and RE engines reference these breakouts as their structural anchors.

TIP: Increasing the fractal lookback (e.g. to 3 or 4) filters out very minor swing pivots and produces fewer but more significant TP and RE signals. Reducing the lookback to 1 produces a denser signal stream — useful on lower timeframes but generally too noisy on H1+.

Re-Entry Tuning

These inputs control when RE (re-entry / scale-in) signals are allowed to fire.

Parameter Default Description
InpReMinProximity 0.0 Minimum proximity ratio (%) of close to lagging PSAR
InpReBuyNoTp false Allow RE-Buy signals without a prior TP in the trade
InpReSellNoTp false Allow RE-Sell signals without a prior TP in the trade

Proximity ratio formula:  proximity = |close - lagging| / |lagging| × 100  (rounded to 2 decimals).

Logic:

  • The proximity ratio gates RE signals to bars where price has moved away from the lagging line by at least the configured percentage. The default of 0.0 means the gate is disabled (any proximity is acceptable).
  • The "NoTp" toggles control whether a prior TP must have occurred in the trade before any RE can fire. The default behavior (both false) requires a TP first, which means RE signals only appear after the trade has already shown some profit.

Practical settings:

  • For instruments with frequent small swings (M5, M15 Forex), set  InpReMinProximity = 0.5  to require at least a 0.5% distance from the lagging line before RE fires.
  • For traders who want RE signals as soon as a counter-direction pivot forms, set  InpReBuyNoTp = true  and  InpReSellNoTp = true .
  • For traders who don't use re-entry scale-ins at all, simply disable the RE display via  InpShowReBuy = false  and  InpShowReSell = false .

Visual Settings

Parameter Default Description
InpShowPsar false Show the standard PSAR line
InpShowPsarLagging true Show the lagging PSAR line
InpShowPosEntry false Show a horizontal entry-price line during open trades

Standard PSAR line: drawn in lime when the SAR sits below price (uptrend) and red when above (downtrend). Width 3 pixels. Hidden by default to keep the chart clean — most traders find the lagging line alone sufficient.

Lagging PSAR line: drawn in yellow when below the bar's low (uptrend) and magenta when above (downtrend). Width 3 pixels. The primary visual reference, enabled by default.

Position Entry line: white horizontal segment at the entry price, persisting from the entry bar through the duration of the open trade. Width 2 pixels. Hidden by default.

Signal Style

Parameter Default Description
InpFontSize 11 Font size for signal labels (range 5–24)
InpFontName Arial Bold Font face for signal labels
InpColEntryBuy clrGreen Color for BUY entry and EXIT BUY
InpColEntrySell clrRed Color for SELL entry and EXIT SELL
InpColTpBuy clrTeal Color for TP labels during BUY trades
InpColTpSell clrMaroon Color for TP labels during SELL trades
InpColReBuy clrOlive Color for RE labels during SELL trades
InpColReSell clrPurple Color for RE labels during BUY trades

Signal labels are placed at a vertical offset from the bar's high or low equal to 30% of the current 14-period ATR. This adaptive offset keeps labels visually clear regardless of instrument volatility.


Complete Parameter Reference

The following table lists every input parameter in the order it appears in the indicator settings dialog.

# Parameter Type Default Group
1 InpDirection enum DBI_BUY_AND_SELL Position
2 InpShowEntryBuy bool true Show Signals
3 InpShowTpBuy bool true Show Signals
4 InpShowReBuy bool true Show Signals
5 InpShowExitBuy bool false Show Signals
6 InpShowEntrySell bool true Show Signals
7 InpShowTpSell bool true Show Signals
8 InpShowReSell bool true Show Signals
9 InpShowExitSell bool false Show Signals
10 InpPsarStart double 0.02 PSAR
11 InpPsarIncrement double 0.02 PSAR
12 InpPsarMax double 0.025 PSAR
13 InpFracHighSrc enum DBI_PRICE_HIGH BW Fractals
14 InpFracLowSrc enum DBI_PRICE_LOW BW Fractals
15 InpFracLbHigh int 2 BW Fractals
16 InpFracLbLow int 2 BW Fractals
17 InpReMinProximity double 0.0 Signal Fine-Tuning
18 InpReBuyNoTp bool false Signal Fine-Tuning
19 InpReSellNoTp bool false Signal Fine-Tuning
20 InpShowPsar bool false Show Informative
21 InpShowPsarLagging bool true Show Informative
22 InpShowPosEntry bool false Show Informative
23 InpFontSize int 11 Signal Style
24 InpFontName string "Arial Bold" Signal Style
25 InpColEntryBuy color clrGreen Signal Style
26 InpColEntrySell color clrRed Signal Style
27 InpColTpBuy color clrTeal Signal Style
28 InpColTpSell color clrMaroon Signal Style
29 InpColReBuy color clrOlive Signal Style
30 InpColReSell color clrPurple Signal Style
31 InpAlertPopup bool true Alerts
32 InpAlertPush bool false Alerts
33 InpAlertEmail bool false Alerts
34 InpAlertSound bool true Alerts
35 InpAlertSoundFile string "alert.wav" Alerts
36 InpAlertEntry bool true Alerts
37 InpAlertExit bool true Alerts
38 InpAlertTP bool true Alerts
39 InpAlertRE bool true Alerts
40 InpObjPrefix string "DBI_" Advanced


Alert Configuration

The Descent Blade Indicator supports four alert delivery channels and eight distinct alert events.

