Battle Mode Rules
Challenge other traders head-to-head in real-time PvP historical simulation duels. Test your execution skills under pressure and climb the global leaderboard.
Contents
01. Core Objective
The objective of Battle Mode is to trade a given symbol over a specified historical timeframe and accumulate the highest amount of Trade Points within the match time limit. While PnL is important, victory is determined by a player's trading discipline, risk-reward ratios, TP hits, and win streaks. The player or team with the highest total points at the end of the match wins.
02. Execution & Market Data
Matches are designed to accurately simulate live execution pressures using historical data. The system enforces strict execution parameters:
- Symmetric Data: Both players act on the exact same historical data interval simultaneously.
- Real Pricing: Trades are executed at real historical market prices.
- Fees Simulation: Standard commissions, variable spreads, and swap fees apply artificially to stimulate real trading mechanics.
03. Match Settings
Before launching a battle, the lobby host defines key parameters that dictate the strategy and pace of the duel:
Starting Capital
Choose initial virtual balances (e.g. $10k, $50k, or $100k) to match leverage sizing preferences.
Match Duration
Determine the time limit of the battle (e.g. 5, 10, or 20 minutes) to test scaling speeds.
Chart Syncing
Duels start automatically once both users establish synchronized charting latency.
04. Point Scoring, ELO & Victory
Matches are decided by the total accumulated Trade Points at the end of the match duration. Points are calculated dynamically when each trade is closed (either by hitting TP, SL, or closed manually):
| Trade Outcome | Base Points Formula | Condition / Action Bonus & Penalty |
|---|---|---|
| Profitable Trade (Win) | +2 points per dollar of profit (minimum of 10 points guaranteed) |
TP Hit: +100 bonus points Manual Close: +50 bonus points Risk-Reward Bonus: If both TP & SL are set, gain planned RR ratio * 30 points (e.g. 1:3 RR = +90 points) |
| Losing Trade (Loss) | -1 point per dollar of loss |
SL Hit: -50 penalty points Manual Close: -30 penalty points |
Trading performance also impacts wagers, ELO ratings, and leaderboard rankings:
- ELO Points: Victory rewards you with leaderboard progression points based on your opponent's relative rating.
- Wagers: In coin-wager lobbies, the winner claims the entire wager pool.
- Ties: In the event of a tie (e.g. identical points), the match is drawn. No ELO points are subtracted, and any wagers are returned.
05. Prohibited Exploits
To keep matchmaking competitive and fair, the BacktestX engine utilizes automatic anti-exploit checks. The following actions result in immediate forfeits:
- Time Travel: Rewinding time or accessing future data points via manual exploits.
- Data Scraping: Accessing API endpoints to extract the target historical block ahead of execution.
- Multi-accounting: Matching against alt accounts to inflate ELO points or achievements.
Violating fair-play guidelines will result in temporary suspension or permanent ban from the Leaderboard. All trades are logged in our cloud database for match reviews.
06. Match Presets
Select from established presets to challenge different strategy models and testing conditions:
Scalper Blitz
Fast-paced 5-minute match on 1-minute timeframes. Focuses on high-frequency scalp setups.
Swing Duel
20-minute match on 15-minute or 1-hour timeframes. Ideal for trend-following strategies.
Random Asset
The simulator selects a random asset class and epoch, forcing adaptability to unknown markets.
07. Room Passwords & Team Battles (4v4)
To support community events and team-based training exercises, BacktestX supports two distinctive matching options: 1v1 Duel and 4v4 Team Battle. 1v1 duels focus on raw individual execution speed, while 4v4 team battles introduce cooperative decision-making, where the aggregate total Trade Points of the four team members (Alpha vs Beta) determines the winning squad.
Team Points Calculation: In 4v4 mode, the points of all four players on each team are summed in real-time. The team with the higher combined points wins. For example, if Alpha Team achieves 340 points and Beta Team achieves 280 points, Alpha Team wins the battle, regardless of the individual PnL outcomes of any single player. This encourages players to play defensively and manage risk to prevent negative points dragging down the entire team score.
