Thorough explanation of the 4 main ICT strategies in Japan Standard Time
Explain the four main ICT strategies in detail in Japan Standard Time
— Fully accommodating the differences between Daylight Saving Time and Standard Time (JST) —
This article provides a detailed explanation of the “four representative ICT strategies” widely cited in Inner Circle Trader (ICT) with illustrative diagrams. The times of the “kill zones” when each strategy tends to perform best are shown in Japan Time, and both the DST-applied period and non-DST period in the United States are listed.
Overview: Four representative ICT strategies
#Strategy Name Core Concept Typical Entry Basis
1 Fair Value Gap (FVG) — price returns to the “imbalanced gap” created by a sharp move[1]
Aim to rebound after gap-fill
2 Power of Three (PO3) — accumulation during Asian hours → manipulation in kill zone → distribution by NY/London Close[2]
Buy after the manipulation phase traps traders with a breakout
3 Liquidity Sweep & Order Block — after the high/low stop hunts, reverses with institutional order blocks[2]
Set a limit order on OB after stop-hunt and a strong reversal candle confirmation
4 Silver Bullet — capture ultra-short-term momentum in the first 30 minutes of NY morning[1]
9:30–10:00 JST Internal structure break within conversion zone
Strategy 1 — Fair Value Gap (FVG)
Mechanism
Occurs in a 3-candle setup where a “gap” forms between the first and third candles.[1]
The market tends to refill that gap later to restore liquidity balance.
Japan Time Kill Zone対応
FVG tends to occur during high volatility times in London and NY, so monitor the following time windows.
Session DST (second Sunday in March to first Sunday in November) Standard Time
London Kill Zone 15:00–19:00 JST[3][4]
16:00–20:00 JST
NY Kill Zone 20:00–23:00 JST[3][4]
22:00–1:00 JST the next day
Entry example: FVG appears in London at 17:30 JST → place a limit order for 50% of the gap on a pullback, stop outside the gap, risk-reward 1:2.
Strategy 2 — Power of Three (PO3)
Three-stage flow
1. Accumulation: tight range form during Tokyo/Asia time.
2. Manipulation: London Kill Zone trims stops above/below the range.[2]
3. Distribution: trend runs toward NY Kill Zone in the intended direction.
Time conversion
•Accumulation: 8:00–15:00 JST
•Manipulation: London Kill Zone listed above
•Distribution: NY Kill Zone
Trading guidance: breakout above the London range → after confirming a sharp pullback, enter short toward NY Kill Zone.
Strategy 3 — Liquidity Sweep & Order Block
Core concept
The market breaks a clear high/low, absorbs retail stops, then reverses sharply. At this turning point, money concentrates in the Order Block (last bullish or bearish candle preceding the reversal).[5][2]
Important time windows
Overlap between London and NY sees frequent stop-hunts and reversals.
• DST: 20:00–23:00 JST
• Standard Time: 22:00–1:00 JST
Setup: NY Kill Zone breaks the previous day’s high with a wick-out → confirm a large bearish candle on a 5-minute chart → return to 50% of the previous bullish candle with a short limit order; stop above the wick high.
Strategy 4 — Silver Bullet
Features
In the first 30 minutes after the NY open (local 8:30–9:00 EST), price tends to move sharply up or down.[1]
JST conversion DST Standard Time
Silver Bullet 21:30–22:00 JST 22:30–23:00 JST
Implementation example: at 21:30 JST, a 5-minute candle shows FVG + internal structure break → enter market order immediately, take 10–15 pips quickly.
Kill Zone quick reference table (JST)
Kill Zone DST DST (non-DST) Primary strategies
Asia 8:00–11:00 PO3 (Accumulation)
London 15:00–19:00 16:00–20:00 FVG, PO3 (Manipulation)
NY 20:00–23:00 22:00–1:00 FVG, Liquidity Sweep, PO3 (Distribution)
London Close 23:00–1:00 0:00–2:00 Take-profit/Watch for reversal
Practical points of the summary
• Time discipline: pay attention to DST transitions and update JST conversions annually.
• Composite judgment: improve win rate by overlapping multiple concepts like FVG + Liquidity Sweep.
• Statistical verification: measure the average range inside each Kill Zone for each pair to determine optimal TP/SL.
