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ICT Asian Range — Complete Guide

ICT Asian range explained — the 20:00–00:00 EST consolidation that builds the day
Despite being referenced across nearly every ICT concept — killzones, the AMD model, the Judas swing, stop hunts — the Asian range rarely receives a dedicated explanation. It is treated as implied knowledge. This article gives it its own framework.

Key takeaways

  • Asian range = 20:00–00:00 EST consolidation (Tokyo session). AMD Phase 1 — accumulation made visible on the chart.
  • Range high = BSL above (short stops + breakout buys). Range low = SSL below (long stops + breakout sells).
  • London sweeps one side with the Judas, distributes to the other. Both boundaries used every session.
  • Tight range (10–20 pips) = densest stops = highest Judas reliability. Wide range (40+) = diffuse = reduce size.
  • EQH at the high or EQL at the low = denser cluster = higher sweep probability. Note the test count pre-session.

What is the ICT Asian range?

Definition

  • The ICT Asian range is the price consolidation formed during the Asian trading session (20:00–00:00 EST) as Tokyo, Sydney, and regional institutions execute their activity. The range high creates buy-side liquidity above. The range low creates sell-side liquidity below. London institutions systematically target one of these pools with the Judas swing before distributing to the day’s institutional target.

Asian range session times

The primary window is 20:00–00:00 EST (01:00–05:00 UTC / 02:00–06:00 GMT+1). Some traders extend to 01:00 EST. The specific window matters less than consistency — use the same window every session so ranges are comparable. The Sydney session (17:00–20:00 EST) precedes the range but most ICT traders exclude Sydney candles from the mark. Times shift by 1 hour during DST transitions.

The Asian range as AMD Phase 1

ASIAN RANGE = AMD PHASE 115M
Asian range consolidation with BSL above and SSL below, then London Judas sweep and distribution A 15M chart showing: the Asian range as a shaded box with small overlapping candles inside, BSL zone above the high, SSL zone below the low. Then at London open: a Judas sweep wick below the range low collecting SSL, close back above, followed by bullish distribution candles through the range and above the high. 20:00 — 00:00 EST AR HIGH — BSL above short stops + breakout buys AR LOW — SSL below long stops + breakout sells London open Judas sweep SSL collected → distribution through AR high → PDH target PHASE 1: accumulation PHASE 2 → PHASE 3
The Asian range IS AMD Phase 1. Small overlapping candles inside the 20:00–00:00 EST box build stop clusters at both boundaries. BSL above the high, SSL below the low. At London open: the Judas sweep wick below the range low collects SSL, closes back above. Distribution delivers upward through the range, through the high (first milestone), and toward the PDH target.

Asian range high and low as liquidity pools

Asian range high — BSL
Bearish Judas target / Bullish distribution milestone

Two populations of buy-stops above: short sellers’ stops + breakout buy orders. On a bearish AMD day: London sweeps above the high (Judas). On a bullish AMD day: distribution reaches above the high as the first objective. EQH at the high = denser cluster = higher reliability.

Asian range low — SSL
Bullish Judas target / Bearish distribution milestone

Two populations of sell-stops below: long traders’ stops + breakout sell orders. On a bullish AMD day: London sweeps below the low (Judas). On a bearish AMD day: distribution reaches below the low as the first objective. EQL at the low = denser cluster.

How London uses the Asian range — 3 patterns

3 LONDON PATTERNSICT
Three London patterns: bullish AMD (Judas below, distribute above), bearish AMD (Judas above, distribute below), trending (reduced reliability) Three mini-panels. Left: bullish AMD — arrow dips below range then sweeps up through and above. Center: bearish AMD — arrow spikes above range then sweeps down through and below. Right: wide/trending — question mark, reduced Judas reliability. P1: BULLISH AMDP2: BEARISH AMDP3: WIDE / TRENDING Judas ↓ SSL → PDH sweep low → distribute up most common bullish days Judas ↑ BSL → PDL sweep high → distribute down most common bearish days ? 40+ pips = diffuse stops reduced Judas reliability reduce size, require extra confluence before acting
Three patterns, two actionable. P1 (bullish AMD): Judas sweeps below the low, distributes above the high to PDH. P2 (bearish AMD): Judas sweeps above the high, distributes below the low to PDL. P3 (wide/trending): 40+ pip range diffuses stop clusters, reduces Judas reliability — reduce size, wait for stronger CHoCH confirmation.

