ICT Gauntlet
Also: gauntlet, gauntlet FVG, gauntlet entry
Visual Context Required
This concept requires chart visuals for full understanding.
The ICT Gauntlet is a highly specific fair value gap (FVG) defined by its location within the price-delivery leg of a bullish breaker. It is not just any FVG inside a breaker — it must be the very first sell-side imbalance buy-side efficiency (SIBI) found within that price run. The leg in question is the one that runs the liquidity (e.g., runs through a prior swing high or buy-side pool), which constitutes the "delivery leg" of the breaker pattern. Identification requires: 1. A bullish breaker must be present — the down-close candle in the swing low structure that preceded a run through buy-side liquidity. 2. Within the price leg that runs the buy-side liquidity (the energetic move up through the prior high), identify all FVGs. 3. The Gauntlet is specifically the FIRST SIBI (sell-side imbalance buy-side efficiency) inside that delivery leg — the lowest, earliest SIBI in the run. 4. Entry signal: when price reads above the Gauntlet (trades through it in the bullish direction) and then retraces back down into it, that is the entry point. The return into the Gauntlet after it has been "read above" provides the add-on or continuation entry. The Gauntlet is a precision entry tool within an already-identified bullish breaker context. It is not applicable outside of a confirmed bullish breaker price run. There is no bearish analog described as of May 2025; the concept as named applies to the bullish breaker delivery leg only.
Identification5
- Confirm a bullish breaker is present on the chart — a down-close candle in the prior swing low, followed by a displacement run through buy-side liquidity.
- Locate the price-delivery leg of the bullish breaker — the specific price run that takes out the buy-side pool.
- Within that delivery leg, identify ALL sell-side imbalance buy-side efficiency (SIBI) gaps that formed.
- The Gauntlet = the very first (lowest, earliest) SIBI in the delivery leg. Not the second, not any other FVG — the first SIBI specifically.
- Mark the Gauntlet's high and low levels and carry them forward on the chart.
Entry3
- Wait for price to trade above the Gauntlet (read above it, confirming it as a valid SIBI in bullish context).
- When price returns back down into the Gauntlet after having read above it, place a buy limit at or near the Gauntlet's low or midpoint.
- This entry can be used as an initial entry into the bullish breaker setup, or as an add-to for a position already entered on the breaker itself.
Stop2
- Below the low of the Gauntlet SIBI range, or below the low of the bullish breaker's delivery leg.
- Tight stops: one to two ticks below the Gauntlet low for high-confidence setups.
Target2
- The next buy-side liquidity pool above — relative equal highs, prior swing high, or the next SIBI above in the delivery leg.
- The full run objective of the bullish breaker pattern.
Invalidation3
- Price completely fills the Gauntlet (closes a candle body through the full range) without the expected reaction — the SIBI is consumed.
- The broader bullish breaker context is invalidated (e.g., price trades decisively below the breaker candle's low).
- A second SIBI higher in the delivery leg has been used — the Gauntlet retains relevance for the first re-test but diminishes with subsequent visits.
Inferred Conditions (Unvalidated)
- The Gauntlet is a sub-structure of the bullish breaker — it cannot be identified without first identifying the breaker and its delivery leg.
- The emphasis on 'first SIBI' (lowest in the run) reflects ICT's principle that the earliest imbalance in an impulsive move carries the most institutional order flow information.
- The 7am to 9:30am pre-market highs and lows function as standalone liquidity pools for the opening range — the Gauntlet may form during pre-market delivery and remain valid for RTH entry.
ICT Quotes
"The gauntlet. Is a very specific fair value gap inside of a price run of a bullish breaker. So it's the very lowest, first, sell side imbalance, buy side efficiency. It has to be the SIBI."
"when it reads above it and it comes back down — there's your entry. This is your adding to it."
Timeframes
Version History1 version
ICT YT - 2025-05-07 - 2025 Lecture Series - ICT Gauntlet and NQ AM Session Review 05-07-2025.srt
"The gauntlet. Is a very specific fair value gap inside of a price run of a bullish breaker. So it's the very lowest, first, sell side imbalance, buy side efficiency. It has to be the SIBI."
First named introduction of the ICT Gauntlet concept. Defines it as the first SIBI inside the delivery leg of a bullish breaker, with entry on the return into it after price reads above.
Notes
The Gauntlet was introduced in the May 7, 2025 lecture during a review of NQ AM session price action. It is framed as a precision entry/add-on tool for traders already working within a bullish breaker context. The name "Gauntlet" evokes the idea of running through a challenging zone — price must "run the gauntlet" of the SIBI before making its broader move. The setup rewards patience: the entry only becomes valid AFTER price has already traded through the SIBI (read above it), confirming its bullish character, and then retraces back in. Same lecture also confirms the 7am–9:30am pre-market high/low window as a standalone liquidity reference for the opening range, requiring no NWOG or NDOG to validate it. See also: bullish-breaker.yaml, fair-value-gap.yaml, sibi-bisi.yaml, order-block.yaml
Asymmetry Notes
As named and defined, the Gauntlet applies specifically to the bullish breaker delivery leg. No bearish-breaker analog ("bearish gauntlet") has been named or described in the 2025 content. The concept is therefore directionally asymmetric in nomenclature, though the underlying SIBI-within-delivery-leg logic could theoretically apply in reverse.