Strategy library · Candles and price action
Three white soldiers and three black crows backtest on NQ and ES futures
Three white soldiers / three black crows
Also called: three white soldiers pattern, three black crows pattern, three soldiers candlestick strategy, buy when three white soldiers form, short when three black crows form
What happens if you buy NQ every time three white soldiers form?
What it is
Three white soldiers are three up candles in a row, each closing higher than the last, and three black crows are three down candles in a row, each closing lower than the last. This strategy goes long after three white soldiers and short after three black crows, with the stop beyond the pattern and a target of 2R.
What it did
On NQ futures from 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07, the three white soldiers and three black crows strategy took 517 trades on the 15-minute chart, won 48.4% of them and finished 5,041.75 points ($100,835 on one NQ contract), before commission and slippage. From 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07 on NQ, the 284 long trades on the 15-minute chart won 48.6% and made 1,461.75 points ($29,235 on one NQ contract), before commission and slippage. On ES futures from 2024-08-28 to 2026-08-27, the three white soldiers and three black crows strategy took 722 trades on the 15-minute chart, won 44.9% of them and finished -73.75 points (-$3,687 on one ES contract), before commission and slippage. The 5-minute, 1-hour and daily results for both markets are in the table on this page.
How it was tested
CE Market Solutions tested the three white soldiers and three black crows strategy on NQ (2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07) and ES (2024-08-28 to 2026-08-27) futures, before commission and slippage, with each signal filled at the next bar's open, intraday positions flat at 15:59 ET and textbook default indicator settings; the NQ trades are listed on this page and the ES trades under the ES tab.
See it tested with one change · $19
Tested by CE Market Solutions on 2026-10-26. The trades are listed below, one market at a time. Gross, no commission or slippage. Last 2 years.
Results
Rule as tested: Long after three white soldiers; short after three black crows. Exit: Stop beyond the pattern, target 2R.
| Timeframe | NQ · 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07 | ES · 2024-08-28 to 2026-08-27 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trades | Win % | Avg pts | Profit factor | Net pts | Net $ (1 NQ) | Max DD pts | Trades | Win % | Avg pts | Profit factor | Net pts | Net $ (1 ES) | Max DD pts | |
| 5 minute | 1178 | 40.0% | 3.00 | 1.080 | 3,535.75 | $70,715 | 1,805.75 | 1482 | 39.0% | −0.04 | 0.996 | −52.50 | −$2,625 | 655.00 |
| 5 minute · longs only | 610 | 39.2% | — | — | 545.00 | $10,900 | 1,861.00 | 747 | 39.4% | — | — | −133.50 | −$6,675 | 473.25 |
| 5 minute · shorts only | 568 | 40.9% | — | — | 2,990.75 | $59,815 | 1,652.00 | 735 | 38.6% | — | — | 81.00 | $4,050 | 443.25 |
| 15 minute | 517 | 48.4% | 9.75 | 1.235 | 5,041.75 | $100,835 | 2,096.50 | 722 | 44.9% | −0.10 | 0.989 | −73.75 | −$3,687 | 766.50 |
| 15 minute · longs only | 284 | 48.6% | — | — | 1,461.75 | $29,235 | 1,287.50 | 382 | 46.6% | — | — | −217.00 | −$10,850 | 405.00 |
| 15 minute · shorts only | 233 | 48.1% | — | — | 3,580.00 | $71,600 | 1,049.25 | 340 | 42.9% | — | — | 143.25 | $7,163 | 433.25 |
| 1 hour | 193 | 50.8% | 10.13 | 1.239 | 1,954.75 | $39,095 | 842.00 | 286 | 48.6% | −0.83 | 0.921 | −236.75 | −$11,837 | 636.25 |
| 1 hour · longs only | 107 | 54.2% | — | — | 1,545.25 | $30,905 | 580.25 | 161 | 52.8% | — | — | 259.00 | $12,950 | 220.00 |
| 1 hour · shorts only | 86 | 46.5% | — | — | 409.50 | $8,190 | 939.00 | 125 | 43.2% | — | — | −495.75 | −$24,787 | 620.75 |
| Daily | 11 | 54.6% | 366.09 | 1.828 | 4,027.00 | $80,540 | 2,670.00 | 13 | 38.5% | 19.85 | 1.225 | 258.00 | $12,900 | 560.00 |
| Daily · longs only | 5 | 80.0% | — | — | 5,664.50 | $113,290 | 879.25 | 5 | 80.0% | — | — | 838.50 | $41,925 | 273.00 |
| Daily · shorts only | 6 | 33.3% | — | — | −1,637.50 | −$32,750 | 3,985.00 | 8 | 12.5% | — | — | −580.50 | −$29,025 | 580.50 |
NQ Daily: small sample (11 trades). ES Daily: small sample (13 trades).
