GC Intraday Strategies That Actually Work
Gold futures (GC) move fast, punish hesitation, and reward precision. Most retail traders blow up because they apply ES-style patience or NQ-style gambling to a market that follows neither script. GC has its own set of intraday patterns that repeat daily—once you learn them, the market becomes predictable.
Strategy #1: The VWAP Reclaim Play
GC treats VWAP like a magnet early in the session and a bullseye later. The VWAP reclaim is one of the most reliable setups in the entire metal complex.
- Price trades below VWAP in the morning
- Reclaims VWAP with strong buying delta
- Retests VWAP lightly
- Continuation toward prior structure
If the delta flips positive at the reclaim, the move tends to stick. See also the article GC Orderflow Basics for more on delta confirmation.
Strategy #2: Liquidity Sweep → Reversal
GC loves sweeping obvious levels—overnight high/low, yesterday’s high/low, or round numbers—then ripping the other way. The pattern is simple:
- Stop run above/below a key level
- Immediate absorption
- Strong opposite-direction candle
- Continuation back into range
The trick is not guessing the sweep. Wait for absorption plus a clean reversal signal.
Strategy #3: London Momentum Push
The London session (12:00–1:30 AM ET) often sets the direction for the U.S. session. GC frequently does one of two things:
- London sets a clear directional impulse → NY continues it
- London sweeps both sides → NY trends out of the trap
If you ignore London structure, you’re entering NY blindly.
Strategy #4: Trend Pullback to 9/20 EMA Combo
GC respects the 9/20 EMA pair during trending conditions—especially when ATR is above average. In strong trends:
- price pushes away from EMAs
- pulls back into the 9 or 20
- resumes trend with clear aggression
Don’t counter-trade GC when it’s trending with momentum. It rarely gives you a graceful exit.
Strategy #5: LVN Break and Retest
Low-volume nodes (LVNs) are air pockets on GC. When price breaks through an LVN, it usually:
- accelerates immediately
- runs to the next HVN or key level
- retests the LVN for continuation
This is one of GC’s cleanest continuation setups.
Strategy #6: Post-News Reversal
GC reacts violently to CPI, PCE, NFP, and FOMC. But most new traders get wrecked by chasing the first move. The real trade is often:
- initial spike (fake move)
- fast reversal into real direction
- clean trend once spreads normalize
GC’s post-news behavior is covered more in GC News Volatility Guide.
Strategy #7: Opening Range Breakout (ORB) With Filters
GC’s ORBs work only when volatility is elevated. Filter the trade:
- ATR rising
- strong delta
- DXY not moving opposite of the breakout
If DXY is rising while GC tries to break upward, skip the trade—odds suck.
When NOT to Trade GC
GC is untradeable in these conditions:
- inside a massive HVN (range sludge)
- between VWAP and mid-range (indecision zone)
- during pre-news dead flow
- after an already extended move with no pullback
If GC feels choppy, you’re probably trading inside an HVN or ignoring DXY/yields.
Final Takeaway
GC isn’t random. It follows repeatable intraday patterns tied to liquidity, VWAP, trend strength, and macro correlation filters. Pick one or two of these strategies and master them before trying to “trade everything.” GC rewards precision, not ego.