Battle Plan
Man Your Battle Stations
MES MICROS TRADE PLAN #289
MON/TUE RTH
🗓️ Posted: Monday April 20, 2026
OVERVIEW
Yesterday I warned, “This is a low, low, low probability trading environment.”
Indeed, sir, indeed.
Trader Lessons
Thought I would do something different today and present what I believe were the core lessons from this morning’s Zoom session.
Trader Lesson 1
Gap down ladder backs are absolutely beautiful scenarios. Set an alert at your Battle Plan level, move about your day, and if we get there… come back and look with a fresh set of eyes.
Trader Lesson 2
Leaving a series of VPOCs is another way to look at the strength of a move. Put them on your chart. Pretend you’re going on a trip and they’re signs on the highway telling you how many miles it is to Buc-ee’s.
Trader Lesson 3
If we don’t touch this POC, what does this POC become tomorrow? A VPOC. Failure to hit POC and getting back under the VWAP… we’re going to switch targets to below.
Trader Lesson 4
I don’t want to go long against a high timeframe backside. Real difficult place to do that. And because of the overnight action, I can’t just go short here either. We need something new.
Trader Lesson 5
When I know I’m counter short, it’s one micro every time. No question. It’s not even a thought. Even if it goes six points… it’s 30 bucks. It’s a paper cut. It’s nothing.
Trader Lesson 6
With a three contract system, two of them should have been peeled off at your first targets and you’re holding a single lotto runner just in case. Because you never know if this one’s going to be a hundred pointer.
Trader Lesson 7
I like to be up 20 points before I add. It’s not often you can add to a trade and it’s virtually risk free. Adding too early is a bad habit.
Trader Lesson 8
You can take any apex of a Battle Plan trade. It’s the highest risk location, but it’s the best price. I guess there’s no free lunch, is there? Just make sure you have a small stop.
Trader Lesson 9
I did not give myself a green on discipline last week. I took too many shorts. None of them hurt, but I took too many. My true focus is to get a green in discipline this week… regardless of P&L.
Trader Lesson 10
I’m a better trader when I focus on one instrument. I truly believe in a given week ES will give us plenty of opportunities. I can make everything I need to make on the ES chart.
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🌙 OVERNIGHT
🔥 Battle Plan 7 for a nice entry, somewhere between the Apex and the recommended entry location.
☀️ RTH
If my wrist wasn’t hurting, I would have done a wrap-up video talking about the short and along we called.
🔥 The Short.: 20-points per contract on the initial take profit. Hold a runner… just in case. I’m certain the afternoon move up would have gotten you out of your short runner.
🔥 The Long: Then we drew the level for a long that would have needed to be an instant take profit at ten points per contract. An absolutely beautiful reaction at the level we drew. Dependent on your entry size and management of the trade, you could still be long.
The horizontal line against the trend line was the Target Level. It was recommended to take initial profit from the short above, or if flat, you could initiate a long. That is just absolutely beautiful right there!
TIP OF THE DAY
Trade location is everything, and when you’re in the middle of the range, rarely does a great opportunity exist to initiate a trade.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
You don’t need every move… you just need your move.
TRADE OF THE DAY
BATTLE PLAN
Battle Plan seven for 20 to 40 points depending on entry location.
ZOOM
20-point short.
10-point long
CORE STRATEGY: (For Full Members)
We called out one short and one long on Zoom, and there were a couple of Core Strategy entries if you decided to watch paint dry and try to trade. You should check all of the front side entries from today!!!
SCOREBOARD
Accumulated Points THIS Week
Educational Purposes Only: Not Financial Advice
I’m not a financial advisor (never played one on TV either). These trade ideas are educational training tools showing where price may react… nothing more. Always wait for your own confirmation before executing. These levels represent one trader’s analysis, not personalized trading advice.
The Battle Plan:
OVERVIEW
Yesterday I wrote, “We desperately need a 150-300 point vomit or two or three days of consolidation. Then we will enter back into a high-probability trade scenario.“
Well, we didn’t get the 150-point drop. It was only 75.
But we did have a consolidation day.
In fact, the RTH closed basically at the exact opening price.
A dud of a price action day.
The BULLS did good.
Let’s get back to talking about consolidation…. to have two or three days of consolidation requires there to be the first day of consolidation.
Today was the first day.
I’m going to wait for volatility to increase.
For those following along at home… I’m still holding my single “lotto” contract short… from Friday afternoon Strong Level bounce… as discussed on Zoom this morning. I am going to play “Perfect Chess” even if it hurts.
ES PRICE MAP
Battle Plan Notes:
These trade ideas highlight likely “reaction zones” and are for educational purposes only. I am not a financial advisor, nor have I ever played one on TV. Nothing here should be taken as personalized trading advice. Always trade based on your own confirmation — these trade ideas simply one trader’s opinion – they are just “trade ideas”.



QUOTE OF THE DAY
TRADE OF THE DAY
SCOREBOARD