Lobbies are secure. When creating a Team Battle, the host can toggle a room password field. If set, joining players are prompted with a secure passcode challenge on both Android and Web before they are allocated to a team slot. The joining workflow verifies the room's password against the secure database node, dynamically opening or rejecting the connection.
Lobby passwords are encrypted via security hashes. Unauthenticated database clients cannot query the password node directly. Access is granted only when the input matches the stored hash in the Firebase backend rules engine.
Lobby Slot Mechanism
Lobbies utilize a slot allocation system. For a 4v4 room, the Firebase database tracks an array of eight slots (4 Host Team, 4 Guest Team). Each slot contains a map of the player's readiness state. Slot readiness follows a strict sequence:
- Slot Occupancy Check: When a user enters the room code, the system queries available team slots. If a team is full, the slot selector disables further entries.
- Ready Acknowledgment: When a player clicks "Ready", the client updates the slot state. Once updated, a database hook broadcasts the state change to all participants.
- Start Interlocking: The match start button is enabled only when both teams have all slots occupied and all players marked as ready.
08. Trade Limits & Execution Sizing Rules
To discourage reckless gambling behavior and simulate real professional trading parameters (similar to Prop Firm challenges), Battle Mode hosts can configure parameters restricting high-frequency order placement:
- Max Trades Limit: Restricts the total number of trades a player can execute within a battle session (adjustable from 1 to 5 total trades). Once the limit is reached, the system disables buy and sell buttons.
- Sizing Margin Rules: Leverage and position size are tied to the starting replay balance. If starting capital is set to $10,000, margin checks prevent players from opening positions larger than 1.0 standard lot.
- Spread slippage simulation: Every trade incurs standard spread and execution slippage depending on the data year selected, penalizing random click-and-spam behaviors.
| Starting Capital | Max Sizing Limit | Commission per Trade | Minimum Spread (EURUSD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $5,000 | 0.50 Lots | $3.50 (Standard) | 0.6 Pips |
| $10,000 | 1.00 Lots | $7.00 (Standard) | 0.6 Pips |
| $25,000 | 2.50 Lots | $17.50 (Standard) | 0.5 Pips |
| $50,000 | 5.00 Lots | $35.00 (Standard) | 0.4 Pips |
09. Reconnect & Auto-Resume Protocols
Network connectivity issues should not ruin a competitive duel. The simulator features a connection recovery listener that continuously monitors the connection state between the client and the Firebase Realtime Database. If a player gets disconnected during a live match due to a network dropout, incoming phone call, or accidental tab closure, they can re-enter immediately without losing progress.
The reconnection architecture follows a strict sequence:
10. Strategy Playbook & FAQ
To win consistently in Battle Mode, a trader must adapt to historical simulation speeds and different market epochs. These rules apply to both manual traders and algotrading enthusiasts participating in PvP brackets.
Victory Equations
ELO rating calculations utilize a standardized logistic distribution model to determine rating adjustments based on performance expectation:
Where: R_old is current ELO rating, K is the weight factor (default 32), S is the outcome score (1 for win, 0.5 for tie, 0 for loss), and E is expected score calculated by:
E = 1 / (1 + 10^((R_opponent - R_old) / 400))
Match Presets Playbook
Selecting the appropriate match parameters dictates the strategy profile required for victory. Review the characteristics of each preset below:
| Preset Mode | Timeframe | Max Trades | Optimal Strategy Indicator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scalper Blitz | 1 Minute (M1) | 5 Trades | Exponential Moving Average (EMA) crossovers & RSI bands |
| Swing Duel | 15 Minutes (M15) | 2 Trades | Fibonacci retracements & multi-hour support zones |
| Prop Prep Hub | 5 Minutes (M5) | 3 Trades | Average True Range (ATR) based trailing stops |
| Unknown Epoch | Randomized | 4 Trades | Pure price action candlestick pattern analysis |