Swing Account Note
Swing accounts do not use the trading day progression system applied to Intraday programs. Because of this, MAE Warnings typically do not reset progress or trading days on Swing accounts.
However, PropShopTrader reserves the right to review and apply appropriate risk controls if trading behavior indicates elevated risk or rule circumvention.
Swing accounts are not available on Gladiator Forge. This section applies to Gladiator Light Swing only.
Important: MAE behavior differs by account type
The MAE rules described in this article (the 3-Warning system) apply to Gladiator Light and Gladiator Stocks accounts.
Gladiator Forge accounts use a different MAE model — the first MAE breach immediately fails the account.
Forge accounts also have a separate Daily Loss Limit failure trigger.
What is MAE?
MAE stands for Maximum Adverse Excursion. It measures how far a trade moves against you before recovery or closure.
High MAE shows that too much of the account’s available drawdown is being risked on a single position.
MAE is one of the clearest indicators of whether a trader is managing risk with discipline or allowing trades to approach liquidation.
What triggers an MAE Warning?
An MAE Warning is triggered when you breach 50% of the maximum allowed MAE on any Gladiator Light and Gladiator Stocks account, based on the drawdown the account was originally purchased with.
This rule does not expand just because the account is in profit.
Gladiator Forge: There are no MAE Warnings on Forge accounts. The same 50% MAE threshold applies, but reaching it on either an open trade (unrealized loss) or a closed trade (realized loss) immediately fails the Forge account.
MAE Warning limits by account
The table below lists the maximum allowed MAE per account. On Gladiator Light and Gladiator Stocks accounts (3 warnings = account fails). On Gladiator Forge accounts, a single MAE flag triggers instant account failure.
Account Type | Max Drawdown | MAE Limit |
25K Intraday | $1,250 | $625 |
50K Intraday | $2,500 | $1,250 |
100K Intraday | $5,000 | $2,500 |
25K EOD | $1,225 | $612.50 |
50K EOD | $2,250 | $1,125 |
100K EOD | $4,500 | $2,250 |
How are MAE Warnings counted if multiple trades exceed MAE on the same day?
MAE Warnings are counted per trading day, not per trade.
If one or more trades on the same Gladiator Light or Gladiator Stocks account exceed the MAE limit during the same trading day, that day counts as one MAE Warning, not multiple.
Gladiator Forge: The first MAE breach, on a single open or closed trade, fails the account immediately.
Example
If a trader places 10 trades in one day and several of them breach the MAE limit, the account receives: 1 MAE Warning for that day (applies to Gladiator Light and Gladiator Stocks)
Each new trading day with an MAE breach counts as another warning.
On Gladiator Forge accounts, a single MAE flag triggers instant account failure.
Does the MAE limit increase if I am in profit?
No, the MAE limit is always based on the original max drawdown of the account.
Profit buffer does not increase MAE allowance.
How many MAE Warnings are allowed?
Each Gladiator Light and Gladiator Stocks account is allowed:
3 MAE Warnings total for that account's lifetime
This is tracked per account, not across all accounts.
Gladiator Forge: Forge accounts do not use a warning system. A single MAE breach results in account failure.
What happens when I get 1 MAE Warning?
When you receive your first MAE Warning:
(Applies to Gladiator Light and Gladiator Stocks accounts.)
your current Benchmark progress resets
qualifying trading days reset to 0/5
previously accumulated Benchmarks on that account are not removed
the account may continue trading if it is otherwise still active
What happens when I get 2 MAE Warnings?
(Applies to Gladiator Light and Gladiator Stocks accounts.)
The second warning has the same operational effect as the first:
current Benchmark progress resets
qualifying trading days reset again
prior completed Benchmarks remain on the account
the account can continue if still active
What happens when I get 3 MAE Warnings?
(Applies to Gladiator Light and Gladiator Stocks accounts.)
On the third MAE Warning:
the account is permanently failed
there are no appeals
there is no reinstatement
What happens on Gladiator Forge accounts when MAE is breached?
Gladiator Forge accounts use an instant-fail model.
If at any time:
an open trade's unrealized loss reaches or exceeds the account's MAE threshold (50% of the account's max trailing drawdown), OR
any single trade closes with a realized loss equal to or greater than the MAE threshold, the account is failed immediately. There is no warning and no daily MAE flag on Forge accounts.
Can MAE Warnings be appealed?
No, MAE Warnings are system-enforced and non-appealable.
Gladiator Forge: MAE breaches on Forge accounts result in immediate account failure. The failure events are system-enforced and non-appealable.
Appeals cannot:
reverse MAE Warnings
restore failed accounts caused by 3 MAE Warnings
Does MAE apply across all accounts or per account?
MAE applies per account.
The 3-warning lifetime limit belongs to that specific account only. (Applies to Gladiator Light and Gladiator Stocks)
On Gladiator Forge accounts, the instant-fail rule is also evaluated per account.