Free to use with credit to CE Market Solutions (CC BY 4.0).
ES 15 minute: the equity line
Long and short
| Side | Trades | Net pts |
|---|---|---|
| Long | 382 | −217.00 |
| Short | 340 | 143.25 |
By month
| Month | Trades | Net pts |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-08 | 5 | −15.50 |
| 2024-09 | 31 | −241.00 |
| 2024-10 | 42 | 84.25 |
| 2024-11 | 27 | 13.25 |
| 2024-12 | 29 | 223.00 |
| 2025-01 | 30 | −99.50 |
| 2025-02 | 31 | 181.25 |
| 2025-03 | 32 | −227.25 |
| 2025-04 | 33 | 415.00 |
| 2025-05 | 28 | 10.00 |
| 2025-06 | 31 | −65.25 |
| 2025-07 | 31 | −49.25 |
| 2025-08 | 25 | −25.25 |
| 2025-09 | 32 | −65.00 |
| 2025-10 | 32 | 261.00 |
| 2025-11 | 24 | 215.00 |
| 2025-12 | 29 | 25.75 |
| 2026-01 | 29 | −254.75 |
| 2026-02 | 20 | 42.50 |
| 2026-03 | 31 | −158.00 |
| 2026-04 | 26 | 109.25 |
| 2026-05 | 29 | −109.25 |
| 2026-06 | 30 | 69.00 |
| 2026-07 | 32 | −352.50 |
| 2026-08 | 33 | −60.50 |
Every trade, ES 15 minute722 trades
Pick any of the 722 charted trades with Previous, Next or a date, or click a row in the trades table below, to see it drawn on the real 1-minute bars. Drag the chart sideways to move through the sessions around it.
Chart unavailable. The trades are in the table below.
All trades (722), newest first
Times are New York time; points are gross. Click a row to draw that trade in the chart above.
| Session date | Side | Entry (ET) | Entry price | Exit (ET) | Exit price | Exit reason | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-02 | long | 13:00 | 7012.00 | 13:20 | 7007.00 | stop | −5.00 |
| 2026-01-30 | short | 11:30 | 6958.75 | 15:59 | 6968.00 | end of day 15:59 | −9.25 |
| 2026-01-30 | long | 09:45 | 6975.00 | 11:21 | 6954.75 | stop | −20.25 |
| 2026-01-29 | short | 10:15 | 6942.00 | 15:59 | 6989.75 | end of day 15:59 | −47.75 |
| 2026-01-28 | long | 15:15 | 7009.75 | 15:59 | 7006.50 | end of day 15:59 | −3.25 |
| 2026-01-27 | long | 11:15 | 7015.25 | 15:59 | 7008.75 | end of day 15:59 | −6.50 |
| 2026-01-27 | short | 09:45 | 6993.75 | 09:49 | 6998.00 | stop | −4.25 |
| 2026-01-26 | long | 14:30 | 6992.00 | 15:50 | 6986.75 | stop | −5.25 |
| 2026-01-22 | long | 11:45 | 6958.00 | 15:26 | 6942.25 | stop | −15.75 |
| 2026-01-21 | long | 15:00 | 6942.50 | 15:59 | 6911.00 | end of day 15:59 | −31.50 |
| 2026-01-21 | short | 12:15 | 6840.00 | 14:29 | 6900.75 | stop | −60.75 |
| 2026-01-21 | long | 11:00 | 6904.50 | 11:39 | 6876.50 | stop | −28.00 |
| 2026-01-20 | short | 14:15 | 6841.25 | 15:59 | 6833.75 | end of day 15:59 | 7.50 |
| 2026-01-20 | long | 09:45 | 6889.00 | 12:45 | 6865.00 | stop | −24.00 |
| 2026-01-19 | long | 12:30 | 6916.25 | 12:59 | 6913.25 | early close | −3.00 |
| 2026-01-19 | short | 09:45 | 6889.00 | 11:08 | 6907.25 | stop | −18.25 |
| 2026-01-16 | short | 14:30 | 6980.75 | 15:59 | 6976.50 | end of day 15:59 | 4.25 |
