Terminology

Unicorn Model Terminology

Grasping the terminology used in this model is crucial for its effective application. This section outlines key concepts and abbreviations.

Sweep

A Sweep is a price action pattern characterized by a temporary move beyond the high or low of the previous candle, typically through the wick, followed by a retreat and close back within that candle’s range. This movement often represents a false breakout or a liquidity grab, indicating potential market reversals or traps for unsuspecting traders.

In a Bullish Sweep, price briefly breaks above the prior candle’s high but fails to hold, closing back inside the previous range. In contrast, a Bearish Sweep occurs when price dips below the prior low but quickly recovers to close within that candle’s range.

Double Purge (D-purge)

A D-Purge is a more complex form of Sweep where price action aggressively tests both the high and low extremes of the previous candle through its wicks before closing inside that candle’s range. This pattern implies a comprehensive clearing or "purging" of orders on both sides of the market, often signaling a strong liquidity hunt or shakeout.

The last side swept in this process (either the high or the low) indicates the likely direction of market interest or momentum following the purge. D-Purges help reveal hidden liquidity and potential shifts in market control between buyers and sellers.

Zigzag

A Zigzag is a chart pattern or indicator that connects swing highs and swing lows with straight lines, forming a sequence of sharp directional changes that resemble a "zigzag" shape. It's primarily used to identify trends, corrections, and reversal points by smoothing out market noise.

Breaker Block (BB)

A Breaker Block is a failed order block that becomes a key reversal zone after a liquidity grab. It forms when an order block (typically a bullish or bearish setup) fails to hold and price breaks through it—only to later retest it from the opposite side, acting as resistance or support.

Fair Value Gap (FVG)

A Fair Value Gap is a concept from ICT that describes an imbalance in price caused by aggressive buying or selling, leaving behind a "gap" between candles. It reflects areas where the market did not trade efficiently, usually due to institutional activity.

Macros

ICT Macro Times are specific, narrow time windows—typically lasting about 20 - 30 minutes—during the trading day when algorithmic trading activity spikes. These brief periods are known for liquidity hunts, stop runs, and sharp price moves, making them crucial moments for traders following the Inner Circle Trader (ICT) methodology to watch for high-probability trade setups.

PD Arrays

ICT PD Arrays refer to a group of price action concepts - such as Fair Value Gaps, Order Blocks, Breaker Blocks, Propulsion Blocks, Volume Imbalances, Opening Gaps - within the Inner Circle Trader (ICT) framework that identify areas of price inefficiency, imbalance, or displacement on the chart.

Projections

Projections are forecasts of future price movements based on the deviation of price from a key reference point, such as the CISD level. They help traders anticipate where price may find support or resistance and gauge whether current moves are extreme or likely to continue. When price approaches a high-probability projection level—often two standard deviations away—it can signal potential exhaustion or a reversal point.

Liquidity

Liquidity refers to price zones where a large concentration of buy and sell orders accumulates, generating significant market interest and often attracting price action. These zones typically align with key levels such as swing highs and lows, previous day or week highs and lows, or other important structural points where traders place orders.

Liquidity areas are crucial because they frequently become contested battlegrounds between buyers and sellers, leading to reversals, breakouts, or stop hunts. Identifying liquidity zones helps traders anticipate where major market moves may begin or end.