Aurelia Gold Edge Manual: a Gold EA for Prop Firm Accounts on MT5 and MT4
An Expert Advisor cannot make a prop firm challenge pass faster than the market allows. What it can do is keep every rule while it waits, count the days the program counts, and stop before a loss line instead of on it. Most challenge accounts are lost to one of those, not to a bad entry.
This is the complete manual for Aurelia Gold Edge, a breakout EA for gold with an account guard built in. It explains how the engine finds its entries, what each Firm program setting applies, every input and when to change it, and what the testing showed, including the windows where it reached nothing.
What a prop firm EA can and cannot do
A challenge has two kinds of rules. Some decide whether you pass: a profit target and, often, a minimum number of trading days. Others decide whether the account survives: a daily loss limit and a maximum loss limit. The second kind is where an EA can help most, because it can watch equity on every tick and stop a set distance before the line.
The first kind depends on the market. Aurelia Gold Edge trades breakouts of confirmed swing levels in the direction of the move in progress. When gold trends, that reaches a target. When gold drifts sideways for months, it does not, and no setting changes that. The testing section below shows both.
How the engine trades gold
Confirmed swing levels
On the H1 chart, a bar is a swing high when no bar within 18 bars on either side of it is higher, and a swing low the same way downwards. The level is only used once those 18 bars on its right have closed, so it is confirmed and never moves afterwards. This is the reason the EA does not use a ZigZag: a ZigZag redraws its last leg, and a backtest built on it uses levels a live chart never had.
Two more filters keep the levels meaningful: highs and lows must alternate, and a new swing only counts when it is at least 4.0 times the ATR away from the previous one.
The entry
A swing high only confirms because price fell away from it, so the move in progress is downward, and the entry is a sell stop at the most recent confirmed swing low. The same in reverse for a buy stop above the last swing high. The order is placed only when the level is within 1.5 ATR of the price, and withdrawn if price has not reached it after 16 H1 bars.
The exit
Every order carries its stop loss and take profit from the moment it is placed: stop 2.0 ATR and target 8.0 ATR from the entry level. If the order fills at a slightly different price, both are moved to keep the same distances from the real fill. Once a trade is 3.0 ATR ahead, the stop trails 1.5 ATR behind the price and only moves forward. After a position closes, the EA waits 15 minutes before placing the next order.
One trade per swing
Once a side has traded, it stays closed until the market makes a swing in the other direction. A level that has already been traded is never traded again.
Introducing Aurelia Gold Edge on the MQL5 Market
The EA is available for MetaTrader 5 and MetaTrader 4.
Both versions use the same engine, the same account guard and the same Firm program setting.
The account guard, rule by rule
The daily loss limit
The guard measures the day's loss the way the program does. Some programs measure it as a percentage of the starting balance from the day's opening balance; others as a percentage of the higher of the day's opening balance and equity. The guard stops new entries and closes open trades a buffer before the limit (0.8 percentage points by default), and starts again the next day.
The maximum loss limit, static or trailing
A static maximum loss is a line under the starting balance. A trailing one follows the running high: the end-of-day balance, the intraday balance or the intraday equity, depending on the program. Some programs stop trailing once the high is far enough above the start; the guard does the same. When the line is reached minus the buffer, the EA closes everything and stops for good on that account.
The day start
Programs start their day at different times: midnight Central European time, 17:00 New York time, a fixed GMT hour, or the server's midnight. The guard converts each one from the server clock. If your broker's server offset is not GMT+2 in winter and GMT+3 in summer, set the two server clock inputs.
The target, minimum days and profitable days
With a target set, the guard counts it on equity, and only once the minimum number of trading days is met. Some programs count only days that closed with a minimum profit; the guard can count days that way. On reaching the target the EA closes everything and stops, so the account is not traded past the result it needs.
Minimum hold, lot size after a loss, weekend close
Where a program requires it, the guard waits a minimum time before moving a stop or closing a position, never sizes a trade above the one that just lost, and closes everything before the weekend.