| 2026-01-15 | short | 14:45 | 6996.00 | 15:59 | 6984.75 | end of day 15:59 | 11.25 |
| 2026-01-15 | long | 11:30 | 7010.75 | 14:30 | 6992.25 | stop | −18.50 |
| 2026-01-14 | short | 13:00 | 6928.25 | 13:27 | 6937.00 | stop | −8.75 |
| 2026-01-13 | short | 10:00 | 7005.25 | 15:59 | 7000.75 | end of day 15:59 | 4.50 |
| 2026-01-12 | long | 09:45 | 6991.00 | 15:59 | 7016.00 | end of day 15:59 | 25.00 |
| 2026-01-09 | long | 12:15 | 7007.00 | 15:59 | 7004.75 | end of day 15:59 | −2.25 |
| 2026-01-08 | long | 15:30 | 6962.50 | 15:59 | 6960.75 | end of day 15:59 | −1.75 |
| 2026-01-07 | short | 15:30 | 6970.25 | 15:59 | 6963.00 | end of day 15:59 | 7.25 |
| 2026-01-07 | long | 12:15 | 7004.25 | 13:28 | 6988.25 | stop | −16.00 |
| 2026-01-06 | long | 10:00 | 6969.25 | 15:59 | 6986.25 | end of day 15:59 | 17.00 |
| 2026-01-05 | short | 14:30 | 6950.50 | 15:59 | 6946.00 | end of day 15:59 | 4.50 |
| 2026-01-05 | long | 11:30 | 6955.25 | 13:16 | 6948.75 | stop | −6.50 |
| 2026-01-02 | long | 14:45 | 6904.75 | 15:59 | 6900.25 | end of day 15:59 | −4.50 |
| 2025-12-31 | short | 09:45 | 6931.25 | 15:59 | 6891.25 | target | 40.00 |
| 2025-12-30 | short | 12:15 | 6945.50 | 15:59 | 6945.25 | end of day 15:59 | 0.25 |
| 2025-12-29 | long | 15:00 | 6959.25 | 15:59 | 6955.00 | end of day 15:59 | −4.25 |
| 2025-12-26 | long | 15:45 | 6981.25 | 15:59 | 6980.00 | end of day 15:59 | −1.25 |
| 2025-12-24 | long | 10:15 | 6970.50 | 13:14 | 6980.00 | early close | 9.50 |
| 2025-12-23 | long | 09:45 | 6938.50 | 15:59 | 6960.25 | end of day 15:59 | 21.75 |
| 2025-12-19 | long | 09:45 | 6876.25 | 15:59 | 6888.50 | end of day 15:59 | 12.25 |
| 2025-12-18 | short | 14:30 | 6834.75 | 15:59 | 6828.50 | end of day 15:59 | 6.25 |
| 2025-12-17 | short | 12:15 | 6797.50 | 12:24 | 6812.25 | stop | −14.75 |
| 2025-12-16 | long | 15:45 | 6867.50 | 15:59 | 6855.25 | end of day 15:59 | −12.25 |
| 2025-12-16 | short | 13:00 | 6823.50 | 15:23 | 6858.00 | stop | −34.50 |
| 2025-12-16 | long | 12:15 | 6854.25 | 12:43 | 6834.25 | stop | −20.00 |
| 2025-12-15 | short | 10:15 | 6827.00 | 15:59 | 6820.75 | end of day 15:59 | 6.25 |
| 2025-12-12 | short | 15:45 | 6822.25 | 15:59 | 6831.25 | end of day 15:59 | −9.00 |
| 2025-12-12 | long | 13:15 | 6850.00 | 15:31 | 6823.00 | stop | −27.00 |
| 2025-12-12 | short | 09:45 | 6893.75 | 10:24 | 6862.75 | target | 31.00 |
| 2025-12-11 | long | 12:45 | 6894.75 | 15:59 | 6908.00 | end of day 15:59 | 13.25 |
| 2025-12-11 | short | 11:15 | 6870.50 | 11:41 | 6881.75 | stop | −11.25 |
| 2025-12-10 | long | 15:15 | 6903.00 | 15:59 | 6892.00 | end of day 15:59 | −11.00 |
| 2025-12-10 | short | 10:45 | 6841.50 | 11:18 | 6852.75 | stop | −11.25 |
Questions and answers
What happens if you buy NQ every time three white soldiers form?