Asian range size — what it predicts

Tight: 10–20 pips — highest Judas reliability ★★★

Maximum stop density at both boundaries. Sharpest sweeps, cleanest reversals. Full position size, high conviction. The ideal Asian range for ICT day trading.

Medium: 20–35 pips — standard ★★

Standard stop density, standard Judas reliability. Normal position sizing. Most trading days produce a medium Asian range.

Wide: 40+ pips — reduced reliability ★

Diffuse stops, potentially trending Asian session. Reduced Judas predictability. Reduce position size and require additional confluence (LTF CHoCH + PD array + SMT) before entering.

How to mark the Asian range on TradingView

Identify the high and low (20:00–00:00 EST)

Find the highest wick and lowest wick within the 4-hour window. These are the range boundaries.

Draw a semi-transparent rectangle

From session start to end, spanning range low to range high. This visually defines the accumulation zone.

Extend horizontal lines at the high and low

Label the high “AR High — BSL” and the low “AR Low — SSL.” Extend through the London session so the levels remain visible during the Judas sweep.

Annotate EQH/EQL if present

If either boundary was tested 2+ times, mark “EQH” or “EQL” — denser cluster, higher sweep probability.

Pre-session integration — 5-minute process

Measure range size (tight/medium/wide)

Determines position size and conviction level. Tight = full size. Wide = reduced size.

Note EQH/EQL at boundaries

Multiple-test boundaries have denser stops and higher Judas reliability. Triple-test = premium setup.

Write the day’s target sequence

Bullish bias: “Judas → AR Low SSL → sweep → CHoCH → through AR High → PDH.” Bearish bias: “Judas → AR High BSL → sweep → CHoCH → through AR Low → PDL.”

Common mistakes

Trading during the Asian range

The Asian range is AMD Phase 1 — building conditions, not delivering. Trading within produces choppy, stop-hunt-prone results. Its value is analytical (pre-session map), not directly tradeable.

Not measuring range size

A 2-second observation with significant impact. Tight = full conviction. Wide = reduce size. Skipping this step means applying the same conviction to setups with very different probabilities.

Inconsistent time windows

Switching between 20:00–00:00, 19:00–01:00, and other windows makes ranges incomparable across days. Pick one window and use it every session.

Ignoring EQH/EQL at the boundaries

A double-tested boundary has 2x the stop density. A triple-tested boundary is among the highest-density pools available. Not noting the test count means missing the setup quality signal.

FAQ — ICT Asian range

What is the Asian range? +
The 20:00–00:00 EST consolidation (Tokyo session). AMD Phase 1. BSL above the high, SSL below the low. London targets one side, distributes to the other.
What times? +
20:00–00:00 EST (01:00–05:00 UTC). Use the same window every session. Times shift 1 hour during DST.
Does range size matter? +
Yes. Tight (10–20 pips) = densest stops, highest reliability, full size. Wide (40+) = diffuse, reduce size, require extra confluence.
Should I trade during it? +
No. AMD Phase 1 = building conditions. Its value is the pre-session liquidity map, not direct entries.

Conclusion — the Asian range is the day’s institutional map

The Asian range is not background noise. It is the institutional map for the entire trading day. The range high defines BSL. The range low defines SSL. London sweeps one side and distributes to the other. Three pre-session habits transform it from a passive reference into an active tool: measure range size (tight vs wide adjusts position sizing), note EQH/EQL at the boundaries (denser cluster = higher reliability), and write the full target sequence before London opens.
The companion guides: the Judas swing guide covers the Phase 2 sweep of the Asian range boundaries; the killzones guide covers the session windows; the Power of Three guide covers the AMD model the Asian range maps onto; and the London open guide covers the session that executes on the Asian range map. Or join the mentorship for structured guidance on pre-session Asian range analysis.
Lio
Founder & ICT trading educator, LiquiditySweeps.com

Lio has traded ICT and Smart Money Concepts on forex majors and US indices since 2021 and built LiquiditySweeps.com to teach the framework the way it should be learned: in sequence, on real charts, with free live tools instead of paid indicators. Every article on this site follows the same rule — nothing gets published that wouldn’t survive a trade review.

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On a bullish AMD day, which Asian range boundary does the Judas swing target?
✓ Correct. On a bullish AMD day, the Judas sweep targets the SSL below the Asian range low. After sweeping the sell-side, the CHoCH confirms bullish reversal, and distribution delivers upward through the range and above the Asian high (first distribution milestone) toward the PDH or next BSL pool.
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