Each strategy trades in its own lane: its own position, its own daily budget. The risk firewall watches all of them together.
01
Opening range
Builds a range from the first hours of the session, then trades the breakout, the false break (sweep) or the retest. The core engine from V9, cleaned of every module that tested as a loss.
02
Trend pullback
When gold is trending (EMA20 and price on one side of EMA200), it buys a dip to the 20 EMA on the candle that resumes the trend. Stop beyond the dip, 2R target. Gold only.
03
Risk firewall
Every trade has a stop-loss and take-profit from entry. Part of each position closes at 1R and the stop moves to break-even. Daily loss limit, drawdown cap and flatten rules cover every lane at once. No martingale, no grid, no averaging, no recovery mode.
02Four modes, one input
Pick a mode with TradingMode. The strategies stay the same; the size, speed and safety limits change.
Discipline
Personal accounts, steady growth. The default.
Risk
1% / trade
Limits
day −3%, total −10%
Pace
~23–28 / month
Growth
Fast compounding for traders who accept deeper drawdowns.
Risk
3% / trade
Limits
day −10%, total −35%
Pace
same trades, 3× size
High Frequency
For traders who want many small trades.
Risk
0.35% / trade
Limits
day −8%, total −10%
Pace
77–93 / month
FTMO
Two-step prop-firm challenges. Stops at the phase target.
Risk
up to 2%, shrinks near limits
Limits
firm's rules −1% buffer
Pace
median 38 days, P1
03Twenty-one months, one run
Closing balance each day, starting at $10,000 in January 2025 and ending at $20,633 in September 2026. Hover to read any day.
*Hypothetical. V12 strategy logic (build 12.30), XAUUSD H1, 1% risk, 3% daily cap, one continuous MT5 Strategy Tester run on RoboForex data; the EA 10% drawdown halt was off for this run. Not live trading and not a forecast.
Show as a table (month-end balance)
Month
Balance
Jan 2025
$10,153.96
Feb 2025
$10,482.59
Mar 2025
$10,979.46
Apr 2025
$11,511.79
May 2025
$11,864.44
Jun 2025
$11,998.93
Jul 2025
$13,045.66
Aug 2025
$12,741.82
Sep 2025
$13,059.34
Oct 2025
$13,872.87
Nov 2025
$14,262.68
Dec 2025
$14,409.56
Jan 2026
$15,928.61
Feb 2026
$16,303.46
Mar 2026
$17,480.44
Apr 2026
$17,310.91
May 2026
$18,153.19
Jun 2026
$19,106.55
Jul 2026
$19,728.62
Aug 2026
$20,788.62
Sep 2026
$20,632.72
04Backtest performance
These are hypothetical results from the MetaTrader 5 Strategy Tester, not live trading: one broker's data (RoboForex), $10,000 start, 1:100 leverage, 1-minute OHLC unless stated. Real results depend on your broker's spreads, commission and execution, and will differ. The full year 2025 was kept aside and never used to choose any setting.
Gold (XAUUSD), Discipline mode, 1% risk
Jan–Aug 2026
Full year 2025
Net profit
+$4,336 (+43%)
+$4,410 (+44%)
Profit factor
2.14
1.55
Max drawdown (balance)
4.9%
4.7%
Win rate
74%
70%
Trades
186
341
Gold, FTMO mode, phase 1 (+10% target)
Real tick data. One challenge started on each of 12 dates between January 2025 and August 2026, judged against the standard two-step rules: 5% daily loss, 10% maximum loss, 4 trading days.
Passed
Failed
Median time
Fastest / slowest
Worst day
12 of 12
0
38 days
18 / 74 days
−4.06%
Growth mode and other markets
Jan–Aug 2026
Full year 2025
Gold, Growth 3%: $10,000 became
$29,106 (+191%)
$21,627 (+116%)
Gold, Growth 3%: max DD (bal / eq)
10.6% / 15.6%
20.2% / 22.9%
EURUSD, Discipline
+$634
+$1,296
Gold, High Frequency
+$1,963 (607 trades)
+$1,446 (1,119 trades)
Weak periods happen: gold in September 2026 (to the 23rd) was −$54 in Discipline and −$181 in Growth. Silver, GBPUSD and USDJPY lost money in testing and are not recommended.
05V12 beside V9
Same test rig, same windows, gold at 1% risk. V12 is a separate edition; V9 stays on sale and supported.
