When I first got into backtesting, I thought I was doing everything right.
I’d run strategies, see nice results, and think… this is it.
Then I’d go live… and the results didn’t match at all.
That’s when it clicked , the problem wasn’t always the strategy.
It was the data.
Most of us start by using the default data inside MetaTrader 5 or MetaTrader 4, and honestly, it’s just not good enough if you’re trying to take this seriously.
It’s often incomplete, inconsistent, and missing the detail you actually need.
So you end up building confidence… on something that isn’t even accurate.
What I Use Now (And Why It’s Better)
These days, I use Tickstory.
It lets me download proper tick-level data sourced from Dukascopy, which is way closer to real market conditions.
It’s not magic – but it’s a big upgrade.
Now when I backtest:
- I trust the results a lot more
- The behaviour looks more realistic
- And I’m not getting blindsided as much when I go live
Why I’m Only Using 1 Year of Data (For Now)
For this challenge, I’m keeping it simple:
- XAUUSD (Gold)
- 1 year of data
- Free plan
Could I use more? Yes,
But right now, that’s not the priority.
I’m not trying to overcomplicate things or build some perfect model.
I’m testing ideas quickly, filtering out what doesn’t work, and focusing on building a set of strategies that work together.
Because that’s the real goal.
The Shift That Changed How I Think
I stopped looking for one “perfect” strategy.
Instead, I’m building multiple strategies that are uncorrelated – meaning they behave differently.
Some win when others lose.
Some perform in certain conditions, others don’t.
But together, they have the potential to create a much smoother, more consistent equity curve over time.
And all this, hopefully results in profitability over time.
That’s the game I’m playing right now.
Watch: How I Install TickStory + Load Data into MT5
I’ve recorded a full walkthrough showing exactly how I set this up step-by-step.
I’ll walk you through:
- Installing Tickstory
- Downloading tick data (free plan)
- Loading it into MetaTrader 5
If you’re going to backtest, you might as well do it properly.
👇 Watch the video below and get yourself set up:
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