From 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07 on the NQ 15-minute chart, the three white soldiers and three black crows strategy took 284 long trades, won 48.6% of them and made 1,461.75 points ($29,235 on one NQ contract), before commission and slippage. From 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07 on NQ, its long trades also made 545.00 points on 610 trades on the 5-minute chart, 1,545.25 points on 107 trades on the 1-hour chart and 5,664.50 points on 5 trades on the daily chart, before commission and slippage.
What happens if you short ES every time three black crows form?
From 2024-08-28 to 2026-08-27 on the ES 15-minute chart, the three white soldiers and three black crows strategy took 340 short trades, won 42.9% of them and made 143.25 points ($7,163 on one ES contract), before commission and slippage. From 2024-08-28 to 2026-08-27 on ES, its short trades also made 81.00 points on 735 trades on the 5-minute chart, -495.75 points on 125 trades on the 1-hour chart and -580.50 points on 8 trades on the daily chart, before commission and slippage.
Does the three white soldiers and three black crows strategy work on Nasdaq futures?
On NQ futures from 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07, the three white soldiers and three black crows strategy on the 15-minute chart took 517 trades, won 48.4% of them and finished 5,041.75 points ($100,835 on one NQ contract), before commission and slippage.
What is the win rate of Three white soldiers / three black crows on ES futures?
The three white soldiers and three black crows strategy won 44.9% of its 722 trades on the ES 15-minute chart from 2024-08-28 to 2026-08-27, before commission and slippage. On ES from 2024-08-28 to 2026-08-27 it also won 39.0% of 1,482 trades on the 5-minute chart, 48.6% of 286 trades on the 1-hour chart and 38.5% of 13 trades on the daily chart, before commission and slippage.
Is the three white soldiers and three black crows strategy better on the 5-minute, 15-minute, 1-hour or daily chart for NQ?
On NQ from 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07, the three white soldiers and three black crows strategy made 3,535.75 points on 1,178 trades on the 5-minute chart, 5,041.75 points on 517 trades on the 15-minute chart, 1,954.75 points on 193 trades on the 1-hour chart and 4,027.00 points on 11 trades on the daily chart, before commission and slippage.
Is it better to only buy or only sell three white soldiers and three black crows signals on NQ?
On the NQ 15-minute chart from 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07, the long trades made 1,461.75 points on 284 trades (48.6% won) and the short trades made 3,580.00 points on 233 trades (48.1% won), before commission and slippage.
How many trades does the three white soldiers and three black crows strategy take on NQ in two years?
The three white soldiers and three black crows strategy took 517 trades on the NQ 15-minute chart from 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07, before commission and slippage. On NQ from 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07 it also took 1,178 on the 5-minute chart, 193 on the 1-hour chart and 11 on the daily chart, before commission and slippage.
What is the max drawdown of the three white soldiers and three black crows strategy on NQ?
The three white soldiers and three black crows strategy had a max drawdown of 2,096.50 points ($41,930 on one NQ contract) on the NQ 15-minute chart from 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07, before commission and slippage. On NQ from 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07 its max drawdown was also 1,805.75 points on the 5-minute chart, 842.00 points on the 1-hour chart and 2,670.00 points on the daily chart, before commission and slippage.
How does the three white soldiers and three black crows strategy do on ES compared with NQ?
On the ES 15-minute chart from 2024-08-28 to 2026-08-27, the three white soldiers and three black crows strategy took 722 trades, won 44.9% of them and made -73.75 points (-$3,687 on one ES contract), before commission and slippage. On the NQ 15-minute chart from 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07, the three white soldiers and three black crows strategy took 517 trades, won 48.4% of them and made 5,041.75 points ($100,835 on one NQ contract), before commission and slippage.
How these were run
- Gross: no commission and no slippage.
- The last 2 years of each market, from the first to the last session of its window.
- A signal on a closed bar fills at the next bar’s open.
- A stop and a target touched in the same minute count as the stop.
- Intraday positions are flat at 15:59 ET.
- Textbook TradingView default settings for every indicator; nothing is tuned.
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