V9.20
V12
Net profit, 2025 (held back)
+$1,443
+$4,410
Profit factor, 2025
1.31
1.55
Max balance DD, 2025
6.1%
4.7%
Net profit, Jan–Aug 2026
+$3,139
+$4,336
Profit factor, Jan–Aug 2026
2.65
2.14
Max balance DD, Jan–Aug 2026
2.4%
4.9%
Trades, Jan–Aug 2026
80
186
FTMO challenge mode
—
Yes
Daily loss / max drawdown halt
—
Yes
V12 earns more and holds up better in the year that was never used for tuning. V9 is calmer in 2026, with a higher profit factor and a shallower drawdown. Both are honest choices. Read the full comparison →
06The Templar Cavalry dashboard
Status — symbol, timeframe and mode. Green MONITORING means live; if a safety limit stops trading, the reason is shown here.
Open P/L — the EA's open positions and lots.
Balance / Equity — your account at a glance.
Engines — 01 Opening range and 02 Trend pullback with their state and today's count. 03 shows the FTMO floors and target, or the day's result and drawdown in other modes.
Footer — spread, the real risk the next trade will use, closed-trade stats and server time.
07Running in five minutes
In MT5: File → Open Data Folder. Copy MQL5\Experts\ApexDrawdownZero_V12.ex5 and the MQL5\Presets files into the matching folders.
Restart MT5, or right-click Expert Advisors in the Navigator → Refresh.
Open an XAUUSD H1 chart (GOLD or XAUUSD.m is fine) and drag the EA onto it. Tick Allow Algo Trading.
For a challenge, press Load in the Inputs tab, choose ApexV12_FTMO_Mode_Phase1.set and type your challenge size.
Turn on Algo Trading in the toolbar. The dashboard shows MONITORING in green.
Not financial advice. Past and simulated performance does not guarantee future results. Trading gold and CFDs on margin carries a high level of risk. FTMO is a trademark of its owner; Apex is not affiliated with or endorsed by FTMO or any prop firm.
Apex Drawdown Zero V12 — XAUUSD Gold EA for MetaTrader 5 with FTMO Challenge Mode
Apex Drawdown Zero V12 is a rules-based Expert Advisor for MetaTrader 5, built and tested for gold (XAUUSD) on the H1 chart. It is a new, separate edition of Apex — Version 9 is still sold and supported as its own product.
Every trade has a stop-loss and a take-profit from the moment it opens. A risk firewall caps how much the account can lose in a day and overall, and it covers every open position together.
No martingale. No grid. No averaging down. No recovery mode.
Two strategies, each in its own lane
01 Opening range — each day the EA builds a range from the first hours of the session and trades the breakout, the false break (sweep) or the retest out of it.
02 Trend pullback — when gold is trending, it buys a dip to the 20 EMA (or sells a rally in a downtrend) on the candle that resumes the trend. Gold only.
Each strategy has its own position slot and its own daily budget, so one never crowds the other out. On gold that took the default mode from roughly 14 to 23–28 trades a month.
Four trading modes
Discipline (default) — 1% risk per trade; stops for the day at −3% and stops completely at −10% from the equity peak.
Aggressive Growth — 3% risk, the same trades at three times the size; day −10%, total −35%. For traders who accept deeper drawdowns.
High Frequency — 0.35% risk, 77–93 trades a month.
FTMO challenge — built around a two-step prop-firm challenge: locks in at the phase target, guards the firm's daily and maximum loss with a 1% buffer, sizes each trade from the room left to the limit, and covers the minimum trading days.
FTMO challenge mode
In the Strategy Tester, with real tick data, one phase-1 challenge (+10%) was started on each of 12 dates between January 2025 and August 2026 and judged against the standard two-step rules. 12 of 12 passed, 0 failed, median 38 days, worst single day −4.06%. That is a simulation, not a promise — see the risk disclosure below.
Load ApexV12_FTMO_Mode_Phase1.set, type your challenge size into "Challenge account size", and the EA does the rest. Phase 2 and a slower "Safe" preset are included.
What is included
Apex Drawdown Zero V12 (build 12.47) for MetaTrader 5
The illustrated PDF user guide: installation, modes, every setting, backtest results
The Templar Cavalry on-chart dashboard
Free lifetime updates to V12 and direct support through your client portal and WhatsApp
A Lifetime licence for up to 5 MT5 accounts at once
Already own Apex V9?
Every existing Apex Drawdown Zero licence holder has been given V12 free — it is already in your client portal. Your V9 licence is untouched and keeps working: run whichever suits you, or both.
Symbol: XAUUSD (your broker may call it GOLD or XAUUSD.m — that is fine). EURUSD is supported in Discipline mode.
