ARRAKIS IV Setup Guide: Installation, Presets, Inputs and Portfolio Management
Trading Systems

ARRAKIS IV Setup Guide: Installation, Presets, Inputs and Portfolio Management

2 September 2026, 13:15
Andras Feher
Andras Feher
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This is the complete ARRAKIS IV setup guide. Follow the steps below in order before starting the Expert Advisor. The first part covers installation, preset selection, lot sizing, module switches, chart checks and troubleshooting. A shorter explanation of the portfolio technology follows afterwards.

1. Before you install ARRAKIS IV

ARRAKIS IV is a multi-symbol MetaTrader 5 portfolio. One EA controls 4 main engines and 8 satellite engines from a single chart. You do not need to attach it to twelve charts.

Recommended operating conditions:

  • MetaTrader 5 hedging account
  • 1:500 leverage for the published profiles
  • A reliable broker with the required forex symbols
  • A stable VPS or computer that can run continuously
  • Algo Trading enabled

Always begin on a demo account or in Strategy Tester using the exact EA and preset you intend to run.

2. Install the EA

  1. Open MetaTrader 5.
  2. Select File > Open Data Folder.
  3. Open the MQL5 folder, then Experts.
  4. Copy the ARRAKIS IV EX5 file into this folder.
  5. Return to MetaTrader 5.
  6. In the Navigator panel, right-click Expert Advisors and choose Refresh. If the EA does not appear, restart MetaTrader 5.

3. Prepare Market Watch

ARRAKIS IV needs access to every symbol used by the portfolio. Open Market Watch, right-click inside it and select Show All, or manually add the following markets:

  • USDJPY
  • NZDUSD
  • EURAUD
  • GBPUSD
  • EURJPY
  • USDCHF
  • CHFJPY
  • EURUSD

If your broker uses a prefix or suffix, for example EURUSD.a or mEURUSD, make sure the EA recognises the broker's naming format. Missing or incorrectly named symbols can prevent individual engines from receiving data or trading.

4. Attach ARRAKIS IV to one chart

  1. Open one liquid forex chart.
  2. Drag ARRAKIS IV from Navigator onto the chart.
  3. On the Common tab, allow algorithmic trading.
  4. Click OK.

Only one copy of ARRAKIS IV is required. Do not attach the same portfolio to every symbol unless you deliberately want duplicate portfolios with different Magic Numbers.

5. Load the correct preset

Open the EA properties, go to Inputs, choose Load, and select the preset designed for your account size and risk level.

The default profile is 1K Standard. It uses 0.01-lot module orders with the global lot override disabled. Use the supplied preset instead of manually recreating every value.

Never load a 100K or High Risk preset on a small account simply because the broker allows it. Margin availability is not the same as acceptable risk.

6. Check the lot settings

ARRAKIS IV offers two sizing methods:

  • Global Lot OFF: every engine uses its own lot value from the preset. This is the recommended setting for validated portfolio profiles.
  • Global Lot ON: one common lot value is applied across enabled modules. Use this only if you intentionally want to override the profile.

For the standard 1K profile, confirm that the module lot sizes are 0.01 and that Global Lot is OFF. Lot changes affect margin usage, floating drawdown and basket exposure. Doubling the lot size approximately doubles the financial impact, but real results will not scale perfectly because costs and execution also matter.

7. Review the module switches

Each of the 12 engines has its own On/Off switch.

  • ON: the module may open new trades when its entry conditions are satisfied.
  • OFF: the module does not open new trades.

If a module already has an open basket, the EA can continue managing that basket after new entries are disabled. This prevents positions from being abandoned without their management logic.

Main engines

  • USDJPY H1
  • NZDUSD H1
  • NZDUSD M30
  • EURAUD H1

Satellite engines

  • GBPUSD M30
  • USDJPY H4
  • EURJPY H1
  • USDCHF M30
  • USDCHF M15
  • CHFJPY M30
  • EURUSD M15
  • EURUSD M30

The four main engines form the portfolio core. The satellites add diversification and additional opportunity. For the published profile, leave the validated module combination unchanged during the first test.

8. Set a unique Magic Number

The Magic Number identifies ARRAKIS IV positions. Use a value that is not used by another EA on the same account.

If you run multiple ARRAKIS installations or different presets on one account, every portfolio instance must have a different Magic Number. Reusing the same identifier may cause one instance to manage positions belonging to another.

9. Master switch

The Master Switch controls new portfolio entries:

  • ON: enabled modules can look for new entries.
  • OFF: no new entries are opened, but existing ARRAKIS positions remain under management.

Use the Master Switch when you want to pause new trading without removing the EA or abandoning open baskets.

10. Prop-firm protection

The optional prop-firm guard is disabled by default. If you use it, configure its equity and daily-loss thresholds according to your own firm's exact rules.

Do not assume that one set of limits works for every firm. Daily reset time, balance calculation, equity calculation, open-position treatment and maximum-loss rules differ. A protection setting can reduce risk, but it cannot guarantee that an account will pass or remain within a firm's rules.

