ArdenAlgoOrder block vs. fair value gap
- Both objects are born from the same displacement leg: the order block marks where it came from, the gap marks what it skipped.
- In this engine order blocks supply H1 zone context, while the M15 entry trigger is always an FVG retest.
- An order block is a candle-based zone; a fair value gap is a three-candle geometric fact.
Same origin, different jobs
When a leg displaces, it leaves two footprints. The last opposite candle before the move is the order block; the untouched band between candle one and candle three is the fair value gap. They describe the same event from two angles, which is why they so often sit within a few points of each other — and why treating them as independent confirmation is double counting.
| Order block | Fair value gap | |
|---|---|---|
| What it marks | Where the move originated | What the move skipped |
| Definition | Last opposite-direction candle before a displacement leg that leaves a gap | Three-candle gap: wick one and wick three do not overlap |
| Requires displacement | Yes, in the following leg | Yes, to be qualified for use |
| Lifecycle | Dropped once the zone is consumed | Dropped once roughly half filled |
| Role in this engine | H1 zone context — helps arm the state machine | M15 entry trigger — the retest is the signal |
| Timeframe used | H1 | M15 for entry, H1 for context |
The practical consequence
A chart can be covered in zones without a single signal firing, because zones only arm the sequence. What fires it is narrower: a sweep of mapped liquidity, a displacement-validated structure shift, and then price returning into the specific gap that shift left behind.
Common questions
If both mark the same move, why keep both?
They answer different questions. The zone question is 'is price in an area worth watching at all?', which order blocks and qualified gaps both help answer. The trigger question is 'is this the bar to act on?', and only the gap retest answers that.
Which one is more reliable?
This site will not rank them, because we have no evidence that would support the ranking. What we can state is the division of labour written into the frozen rules.