Frequently Asked Questions

Compatibility

Which platforms do Optimal Ninja products run on?

Optimal Ninja is available on NinjaTrader 8.1.1.7 or greater. To check your version, launch NinjaTrader and go to Help > About. We recommend using the latest version.

Will Optimal Ninja products run on the free-trial version of NinjaTrader?

Yes. To try NinjaTrader for free go to https://account.ninjatrader.com/register

Which markets does Optimal Ninja Quartz run on?

ES and MES only. It will not run on other markets.

Which markets does Optimal Orderflow Pack run

on?

Optimal Orderflow runs on all major markets except ES/MES, NQ/MNQ and spot forex. 

Which markets does Optimal Indicators Pack run on?

All major futures markets.

Do I need Level 2 data or NinjaTrader's own orderflow tools?

No, neither of these is required.

Do Optimal Ninja products require Tick Replay?

No.

Subscribing

What is the minimum subscription period?

Thirty days. After thirty days, subscription continues on a recurring monthly basis. You may cancel at any time. But we're convinced that after a month scalping ES/MES with Quartz, you'll love it!

Is it straightforward to cancel?

Absolutely. Simply log into your account, and Cancel Subscription. Please note that we do not offer refunds for part-used months.

What payment options are there?

Visa, MasterCard, and American Express credit and debit cards. We do not accept PayPal or cryptocurrency.

How long after payment is made before I can download Optimal Ninja Quartz?

The install files and Quick Start Guide will normally be available to you to within 24 hours. Please be patient.

How long after payment is made before I can download Optimal Orderflow Pack or Optimal Indicators Pack?

These are available for immediate download. We will activate your license as soon as possible.

What's the difference between Quartz, Optimal Orderflow Pack and Optimal Indicators Pack?

Optimal Ninja Quartz is for ES and MES only and is the successor to our earlier products. 

Optimal Orderflow Pack is for all other major futures markets. 

Optimal Indicators Pack is primarily aimed at traders who wish to build and test their own systems, or those who wish to improve their existing strategy with Optimal Renko Bars Pro.

Optimal Ninja Quartz

Very simply, what does Optimal Ninja Quartz do?

Optimal Ninja Quartz is built around a core engine that scans each price bar for multiple conditions including price action, orderflow, volume, speed-of-tape, volatility and statistical-bias.

It weights these conditions and paints the best entry bars from our trading models in blue or orange. 

These trading models have been tested across multiple ES/MES datasets and are capable of providing a very significant edge in intraday trading. 

We also provide two other tools: Smart Algo Detector and Smart Support/Resistance to finesse entries and exits.

How easy is it to set up?

Simply load a new ES/MES chart with our included template and you're all set. There are no settings to change or parameters to test -it works straight out of the box. You may, of course, change the colors and sounds.

Does Quartz tell me when to enter?

Quartz highlights entry signals but since it isn't an automated strategy the decision to enter a trade is always yours. In addition, you can identify many other valid setups by following Smart Algo-Detector and Smart Support/Resistance. 

Does Quartz tell me where to place stops and profit targets?

We give a choice of stops and targets for each trade. The minimum profit target and stop is 12 ticks. To keep the chart clutter-free we don't plot these on-screen but they are simple to remember.

Can I use Quartz for extreme scalping (e.g. 2-4 ticks)?

No. For retail traders these kind of approaches are notoriously challenging to sustain for any significant period. We advise switching to wider targets and stops. Try our approach for a month and see how much easier it is.

Can I simply take all the entry signals without doing any of my own analysis?

Quartz is a super-indicator not a strategy. It will show you statistically the most-reliable signals in our testing and is intended to be used in combination with your own analysis. Our forthcoming videos will focus on how to read Quartz charts. 

Let's be clear: our products are intended for serious traders seeking to hone an edge. If you're searching for a get-rich-quick scheme, we are not a good fit for you! 

What times of day is Quartz designed for?

Quartz is designed for trading during the US equities session only (after 0930 EST).

How many signals does Quartz give per session?

Quartz is searching for specific set-ups and so the number of signals will vary by the characteristics of each session.

