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 or Gladiator Sprint. 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 is an instant fail that immediately fails the account.On Forge, the MAE Cap equals the Daily Loss Limit value. On Gladiator Forge, the Daily Loss Limit is a soft breach: when net daily P&L reaches the Daily Loss Limit, open positions are closed and the account is locked out until the next session (6:00 PM EST). It does not by itself fail the account.
Gladiator Sprint accounts also use the instant-fail MAE model — the same as Gladiator Forge. They do not use the 3-Warning system. On a Sprint account, a single position reaching the 50% MAE amount is an instant fail and immediately fails the account. The Sprint MAE amount is a static limit: $500 on 25K Sprint accounts and $1,000 on 50K Sprint accounts. For full details on how Sprint accounts work, see How Gladiator Sprint Accounts Work.
On Sprint, the MAE limit and the Daily Loss Limit differ: the MAE instant-fail amount is $500 / $1,000, while the separate Daily Loss Limit is $625 / $1,250. The Daily Loss Limit is a soft breach (open positions close and the account is locked out until the next session); it does not by itself fail the account.
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) is an instant fail and immediately fails the Forge account.
Gladiator Sprint: There are no MAE Warnings on Sprint accounts. A single position reaching the 50% MAE amount is an instant fail and immediately fails the account. The Sprint MAE amount is static and does not expand if the account is in profit.
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 and Gladiator Sprint accounts, a single MAE breach is an instant fail that triggers instant account failure.
Account Type | Max Drawdown | MAE Limit |
12.5K Intraday | $1,250 | $625 |
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 |
25K Sprint (EOD) | $1,000 | $500 |
50K Sprint (EOD) | $2,000 | $1,000 |
Note: On Sprint accounts, the MAE amount is a static limit, and a single position reaching it is an instant fail (no warnings). The Sprint MAE limit ($500 / $1,000) is separate from, and lower than, the Sprint Daily Loss Limit ($625 / $1,250).
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 and Gladiator Sprint: The first MAE breach, on a single open or closed trade, is an instant fail and 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 and Gladiator Sprint accounts, a single MAE breach is an instant fail that 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.
This is also true for Gladiator Sprint accounts: the static MAE amount does not increase when the account is in profit.
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 is an instant fail that results in account failure.
Gladiator Sprint: Sprint accounts do not use a warning system. A single position reaching the 50% MAE amount is an instant fail that results in immediate 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 payout progress resets
qualifying trading days reset to 0/5
previously accumulated qualifying progress on that account is 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 payout progress resets
qualifying trading days reset again
prior completed progress remains 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
Note: The 1/2/3 MAE Warning progression above does not apply to Gladiator Sprint or Gladiator Forge accounts, which use an instant-fail model.
What happens on Gladiator Forge and Gladiator Sprint 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.
Gladiator Sprint accounts behave the same way: a single position reaching the 50% MAE amount (a static limit of $500 on 25K or $1,000 on 50K) is an instant fail and fails the account immediately, with no warning and no daily MAE flag. Note that on Sprint the instant-fail MAE amount ($500 / $1,000) is separate from the Daily Loss Limit ($625 / $1,250), which is a soft breach that closes positions and locks the account out until the next session rather than failing it.
Can MAE Warnings be appealed?
No, MAE Warnings are system-enforced and non-appealable.
Gladiator Forge and Gladiator Sprint: MAE breaches on Forge and Sprint accounts are an instant fail resulting 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 and Gladiator Sprint accounts, the instant-fail rule is also evaluated per account.