11. Confirm the information panel

After the EA starts, the panel should display the portfolio status and all configured engines. Check that:

  • the system reports that trading is ready,
  • all expected modules are visible,
  • the account balance and equity are correct,
  • current exposure is shown,
  • active module baskets show their own status, TP and SL information.

The panel reports each engine independently. Do not treat every open ARRAKIS position as one combined take-profit basket.

12. Understand the chart levels

When the selected chart symbol has an active ARRAKIS basket, the EA displays the relevant management levels on the chart. The information panel also shows TP and SL information for active modules.

A multi-entry basket uses a volume-weighted average entry price. The basket target therefore belongs to the entire module basket, not to one individual ticket. As additional positions are added, the weighted reference and displayed target can change.

13. Final pre-trading checklist

  • Correct EX5 version installed
  • Correct preset loaded
  • Hedging account confirmed
  • Broker symbols available in Market Watch
  • Algo Trading enabled in the terminal and EA
  • Global Lot setting checked
  • Every module On/Off switch reviewed
  • Unique Magic Number selected
  • Exposure limits match the chosen profile
  • Information panel shows normal status
  • VPS or computer will remain online

Complete this checklist on demo before switching to a live account.

14. What to do after installation

Do not expect an immediate position. Every engine waits for its own market conditions. Leave the platform running and monitor the Experts and Journal tabs.

During the first days, verify that the EA remains attached, Algo Trading stays enabled, price data updates for all portfolio symbols and the panel remains active. Avoid changing the preset while baskets are open unless you fully understand how the new values affect existing positions.

15. Troubleshooting: the EA does not trade

Check the following in order:

  1. Is the MetaTrader Algo Trading button enabled?
  2. Is automated trading allowed in the EA's Common tab?
  3. Is the Master Switch ON?
  4. Is at least one module ON?
  5. Are all required symbols visible and updating?
  6. Does the broker use symbol prefixes or suffixes?
  7. Is there sufficient free margin?
  8. Does the Experts or Journal tab show an error?
  9. Is the market open?
  10. Have valid entry conditions actually occurred?

No immediate entry is normal. An error in the Journal is not. Use the message text to identify symbol, margin, trading-permission or execution problems.

16. Troubleshooting: orders are rejected

Common causes include insufficient margin, market closure, unsupported lot step, disabled automated trading, invalid symbol name, broker stop restrictions or an account that does not permit the required position mode.

Confirm that 0.01 lot is supported, check free margin, and test the exact profile with the same broker environment.

17. Troubleshooting: the result differs from a backtest

Differences are expected. Spread, commission, swap, slippage, execution speed, price history, tick data, GMT structure and broker liquidity all influence results. A historical test is a simulation and cannot reproduce every live fill.

Use the test as research evidence, not as a promise. Test the exact current build, preset, broker symbols and account conditions.

18. How ARRAKIS IV works

After the setup is complete, ARRAKIS IV coordinates several independent market engines inside one portfolio. Each engine has its own symbol, timeframe, entry conditions and position group.

This is different from combining all trades into one global basket. A GBPUSD module closes according to its own management rules, while a USDJPY or EURAUD module continues independently.

19. Intelligent basket management

If the market moves against an initial entry, a module may add controlled additional entries according to its calibrated spacing and maximum basket depth. The default structure uses controlled equal-sized entries rather than an unlimited lot multiplier.

Additional entries increase exposure. For this reason, the EA uses per-order and portfolio-level lot limits. These controls reduce uncontrolled growth but cannot guarantee a fixed maximum drawdown.

20. Volume-weighted basket TP

For multi-entry baskets, the target is calculated from the volume-weighted average entry price. Larger positions have the correct proportional influence on the average.

When the module's target is reached, that module closes its own basket. Other modules are not forced to close at the same time.

21. Pip-based basket SL and time exit

Where enabled by the internal profile, a module can use a pip-based basket stop. The strategy also uses a maximum holding period so a basket is not left open indefinitely.

The calibrated time-exit profile can use 7, 14, 21 or 28 days. When the configured period is reached, that module exits even if its normal profit target has not been achieved.

22. Exposure and risk

ARRAKIS IV can limit individual order size, net portfolio lots and gross portfolio lots. These are operational limits, not guarantees of maximum loss. Gaps, slippage and correlated market movements can still increase losses.

Trading leveraged products involves substantial risk. Use only risk capital, choose a preset appropriate for your balance, and validate the complete setup on demo before live use. Historical performance does not guarantee future results.

Quick summary

  1. Install the EX5 file.
  2. Add all required symbols to Market Watch.
  3. Attach one ARRAKIS IV instance to one chart.
  4. Load the correct preset.
  5. Check lot size, module switches and Magic Number.
  6. Enable Algo Trading.
  7. Verify the information panel.
  8. Run a demo test before live trading.

Once these steps are complete, ARRAKIS IV can manage its 4 main engines and 8 satellites from one coordinated portfolio interface.