With these four strategies implemented in your own backtesting environment and alerts set on a JST-displayed chart, you will be ready to deploy in live trading.
— Fully accommodating the differences between Daylight Saving Time and Standard Time (JST) —
This article provides a detailed explanation of the “four representative ICT strategies” widely cited in Inner Circle Trader (ICT) with illustrative diagrams. The times of the “kill zones” when each strategy tends to perform best are shown in Japan Time, and both the DST-applied period and non-DST period in the United States are listed.
Overview: Four representative ICT strategies
#Strategy Name Core Concept Typical Entry Basis
1 Fair Value Gap (FVG) — price returns to the “imbalanced gap” created by a sharp move[1]
Aim to rebound after gap-fill
2 Power of Three (PO3) — accumulation during Asian hours → manipulation in kill zone → distribution by NY/London Close[2]
Buy after the manipulation phase traps traders with a breakout
3 Liquidity Sweep & Order Block — after the high/low stop hunts, reverses with institutional order blocks[2]
Set a limit order on OB after stop-hunt and a strong reversal candle confirmation
4 Silver Bullet — capture ultra-short-term momentum in the first 30 minutes of NY morning[1]
9:30–10:00 JST Internal structure break within conversion zone
Strategy 1 — Fair Value Gap (FVG)
Mechanism
Occurs in a 3-candle setup where a “gap” forms between the first and third candles.[1]
The market tends to refill that gap later to restore liquidity balance.
Japan Time Kill Zone対応
FVG tends to occur during high volatility times in London and NY, so monitor the following time windows.
Session DST (second Sunday in March to first Sunday in November) Standard Time
London Kill Zone 15:00–19:00 JST[3][4]
16:00–20:00 JST
NY Kill Zone 20:00–23:00 JST[3][4]
22:00–1:00 JST the next day
Entry example: FVG appears in London at 17:30 JST → place a limit order for 50% of the gap on a pullback, stop outside the gap, risk-reward 1:2.
Strategy 2 — Power of Three (PO3)
Three-stage flow
1. Accumulation: tight range form during Tokyo/Asia time.
2. Manipulation: London Kill Zone trims stops above/below the range.[2]
3. Distribution: trend runs toward NY Kill Zone in the intended direction.
Time conversion
•Accumulation: 8:00–15:00 JST
•Manipulation: London Kill Zone listed above
•Distribution: NY Kill Zone
Trading guidance: breakout above the London range → after confirming a sharp pullback, enter short toward NY Kill Zone.
Strategy 3 — Liquidity Sweep & Order Block
Core concept
The market breaks a clear high/low, absorbs retail stops, then reverses sharply. At this turning point, money concentrates in the Order Block (last bullish or bearish candle preceding the reversal).[5][2]
Important time windows
Overlap between London and NY sees frequent stop-hunts and reversals.
• DST: 20:00–23:00 JST
• Standard Time: 22:00–1:00 JST
Setup: NY Kill Zone breaks the previous day’s high with a wick-out → confirm a large bearish candle on a 5-minute chart → return to 50% of the previous bullish candle with a short limit order; stop above the wick high.
Strategy 4 — Silver Bullet
Features
In the first 30 minutes after the NY open (local 8:30–9:00 EST), price tends to move sharply up or down.[1]
JST conversion DST Standard Time
Silver Bullet 21:30–22:00 JST 22:30–23:00 JST
Implementation example: at 21:30 JST, a 5-minute candle shows FVG + internal structure break → enter market order immediately, take 10–15 pips quickly.
Kill Zone quick reference table (JST)
Kill Zone DST DST (non-DST) Primary strategies
Asia 8:00–11:00 PO3 (Accumulation)
London 15:00–19:00 16:00–20:00 FVG, PO3 (Manipulation)
NY 20:00–23:00 22:00–1:00 FVG, Liquidity Sweep, PO3 (Distribution)
London Close 23:00–1:00 0:00–2:00 Take-profit/Watch for reversal
Practical points of the summary
• Time discipline: pay attention to DST transitions and update JST conversions annually.
• Composite judgment: improve win rate by overlapping multiple concepts like FVG + Liquidity Sweep.
• Statistical verification: measure the average range inside each Kill Zone for each pair to determine optimal TP/SL.
With these four strategies implemented in your own backtesting environment and alerts set on a JST-displayed chart, you will be ready to deploy in live trading.
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