We actually have a section for this kind of thing, where individual trades are supposed to be discussed in more detail. I put my own trade example in this thread because this section hasn’t been used much, but of course I should have put it there. But Johannes can move them there.
If the blue ball was a buy, the red a sell, the SL a black line, and the VWAP green, then that was an excellent scalp in my opinion. I look for a buying opportunity in a trend change, and at that point, I’m not so interested in the shape of that individual candle. At its best, the hammer forms right at the bottom, but as with these volatile assets, bots often try to burn stops, and slightly later candles can even go a little below the earlier bottom (if I understood correctly what you meant by the candle just before the purchase).
I primarily trust EMA12, but many people have personal variations of these. So I follow its breakout in those entry-seeking situations. When we get to TC on a 2min/5min TF, I don’t like to let it close below that (often a sell signal). I also look at exits depending on the situation via EMA12 (I often sell half when the 5min/15min EMA is met - but other factors also affect this). VWAP is also fine; I often look for a continuation trade with its help (adding back to a position or an entirely new trade). Correlations must naturally be monitored (SPY/QQQ typically).
- edit: Generally speaking, before an entry, you need to be clear about what the target is, the planned size of the position (if scaling), the SL, and the purpose (short scalp, slightly longer intraday trade, swing, etc.). And you shouldn’t deviate from these thereafter; it usually doesn’t lead to a good outcome.