Stored state
The guard stores its starting balance, trading days and any stop in the terminal's global variables, keyed by account number, magic number and symbol. A restart cannot reset them, and the state of one account never carries over to another. When you move to a new account on the same terminal, or want to clear a stop deliberately, set "Reset stored guard state" to true once, then back to false.
Firm program settings: the numbers each one applies
Each entry is the rule set and the risk per trade that the program was tested with. Selecting it fills these numbers; it does not check the account, the server or the symbol. Check the current rules of your program before you start: firms change them.
Table A: rules by program (MetaTrader 5)
| Program | Risk per trade | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| FTMO 2-Step Phase 1 | 1.25% | target 10%, daily 5%, max 10%, 4 days |
| FTMO 2-Step Phase 2 | 1.25% | target 5%, daily 5%, max 10%, 4 days |
| FTMO 1-Step | 1.1% | target 10%, daily 3%, max 10% trailing |
| FTMO funded account | 1.1% | no target, daily 5%, max 10% |
| FundedNext Stellar 1-Step | 0.7% | target 10%, daily 3%, max 6%, 2 days |
| FundedNext Stellar 2-Step Phase 1 | 1.25% | target 8%, daily 5%, max 10%, 5 days |
| FundedNext Stellar 2-Step Phase 2 | 1.25% | target 5%, daily 5%, max 10%, 5 days |
| FundedNext Stellar Lite Phase 1 | 1% | target 8%, daily 4%, max 8%, 5 days |
| FundedNext Stellar Lite Phase 2 | 1% | target 4%, daily 4%, max 8%, 5 days |
| FundedNext Stellar Instant | 0.5% | no target, daily 3%, max 6% trailing |
| FundedNext funded account | 0.5% | no target, daily 5%, max 10% |
| The5ers Bootcamp | 0.5% | target 6%, no daily limit, max 5%, min hold 60s |
| The5ers High Stakes New Phase 1 | 1.25% | target 10%, daily 5%, max 10%, 3 profitable days, min hold 60s |
| The5ers High Stakes New Phase 2 | 1.25% | target 5%, daily 5%, max 10%, 3 profitable days, min hold 60s |
| The5ers High Stakes Classic Phase 1 | 1.25% | target 8%, daily 5%, max 10%, 3 profitable days, min hold 60s |
| The5ers High Stakes Classic Phase 2 | 1.25% | target 5%, daily 5%, max 10%, 3 profitable days, min hold 60s |
| The5ers Hyper Growth | 0.7% | target 10%, daily 3%, max 6%, min hold 60s |
| The5ers Pro Growth | 0.7% | target 10%, daily 3%, max 6%, 3 profitable days, min hold 60s |
| The5ers Instant Funding | 0.5% | no target, no daily limit, max 6%, min hold 60s |
| The5ers High Stakes funded account | 0.5% | no target, daily 5%, max 10%, min hold 60s |
| Blueberry 2-Step Phase 1 | 1.2% | target 10%, daily 5%, max 10%, 3 days, no larger lot after a loss |
| Blueberry 2-Step Phase 2 | 1.2% | target 5%, daily 5%, max 10%, 3 days, no larger lot after a loss |
| Blueberry Prime Phase 1 | 1.2% | target 8%, daily 4%, max 10%, 5 days, no larger lot after a loss |
| Blueberry Prime Phase 2 | 1.2% | target 6%, daily 4%, max 10%, 5 days, no larger lot after a loss |
| Blueberry Instant Elite | 1.1% | no target, no daily limit, max 10% trailing, stops trailing at +10%, no larger lot after a loss |
| Blueberry Instant Lite | 0.5% | no target, daily 2%, max 4% trailing (intraday equity), stops trailing at +4%, no larger lot after a loss |
| Eightcap One Phase | 0.9% | target 10%, daily 4%, max 8%, 5 days, min hold 60s |
| Eightcap Two Phase - Phase 1 | 1.2% | target 9%, daily 5%, max 10%, 3 days, min hold 60s |
| Eightcap Two Phase - Phase 2 | 1.2% | target 5%, daily 5%, max 10%, 3 days, min hold 60s |
