support and resistance basics, still the foundation in 2026
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going back to basics question. in an era of order flow, ICT, SMC, liquidity grabs, and all the modern frameworks - does plain old support and resistance still work as a primary tool?
ive seen experienced traders dismiss SR as 'too simple' but also seen consistently profitable traders who basically only trade SR + price action. whats your honest take in 2026?
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10 years trading, started with SR as a beginner, learned 5 other 'advanced' frameworks, now trade primarily SR + simple price action. the advanced frameworks are mostly SR with extra steps and new terminology. clean SR with proper context (HTF bias, session timing) is still the foundation. all the rest is decoration.
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+1000. the more 'advanced' the framework gets, the more its trying to repackage SR with extra confusion. clean SR works because price respects levels where prior decisions were made. that human/algo behavior pattern doesnt change because someone invented a new acronym for it.
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strong SR levels typically: 1) tested multiple times (3+ touches), 2) caused clear directional moves after testing, 3) align with round numbers or psychological levels, 4) match swing points on higher timeframes. weak levels: random spots where price touched once. focus on levels that ANY trader looking at the chart would notice. those are the levels where decisions actually cluster.
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i'll push back gently. SR is foundational but inadequate alone for modern markets. algos do exploit obvious SR levels with stop hunts. layering SR with one or two confluence factors (HTF context, volume, momentum divergence) is significantly more reliable than SR alone. simple isnt the same as best.
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going back to clean SR after years of complicated systems was the best decision in my trading journey
the chart becomes calm again. you trade what you see, not what 17 indicators tell you. boring works
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