Timeframe: H1
Account: tested with $10,000 at 1:100; smaller accounts work while 1% risk still allows the broker's 0.01 minimum lot
A VPS is recommended — the EA must stay online to manage its trades
Server time: tested on a GMT+2/+3 broker server; adjust the entry hours if yours differs
Performance and risk disclosure
Drawdown Zero is the product name, not a guarantee of zero drawdown. All figures on this page are hypothetical results from the MetaTrader 5 Strategy Tester on one broker's data (RoboForex), not live trading. Real results depend on your broker's spreads, commission, execution and the market, and will differ. Weak periods happen: in September 2026 (to the 23rd) gold was roughly flat in Discipline mode. Silver, GBPUSD and USDJPY lost money in testing and are not recommended.
Apex cannot guarantee that a prop-firm challenge will be passed. FTMO is a trademark of its owner; this product is not affiliated with or endorsed by FTMO or any prop firm. Trading gold and CFDs on margin carries a high level of risk. Demo-test V12 with your own broker before trading live.
4.9%
Max DD (backtest)
70–74%
Win rate (backtest)
Live Gold / Metals chart
Past performance, whether real or simulated, is not indicative of future results. Risk disclosure.
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Already using it? Share your experience below.
A running terminal (VPS or always-on PC) with WebRequest allowed for https://apexdrawdownzero.com
Licence
Lifetime licence — no expiry, with updates and support included. The key is bound to your MetaTrader account number on first validation and can be rebound
from Licenses in your portal.
No. V12 is a separate edition with its own licence and download. V9 is still sold and supported, and nothing about a V9 licence changes. If you already own Apex, V12 has been added to your account free.
I own Apex V9 — do I have to switch?
No. Keep running V9 if you are happy with it. V12 trades more often, adds the trend-pullback strategy, the risk firewall and FTMO mode, and did better in the held-back 2025 test year; V9 had the higher profit factor in 2026. Many owners demo V12 beside V9 before deciding.
Which markets does V12 trade?
Gold (XAUUSD) on H1 is the primary market and runs all four modes. EURUSD is supported in Discipline mode. Silver, GBPUSD and USDJPY lost money in testing and the EA warns you if you attach it there.
How does the FTMO mode work?
It stops and closes everything once the closed balance clears the phase target, guards the firm's daily and maximum loss with a 1% buffer, makes each trade smaller as you approach a limit, and places one tiny trade a day after the target until the minimum trading days are met. Type your challenge size into "Challenge account size" and load the Phase 1 preset.
Can it guarantee I pass a prop-firm challenge?
No. In the Strategy Tester with real ticks it passed 12 of 12 phase-1 starts, but that is a simulation on one broker's data. Live spreads, slippage and your firm's current rules can differ. Always check the rulebook and demo first.
Why can two trades be open at once?
The opening-range and trend-pullback strategies each have their own position slot. The daily loss limit, drawdown cap and flatten rules apply to both together.
Is this martingale, grid or averaging?
No. Every trade has a stop-loss and take-profit from entry, position size is a fixed percentage of balance, and a losing trade is closed at its stop.
What account size do I need?
It was tested on $10,000 at 1:100. Smaller accounts work while 1% risk still allows the broker's 0.01 minimum lot on gold.
Do I need a VPS?
It is recommended. The EA must be online to open and manage trades.
How is it delivered?
Instantly. Your licence and the download (EA, presets and PDF guide) appear in your client portal the moment payment clears.
Is it a one-time payment?
Yes. The licence is lifetime and includes V12 updates and support. It is not a subscription.
v12.47
24 Sep 2026
Apex Drawdown Zero V12 — build 12.47 (first release of the V12 edition)
NEW
- Second strategy in its own lane: trend pullback to the 20 EMA (gold only).
Own position slot and daily budget; the risk firewall covers both lanes.
- FTMO challenge mode: phase-target lock on the closed balance, static and
daily loss floors with a 1% buffer, room-based sizing, minimum trading days.
Presets: FTMO Phase 1, Phase 1 Safe, Phase 2.
- Templar Cavalry on-chart dashboard.
- Grouped, plain-English inputs; experimental options hidden.
REMOVED (measured to lose money in V11 testing)
- Signal scoring, chandelier trail, time stop, profit-lock ladder,
pyramiding, range fade, failed-break reversal, loss-streak cooldown.
WHAT IS IN THE ZIP
- MQL5\Experts\ApexDrawdownZero_V12.ex5
- MQL5\Presets\ApexV12_FTMO_Mode_Phase1.set / _Phase1_Safe.set / _Phase2.set
- ApexDrawdownZero_V12_User_Guide.pdf and READ_ME_FIRST.txt
Install: copy the MQL5 folders into your terminal's data folder
(File > Open Data Folder), restart MT5, attach to XAUUSD H1.
This is a separate EA from V9 with its own file name, so both can be
installed side by side. IMPORTANT: V9 and V12 ship with the same default
Magic number (26070302). If you run both on the same account and symbol,
change V12's "Magic number" (group 5) first, e.g. to 26071200.