| Eightcap One Phase funded account | 0.75% | no target, daily 4%, max 8%, min hold 60s |
| Eightcap Two Phase funded account | 0.75% | no target, daily 5%, max 10%, min hold 60s |
| Funded Trading Plus Classic Phase 1 | 0.75% | target 7%, daily 3%, max 8%, min hold 60s, Friday close 20:00 GMT |
| Funded Trading Plus Classic Phase 2 | 0.75% | target 7%, daily 3%, max 8%, min hold 60s, Friday close 20:00 GMT |
| Funded Trading Plus Instant Funding | 0.5% | no target, daily 3%, max 6% trailing (intraday balance), stops trailing at +6%, min hold 60s, Friday close 20:00 GMT |
| Funded Trading Plus Classic funded account | 0.75% | no target, daily 3%, max 8%, min hold 60s, Friday close 20:00 GMT |
Table B: rules by program (MetaTrader 4)
| Program | Risk per trade | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| FTMO 2-Step Phase 2 | 1% | target 5%, daily 5%, max 10%, 4 days |
| FTMO funded account | 1% | no target, daily 5%, max 10% |
| FundedNext Stellar 2-Step Phase 1 | 1% | target 8%, daily 5%, max 10%, 5 days |
| FundedNext Stellar 2-Step Phase 2 | 1% | target 5%, daily 5%, max 10%, 5 days |
| FundedNext Stellar Lite Phase 2 | 0.75% | target 4%, daily 4%, max 8%, 5 days |
| Blueberry 2-Step Phase 2 | 1% | target 5%, daily 5%, max 10%, 3 days, no larger lot after a loss |
| Blueberry Prime Phase 1 | 1% | target 8%, daily 4%, max 10%, 5 days, no larger lot after a loss |
| Blueberry Prime Phase 2 | 1% | target 6%, daily 4%, max 10%, 5 days, no larger lot after a loss |
| Blueberry Instant Elite | 1% | no target, no daily limit, max 10% trailing, stops trailing at +10%, no larger lot after a loss |
Table C: when the trading day starts
| Day starts at | Programs |
|---|---|
| midnight CET/CEST | FTMO |
| fixed GMT hour (21:00 GMT) | Eightcap, FundedNext, The5ers |
| 17:00 New York | Blueberry Funded, Funded Trading Plus |
Risk per trade
The risk column in Table A is the value each program was set up with: the highest step on a ladder of risk values that did not cross the program's loss limits in any of the six windows tested. Leave "Risk per trade" at 0 to use it. A higher value reaches a target sooner in a trending market and runs into the daily and maximum loss limits sooner in a choppy one; a lower value does the opposite.
On a small account the risk setting can ask for less than the broker's minimum lot. The EA then uses the minimum lot only while that risks no more than the "Minimum-lot risk ceiling" input (10 percent of equity by default); otherwise it skips the trade and writes the reason in the Experts log. Set the ceiling to 0 and the EA never trades above the risk setting. The guard's daily line still closes a losing day before the day's loss passes it.
How small an account? Measured in the Strategy Tester on XAUUSD with the default settings (1 % risk), January to August 2026 and the whole of 2024, at balances from 1,000 to 100,000: from 10,000 the risk setting sizes the trades as it does at 100,000 (in 2026 the 0.01 minimum lot was larger than the risk size on one day, at up to 1.8 % risk). At 5,000, 31 of the 33 trades in 2026 opened at 0.01 lots and the minimum lot risked up to 3.5 %; at 2,500, 33 of 33, up to 6.8 %. Gold trading near 4,000 in 2026 makes one 0.01 lot carry a larger stop in money than in 2024, which is why the recommended balance is 10,000. The program presets for 5,000 accounts follow the same rule, and the guard's daily and maximum loss lines apply to them as to any size.