It's important to note that part of its logic is assigned to keeping you out of low probability trades such as momentum trades in narrow ranges, reversals in strong trends, and very fast-moving markets. 

How are Optimal Ninja Snap ES Bars different to other renko bar types?

Optimal Ninja Snap Bars auto-adjust at the start of each session to 'snap' to the fixed grid-lines on your chart. Whatever happens during a session, the bars always close either exactly on grid-lines or exactly half way between grid-lines, regardless of how many sessions you load. 

Standard or 'better' renko bars either start building from the opening price of each session (meaning that today's bars do not align with yesterday's) or from the start of the chart (resulting in so called 'phantom' bars where price didn't trade). 

Because Snap Bars close at exactly the same price levels across multiple sessions, we can compare metrics at identical prices right across the chart-a very significant advance in signal processing. 

Can the size of Optimal Ninja Snap ES Bars be adjusted?

No, they are fixed at 12 ticks. 

Can the colors be changed?

Yes, all the colors may adjusted as you wish.

Do you provide training?

Quartz is designed to be simple to use but comes with a 20-page Quick Start Guide to get you up-and-running.

In addition, we are in the process of building a video library of hints and tips and market commentary videos on our YouTube channel.

We are now also offering a free 1-2-1 training session. For more info click here.

Optimal Orderflow Pack

Is Optimal Orderflow an automated system?

No. Optimal Orderflow is a discretionary trading toolkit and cannot be used in strategies. If you are interested in building strategies, our Indicators Pack is designed for this purpose; however we do not provide pre-configured strategies.

How long does it take to trade proficiently with Optimal Orderflow?

Orderflow approaches are more complex than the traditional indicators you may have used in the past. In contrast to slower macro tools like moving averages and stochastics etc., Orderflow focuses at transactional level for an instant insight into buying and selling pressure.

Whilst there is a learning curve with all orderflow products, this is significantly shortened with Optimal Orderflow because we have reduced the information-overload with analytical processing. 

What's the benefit of using orderflow?

Orderflow gives a trader an instant snapshot of the market, not possible with lagging tools. You can make decisions earlier than chart traders, entering and exiting ahead of the game. Once you understand the power of orderflow trading, you'll never go back.

Do you provide guidance/training on how to use Optimal Orderflow?

Yes, Optimal Orderflow comes with a 15 page Quick Start guide, and a 50 page Trading Guide, explaining each product in detail and providing guidance on how to trade with the pack, including sample entry setups as well as hints & tips for performance tracking. 

Which markets do you provide Optimal Orderflow chart templates for?

YM/MYM, RTY/M2K, FDAX/FDXM/FESX, 6A, 6B, 6E, 6J, CL, GC.

ES/MES and NQ/MNQ are not supported on Optimal Orderflow. 

Optimal Ninja Indicators Pack

Do Optimal Renko Bars Pro have real or artificial opens?

Optimal Renko Bars Pro have real open/high/low/close for greater confidence in back testing.

Is Optimal Indicators pack an out-of-the-box trading system?

No. It is a set of tools designed for automated or discretionary system building.

Can the bars and indicators in Indicators Pack be called in Strategies?

Yes. They may be called in Strategy Builder or within NinjaScript. The User Guide includes a reference section for calling in NinjaScript. We recommend recording live data for back-testing.

Which markets does Optimal Ninja Indicators Pack run on?

Optimal Ninja was designed and tested on YM/MYM, RTY/M2K, FDAX/FDXM/FESX, 6A, 6B, 6E, 6J, CL, GC.

About Us

How long has Optimal Ninja been around?

We launched in January 2020 and have been an authorized NinjaTrader EcoSystem vendor since that time. This means we are subject to regular compliance audits by NinjaTrader. You can be assured that we're here to stay!

What's the philosophy behind Optimal Ninja?

Better questions yield better answers.

Who is behind Optimal Ninja?

Richard, our product designer and co-programmer, trained in economics and econometrics back in the 1980s and has nearly thirty years' experience in finance. 

Louis, our lead programmer, has over thirty years' experience in engineering and telecoms. 

Miles, a recent addition to our team, has patiently demo-tested numerous live sessions and suggested many valuable improvements and tweaks to Quartz during its design and coding.