Alert Channels

Parameter Default Description
InpAlertPopup true Show on-screen popup dialog
InpAlertPush false Send push notification to the MetaTrader mobile app
InpAlertEmail false Send email notification
InpAlertSound true Play the sound file specified by InpAlertSoundFile
InpAlertSoundFile alert.wav Filename of sound to play

Alert Categories

Alert categories let you mute groups of events without changing channel settings:

Parameter Default Controls
InpAlertEntry true Enter-Buy, Enter-Sell
InpAlertExit true Exit-Buy, Exit-Sell
InpAlertTP true TP-Buy, TP-Sell
InpAlertRE true RE-Buy, RE-Sell

Alert Events and Message Format

The indicator fires alerts for eight events. Each message uses the pipe-delimited format:

DBI|<Event>|<Symbol>|<Broker>|<Timeframe>|<Time>|<Price>

Alert Event When It Fires Reference Price
Enter-Buy BUY entry on upward lagging cross Lagging PSAR at cross bar
Enter-Sell SELL entry on downward lagging cross Lagging PSAR at cross bar
Exit-Buy Opposite cross during BUY trade Lagging PSAR at cross bar
Exit-Sell Opposite cross during SELL trade Lagging PSAR at cross bar
TP-Buy TP signal during BUY trade Current bar close
TP-Sell TP signal during SELL trade Current bar close
RE-Buy RE signal (BUY-side scale-in during SELL trade) Current bar close
RE-Sell RE signal (SELL-side scale-in during BUY trade) Current bar close

Example messages:

DBI|Enter-Buy|EURUSD|MetaQuotes-Demo|H1|2026.05.01 14:00:00|1.10523
DBI|TP-Sell|GBPJPY|MetaQuotes-Demo|H4|2026.05.01 16:00:00|193.250
DBI|Exit-Buy|XAUUSD|MetaQuotes-Demo|D1|2026.05.02 00:00:00|2387.50

Critical: Alerts are suppressed during the historical scan. When the indicator first loads on a chart, it walks the full visible history and prints all historical signals as chart labels. During this scan, no alerts fire — only newly closed bars after the indicator has fully initialized produce notifications. This prevents the alert flood that some chart-rendered indicators cause when first applied.

Enabling Push Notifications

  1. Install the MetaTrader mobile app on your phone (iOS or Android)
  2. Open the app and navigate to Settings > Messages
  3. Copy your MetaQuotes ID
  4. In the desktop MetaTrader, go to Tools > Options > Notifications
  5. Enter your MetaQuotes ID and enable notifications
  6. Set  InpAlertPush = true  in the indicator settings

Enabling Email Notifications

  1. In MetaTrader, go to Tools > Options > Email
  2. Check Enable
  3. Enter your SMTP server, port, login, password, and destination email address
  4. Click Test to verify the configuration works
  5. Set  InpAlertEmail = true  in the indicator settings

Trading Strategies

The following three approaches demonstrate different ways to use the Descent Blade Indicator. All strategies assume default settings unless stated otherwise.

WARNING: Trading involves significant risk of loss. These strategies are provided for educational purposes only. Always test on a demo account first and never trade with money you cannot afford to lose.

Strategy A: Pure Trend Reversal (H1 - H4)

Goal: Capture trend reversals at the lagging PSAR cross with no scale-ins.

Recommended settings:

  • All defaults
  • InpShowReBuy = false ,  InpShowReSell = false  (hide RE labels)
  • InpAlertRE = false  (disable RE alerts)

Trade management:

  1. Wait for a BUY or SELL entry label
  2. Enter at the open of the next bar
  3. Hold position until the next opposite entry label appears
  4. Use TP labels as discretionary partial-exit cues — close 50% on the first TP, hold the remainder until next opposite entry

Strategy B: Multi-Target Scale-Out (H1 - D1)

Goal: Use successive TP signals as scale-out levels.

Recommended settings:

  • All defaults
  • Optionally increase  InpFracLbHigh  and  InpFracLbLow  to 3 to reduce TP density

Trade management:

  1. Enter on the entry signal at the open of the next bar
  2. Close one-third of the position on the first TP signal
  3. Move stop loss to entry breakeven after the first TP
  4. Close another third on the second TP signal
  5. Hold the final third until the next opposite entry or a discretionary exit

Strategy C: Grid Scale-In with RE Signals (Advanced)

Goal: Add to position counter-direction at fractal-confirmed pullbacks.