Download the presets
Two zip files are attached to this post: AureliaGoldEdge_Presets_MT5_v1.00.zip (210 presets) and AureliaGoldEdge_Presets_MT4_v1.00.zip (54 presets). There is one preset per program and account size. Each sets the Firm program and the starting balance; every rule is built into the EA, so you can also skip the presets and choose the program in the inputs.
Setting it up in five steps
- Attach the EA to one XAUUSD chart. Any timeframe works; the engine reads H1 bars itself.
- In the inputs, choose your program under Firm program.
- Set "Starting balance" to the balance the account was opened with, or leave it at 0 if you start the EA on a new account.
- Leave "Risk per trade" at 0 to use the tested risk, or set your own.
- Enable algorithmic trading. The panel in the chart corner shows the program, the status and how far equity is from each limit.
Input reference
Firm Program
| Input | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Firm program | Custom | Firm program (Custom = guard settings below) |
| Starting balance of the account | 0 | Starting balance of the account (0 = balance when the EA starts) |
Position Size
| Input | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Position size | Risk percent | Position size |
| Risk per trade, % of equity | 0.0 | Risk per trade, % of equity (0 = tested value of the program, 1.0 for Custom) |
| Fixed lot size | 0.01 | Fixed lot size (when position size is a fixed lot) |
| Minimum-lot risk ceiling, % of equity | 10.0 | Minimum-lot risk ceiling, % of equity (0 = never above the risk setting) |
| Maximum spread for a new order, points | 0 | Maximum spread for a new order, points (0 = no limit) |
Signal Engine
| Input | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Swing timeframe | H1 | Swing timeframe (independent of the chart timeframe) |
| Swing depth: closed bars on each side of a pivot | 18 | Swing depth: closed bars on each side of a pivot |
| Minimum swing leg, ATR | 4.0 | Minimum swing leg, ATR |
| Furthest the entry level may sit from price, ATR | 1.5 | Furthest the entry level may sit from price, ATR |
| Stop loss, ATR from the entry level | 2.0 | Stop loss, ATR from the entry level |
| Take profit, ATR from the entry level | 8.0 | Take profit, ATR from the entry level (0 = none) |
| Trailing starts once the trade is this far ahead, ATR | 3.0 | Trailing starts once the trade is this far ahead, ATR |
| Trailing distance, ATR | 1.5 | Trailing distance, ATR (0 = no trailing) |
| Pending order lifetime, swing-timeframe bars | 16 | Pending order lifetime, swing-timeframe bars |
| Pause after a position closes, minutes | 15 | Pause after a position closes, minutes |
| ATR period | 14 | ATR period |
Account Guard (Custom program)
| Input | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Account guard on | true | Account guard on |
| Daily loss limit, % | 5.0 | Daily loss limit, % (0 = none) |
| Daily loss measured as | day start | Daily loss measured as |
| Stop this far before the daily limit, % | 0.8 | Stop this far before the daily limit, % |
| Maximum loss, % of the starting balance | 10.0 | Maximum loss, % of the starting balance (0 = none) |
| Stop this far before the maximum loss, % | 0.8 | Stop this far before the maximum loss, % |
| Maximum loss trails the running high | false | Maximum loss trails the running high |
| Running high followed by a trailing maximum loss | end-of-day balance | Running high followed by a trailing maximum loss |
| Stop trailing once the high is this % above the start | 0 | Stop trailing once the high is this % above the start (0 = never) |
| Profit target, % | 0 | Profit target, % (0 = none) |
| Close everything and stop at the target | true | Close everything and stop at the target |
| Trading days required before the target counts | 0 | Trading days required before the target counts |
| Count only profitable days toward that minimum | false | Count only profitable days toward that minimum |
| Closed profit a day needs to count, % of the start | 0.5 | Closed profit a day needs to count, % of the start |
