Blue Guardian's standard accounts use a 4% daily loss limit and an 8% maximum — tighter than the 5% / 10% most firms run — plus an automatic risk tool, Guardian Shield, that closes every open trade if unrealised losses reach 2%. That last rule is the one that decides your lot size: a position that could lose more than 2% of the account while open will be closed for you. This calculator returns the lot size for your balance, risk and stop; the notes below show how to keep it under the Shield.
How this calculator is set up for Blue Guardian
The defaults assume a $100,000 account, 1% risk and a 20-pip stop at $10 per pip per lot — correct for EUR/USD, GBP/USD and other USD-quoted majors. Set the balance to your account. For gold, indices, oil or JPY pairs use the symbol-specific calculators at the bottom of the page.
Blue Guardian rules that decide your lot size
Published figures as of 2026 for the standard evaluations. Blue Guardian also sells an instant-funded account with a 3% daily and 6% trailing maximum; confirm the rules on the account you hold.
| Rule | Standard evaluations | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Profit target | 10% (1-Step); 8% then 4% (3-Step) | Program-specific |
| Maximum daily loss | 4% | Balance-based, resets at the day change |
| Maximum drawdown | 8% | Balance-based |
| Guardian Shield | Closes all trades at 2% unrealised loss | Automatic, applies to open P&L |
Balance-based means the limits are measured from your balance at the start of the day (daily) or your starting balance (maximum), not from equity peaks — a friendlier model than a trailing one, but the 4% and 8% figures are smaller to begin with.
Sizing under Guardian Shield
Guardian Shield closes every open position when combined unrealised losses reach 2% of the account. For sizing that means the sum of all open positions' full stop-loss risk should stay below 2%:
- One position at 1% risk: safe, with 1% of room for a second.
- Two positions at 1% each: at the limit — if both go to their stops simultaneously the Shield fires first.
- Three positions at 1% each: the Shield closes all three at 2%, before any individual stop is reached.
Traders who run several positions at once on Blue Guardian therefore size at 0.5% or lower per trade. The Shield is not a rule violation — it is a forced flatten — but it turns three planned 1% losses into an unplanned 2% loss at whatever prices the market offers.
The lot size formula with Blue Guardian numbers
Lot size = (Account balance × Risk %) ÷ (Stop loss in pips × Pip value per lot)Example 1 — $100K, single position: 1% risk, 20-pip stop on EUR/USD.
- Risk amount: $1,000
- Loss per lot: $200
- Lot size: 5.00 lots
Example 2 — $100K, two positions planned: 0.5% risk each, 30-pip stop on GBP/USD.
- Risk amount: $500
- Loss per lot: $300
- Lot size: 1.67 lots each
Example 3 — $50K, 3-Step Phase 2: 0.5% risk, 25-pip stop.
- Risk amount: $250
- Loss per lot: $250
- Lot size: 1.00 lot
Matching risk per trade to the 4% / 8% limits
| Risk per trade | Losses before a 4% daily breach | Losses before an 8% max breach | Open positions before the 2% Shield |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0% | 4 | 8 | 2 |
| 0.5% | 8 | 16 | 4 |
| 0.25% | 16 | 32 | 8 |
At 1% risk, four losses end the day and eight end the account — thin for most strategies, and only two positions can be open at once. 0.5% is the common choice on Blue Guardian.
Common sizing mistakes on Blue Guardian accounts
- Using 5% / 10% sizing. The lot size that fits FTMO's limits is 20–25% too large here.
- Stacking positions past the Shield. Three correlated trades at 1% each will be flattened together on a bad move.
- Same lots on gold as on EUR/USD. Gold's dollar-per-pip is far larger; use the XAU/USD calculator.
- Sizing on the chart stop. Add spread and slippage before dividing.
- Holding a floating loss through the day change. It counts against the new day's 4% from the first minute.
Track your Blue Guardian evaluation in Fips
Fips's free trading journal records each trade with its R-multiple and running daily P&L, and shows your combined open risk — the number the Shield watches. Connect an MT4, MT5 or cTrader account and trades import automatically. Backtest the strategy first to read its worst losing streak; on a 4% daily limit, a strategy that has strung five losses together needs 0.5% risk or less.
Frequently asked questions
What lot size should I use on a $100K Blue Guardian account?
At 1% risk and a 20-pip stop on a USD-quoted major, 5 lots — but only if it is your only open position. With two or more open, 0.5% (2.5 lots) keeps the combined risk under the 2% Guardian Shield.
What is Guardian Shield?
An automatic tool that closes all open trades when unrealised losses reach 2% of the account. It is not a breach, but it flattens you at market and turns planned losses into unplanned ones.
Is Blue Guardian's drawdown static or trailing?
Balance-based on the standard evaluations: the daily limit is measured from the day's starting balance and the maximum from the initial balance. The instant-funded account uses a trailing maximum.
Does the daily loss include floating losses?
Yes — and the Guardian Shield acts on floating losses specifically.
Fips is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Blue Guardian. The rule figures on this page are the firm's published terms as of 2026 and can change without notice; verify them on the firm's own website before trading.