Recommended settings:

  • All defaults
  • InpReMinProximity = 0.5  (require some distance from lagging PSAR before RE fires)

Trade management:

  1. Enter on the entry signal
  2. Take partial profit on the first TP
  3. If a RE signal fires (counter-direction pullback to a fractal), add a small scale-in position
  4. The RE position is intended as a temporary hedge or profit-recovery layer
  5. Close all positions on the next opposite entry

WARNING: Strategy C requires careful position management and a broker that supports hedging or simultaneous opposite-direction positions. It is not appropriate for all account types or risk profiles.


Tuning Presets

The following presets are starting points. Adjust based on your symbol, broker conditions, and personal preference.

Scalping Preset (M5 - M15)

Parameter Scalping Value
InpFracLbHigh 1
InpFracLbLow 1
InpReMinProximity 0.0
InpShowExitBuy true
InpShowExitSell true
InpFontSize 9

Swing Trading Preset (H1 - H4)

Parameter Swing Value
InpFracLbHigh 2
InpFracLbLow 2
InpReMinProximity 0.0
InpShowExitBuy false
InpShowExitSell false
InpFontSize 11

Position Trading Preset (H4 - D1)

Parameter Position Value
InpFracLbHigh 4
InpFracLbLow 4
InpReMinProximity 1.0
InpShowReBuy false
InpShowReSell false
InpFontSize 12

TIP: Start with the Swing Trading preset and adjust one parameter at a time to observe its effect on signal frequency and quality.

Troubleshooting

No Signals Appearing on the Chart

Possible causes:

  • Insufficient history. The indicator requires at least  2 * max(InpFracLbHigh, InpFracLbLow) + 5  bars to begin processing. Scroll back to load more history or increase Max Bars in Chart in MetaTrader's Options.
  • Direction filter restricting signals. Confirm  InpDirection = DBI_BUY_AND_SELL  if you expect both BUY and SELL signals.
  • Lagging cross not occurring in visible range. Zoom out — the indicator may have signals further back in history or further forward as new bars form.

Lagging PSAR Line Not Visible

  • Verify  InpShowPsarLagging = true
  • Check that the chart timeframe has enough bars for the SAR to develop (10+ bars after the chart's earliest visible point)
  • Increase line width via  #property indicator_width3  and  indicator_width4  if recompiling — defaults are width 3

TP or RE Signals Not Firing

  • Verify the corresponding show toggle ( InpShowTpBuy ,  InpShowTpSell , etc.) is  true
  • TP requires a candle direction reversal AND a fractal breakout above (or below) the entry price during the trade
  • RE requires a TP to have occurred first (unless  InpReBuyNoTp  or  InpReSellNoTp  is  true )
  • The proximity gate ( InpReMinProximity ) may be filtering RE signals — try setting it to 0.0

Alerts Not Firing

  • Confirm at least one of  InpAlertPopup ,  InpAlertPush ,  InpAlertEmail ,  InpAlertSound  is  true
  • Confirm the relevant category ( InpAlertEntry ,  InpAlertExit ,  InpAlertTP ,  InpAlertRE ) is  true
  • Alerts are silent during the historical scan on indicator load — they only fire for bars that close after the indicator has been applied
  • For push notifications: verify your MetaQuotes ID in Tools > Options > Notifications
  • For email: verify SMTP settings in Tools > Options > Email

Different Results Between MT4 and MT5

  • The MT4 and MT5 implementations share identical logic and produce identical signals on the same bars. Visual differences (anti-aliasing, font rendering) are platform-specific.
  • Both versions process bars chronologically with the same Wilder PSAR formula, the same lagging shift, the same fractal detection, and the same state machine.
  • If you observe a difference, verify that both versions are at the same input parameter values and that both charts have the same loaded history.

Indicator Loaded but Chart Appears Empty

  • Verify  InpShowPsarLagging = true  (the primary visible plot)
  • Verify  InpShowEntryBuy = true  and  InpShowEntrySell = true
  • Confirm there is enough history loaded — at least 100 bars recommended for stable initial signals

Support and Contact

If you need assistance with the Descent Blade Indicator:

Contact Method Details
Email support@forexobroker.com
Website www.forexobroker.com
MQL5 Market Use the Comments section on the product page

When contacting support, please include:

  • Your MetaTrader version (MT4 or MT5)
  • Broker name and symbol format
  • A description of the issue
  • Screenshots of the chart and the indicator settings dialog
  • The exact parameter values you are using

Download the indicator: 


CONTACT & SUPPORT

Risk Disclaimer

Trading foreign exchange and CFDs on margin carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. You may sustain a loss exceeding your initial investment. Trend Quorum is a technical analysis tool and does not guarantee profitable trades. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The authors accept no liability for any loss arising from use of the indicator. By using Trend Quorum you acknowledge sole responsibility for your trading decisions.