| When the trading day starts | server midnight | When the trading day starts |
| GMT hour, when the day starts at a fixed GMT hour | 0 | GMT hour, when the day starts at a fixed GMT hour |
| Minimum age before the EA moves a stop or closes, seconds | 0 | Minimum age before the EA moves a stop or closes, seconds |
| Never size a trade above the one that last lost | false | Never size a trade above the one that last lost |
| Close everything from this GMT hour on Friday | -1 | Close everything from this GMT hour on Friday (-1 = off) |
| Reduce risk once equity is this % above the start | 0 | Reduce risk once equity is this % above the start (0 = off) |
| Risk multiplier while above that level | 0.5 | Risk multiplier while above that level |
Server Clock
| Input | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Trade server offset from GMT in winter, hours | 3 | Trade server offset from GMT in winter, hours |
| Trade server clock moves with EU summer time | true | Trade server clock moves with EU summer time |
Strategy Tester
| Input | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Commission per lot per side the guard deducts in the tester | 0 | Commission per lot per side the guard deducts in the tester (Custom) |
Expert
| Input | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Magic number | 921400 | Magic number |
| Order comment | Aurelia GE | Order comment |
| Maximum slippage, points | 20 | Maximum slippage, points |
| Show the status panel | true | Show the status panel |
| Reset stored guard state on start | false | Reset stored guard state on start (new account, or after a stop) |
What the backtests show, and what they do not
All figures below are MetaTrader 5 Strategy Tester runs on historical data, with the Market version of the EA, the 100k preset of each program and the guard on. They are not live results and not a prediction. Each challenge program was run with its 100k preset in six windows on Eightcap's demo server (XAUUSD, 1-minute OHLC, 100 % history quality). For every firm other than Eightcap this feed is a stand-in for the firm's own server, so prices and results on the firm's own server can differ.
| Program | 2026 Jan-Aug | 2025 H2 | 2025 H1 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FTMO 2-Step Phase 1 | target in 22 days | stopped by the guard | target in 125 days | target in 129 days | target in 191 days | not reached (-2.4%) |
| FTMO 2-Step Phase 2 | target in 19 days | stopped by the guard | target in 15 days | target in 15 days | target in 101 days | not reached (-2.4%) |
| FTMO 1-Step | stopped by the guard | not reached (-5.2%) | target in 125 days | target in 136 days | target in 206 days | not reached (-2.0%) |
| FundedNext Stellar 1-Step | not reached (-1.2%) | stopped by the guard | target in 142 days | target in 254 days | target in 318 days | not reached (-1.1%) |
| FundedNext Stellar 2-Step Phase 1 | target in 20 days | stopped by the guard | target in 21 days | target in 129 days | target in 135 days | not reached (-2.4%) |
| FundedNext Stellar 2-Step Phase 2 | target in 19 days | stopped by the guard | target in 20 days | target in 15 days | target in 101 days | not reached (-2.4%) |
| FundedNext Stellar Lite Phase 1 | target in 22 days | stopped by the guard | target in 125 days | target in 129 days | target in 191 days | not reached (-1.8%) |
| FundedNext Stellar Lite Phase 2 | target in 19 days | stopped by the guard | target in 20 days | target in 15 days | target in 92 days | not reached (-1.8%) |
| The5ers Bootcamp | not reached (-0.7%) | not reached (-2.3%) | target in 134 days | target in 149 days | target in 312 days | not reached (-0.8%) |
| The5ers High Stakes New Phase 1 | target in 22 days | stopped by the guard | target in 125 days | target in 129 days | target in 191 days | stopped by the guard |
| The5ers High Stakes New Phase 2 | target in 20 days | stopped by the guard | target in 20 days | target in 15 days | target in 101 days | stopped by the guard |
| The5ers High Stakes Classic Phase 1 | target in 20 days | stopped by the guard | target in 21 days | target in 129 days | target in 135 days | stopped by the guard |
| The5ers High Stakes Classic Phase 2 | target in 20 days | stopped by the guard | target in 20 days | target in 15 days | target in 101 days | stopped by the guard |
| The5ers Hyper Growth | not reached (-1.2%) | stopped by the guard | target in 156 days | target in 254 days | target in 318 days | not reached (-1.1%) |
| The5ers Pro Growth | not reached (-1.2%) | stopped by the guard | target in 156 days | target in 254 days | target in 318 days | not reached (-1.1%) |
| Blueberry 2-Step Phase 1 | target in 22 days | not reached (-5.4%) | target in 125 days | target in 136 days | target in 315 days | stopped by the guard |
| Blueberry 2-Step Phase 2 | target in 19 days | not reached (-5.4%) | target in 20 days | target in 112 days | target in 101 days | stopped by the guard |
| Blueberry Prime Phase 1 | target in 20 days | not reached (-5.4%) | target in 34 days | target in 129 days | target in 191 days | stopped by the guard |
| Blueberry Prime Phase 2 | target in 20 days | not reached (-5.4%) | target in 20 days | target in 112 days | target in 101 days | stopped by the guard |
| Eightcap One Phase | not reached (-1.4%) | not reached (-4.2%) | target in 133 days | target in 141 days | target in 213 days | not reached (-1.5%) |
| Eightcap Two Phase - Phase 1 | target in 22 days | not reached (-5.6%) | target in 120 days | target in 129 days | target in 191 days | not reached (-2.2%) |
| Eightcap Two Phase - Phase 2 | target in 19 days | not reached (-5.6%) | target in 20 days | target in 112 days | target in 101 days | not reached (-2.2%) |
| Funded Trading Plus Classic Phase 1 | not reached (-2.1%) | stopped by the guard | target in 133 days | target in 141 days | target in 317 days | not reached (+1.8%) |
| Funded Trading Plus Classic Phase 2 | not reached (-2.1%) | stopped by the guard | target in 133 days | target in 141 days | target in 317 days | not reached (+1.8%) |
88 of 144 program-windows reached the target; in 24 the guard stopped the EA at its maximum-loss line, before the firm's own limit. No program reached its target in 2025 H2 or 2022. Days are calendar days from the first trade to the target.
What could not be tested
Live fills, slippage during news spikes and server outages are not in a backtest. Firms also change their rules; the guard applies the numbers in Table A, which were correct when they were set.
Troubleshooting, permission first
- No orders at all: check that algorithmic trading is enabled and that the account accepts orders from Expert Advisors. The first lines in the Experts log say which permission is missing.
- "No new entries for now": the line names the reason, for example the market is closed, the spread is above your limit, or the guard has paused for the day.
- The EA stopped and says the maximum loss guard stopped it: it reached its loss line on this account. It will not trade again on this account until you reset the stored guard state on purpose.
Questions people ask
Which symbol and timeframe? XAUUSD on any chart timeframe. The engine reads H1 bars itself.
Can I run it on several symbols? It trades the symbol of the chart it is attached to. It was tested on gold only.
Does it use martingale or a grid? No. One position per direction, a stop loss on every order, and never a larger lot after a loss when the program requires that.
How long until a target? It depends on the market. In the windows tested, the fastest program reached its target in 15 calendar days (FTMO 2-Step Phase 2, 2025 H1); in 2025 H2 and 2022 none did. The table above shows each window, including the ones where no target was reached.
Hedging or netting? A hedging account is recommended. On a netting account the EA holds one position or order at a time.
Risk disclaimer
Trading gold with leverage carries a high level of risk and can lose more than a day's or a month's gains in a short time. Backtest results do not guarantee future results. A prop firm sets its own rules and can change them at any time; you are responsible for checking the rules of your program.
