Bat, Crab, Shark and Cypher Harmonic Patterns: Exact Ratios and PRZ Validation
Lesson 7 of 8 · Advanced
Ratio comparison table
| Pattern | B relative to XA | C | Completion point | BC projection |
| Bat | 0.382 to 0.50 (less than 0.618) | 0.382 to 0.886 of AB | D at 0.886 of XA | 1.618 to 2.618 |
| Crab | 0.382 to 0.618 | 0.382 to 0.886 of AB | D at the 1.618 extension of XA | 2.24 to 3.618 |
| Deep Crab | About 0.886 | 0.382 to 0.886 of AB | D at the 1.618 extension of XA | 2.0 to 3.618 |
| Cypher | 0.382 to 0.618 | Beyond A, 1.13 to 1.414 extension of XA | D at 0.786 of XC | Not the main criterion |
The Shark has a different labelling and is explained separately. As you can see, the B ratio is the first identification filter: a shallow B usually points to a Bat or Crab, and a deep B to a Butterfly or Deep Crab.
The Bat
The Bat was introduced by Scott Carney in the early 2000s. Its key features are a shallow B (less than 0.618, ideally 0.382 to 0.50 of XA) and a deep D at 0.886 of XA. Because D is close to X, the pattern's invalidation level, X, is also close; educationally, this means the distance from the decision zone to the invalidation point is short.
Educational example: a bullish Bat with X = 4,000 and A = 4,100; B at 0.50 is 4,050; C rises to 4,085 (about 0.70 of AB); D at 0.886 of XA is 4,011.4. Check: BC is 35 and CD is 73.6; the ratio is about 2.10, inside the 1.618 to 2.618 range. AB is 50 and CD is about 1.47 times that; in a Bat, CD is usually an extended version of AB. A decisive break below 4,000 invalidates the pattern.
A variant called the Alternate Bat also exists, in which B is shallower (about 0.382 or less) and D lies beyond X at about 1.13 of XA.
The Crab and the Deep Crab
The Crab is a pattern of extreme extension: D forms at 1.618 of XA and so goes far beyond X. B is usually 0.382 to 0.618 of XA and the BC projection is large. In the Deep Crab version, B is deeper, at about 0.886.
Educational example: a bullish Crab with X = 4,000 and A = 4,100; B at 0.618 is 4,038.2; C rises to 4,093 (about 0.886 of AB); D at the 1.618 extension of XA is 4,100 minus 161.8, which equals 3,938.2. Check: BC is 54.8 and CD is 154.8; the ratio is about 2.82, inside the allowed range.
Because the Crab forms at the end of emotional moves, its PRZ is sometimes touched only by a brief spike. In gold, these spikes often coincide with news.
The Shark and the Cypher
The Shark was introduced by Carney around 2011. The pattern is labelled with points O, X, A, B and C, and its completion point is C. In the bullish version: O is a low, X a high, A an intermediate low, B a high beyond X at the 1.13 to 1.618 extension of XA, and C in the area where the 0.886 to 1.13 retracement of the OX leg overlaps the 1.618 to 2.24 extension of AB. Educational example: O = 4,000, X = 4,100, A = 4,050 and B = 4,115 (about 1.30 of XA). The 0.886 to 1.13 range of OX is 4,011.4 to 3,987, and the 1.618 to 2.24 range of AB is about 4,009.8 to 3,969.4; the overlap of the two puts the PRZ roughly between 3,987 and 4,010.
The Cypher, credited to Darren Oglesbee, has a different logic: B is a 0.382 to 0.618 retracement of XA, C passes beyond A at the 1.13 to 1.414 extension of XA (often 1.272 to 1.414), and D forms at the 0.786 retracement of the whole XC leg. Educational example: X = 4,000, A = 4,060, B = 4,030 and C = 4,076.3 (so XC equals 1.272 x XA). D is then 4,076.3 minus 0.786 x 76.3, which comes to about 4,016.3.
Validating the PRZ step by step
- Take the pattern's identity from B: if the B ratio does not fit the intended pattern, do not massage the pattern until it fits; set it aside.
- Calculate the XA number (or XC in the Cypher and OX in the Shark): this number is the main pillar of the PRZ.
- Add the BC projection and AB=CD and measure the gap between the lowest and highest number. A PRZ wider than the daily ATR is effectively not a decision zone.
- Check the proportion of the legs: time and size of the legs should not be disproportionate.
- Look at the higher-timeframe context: a bullish PRZ just below a major daily resistance has little room to react.
- Require behavioural confirmation: price returning inside the PRZ after a brief poke, a rejection candle, oscillator divergence or order-flow signs.
- Write the invalidation level: usually slightly beyond the farthest PRZ number or beyond the next ratio (for example X in a Bat).
Many analysts use the 0.382 and 0.618 retracements of the AD leg as reference points for judging the "quality of the reaction"; these are measuring tools, not promises of profit.
When the PRZ does not work
The failure of a PRZ is also information. When price runs decisively through the PRZ of a bullish pattern, selling pressure in that zone exceeded demand, and a larger structure, for example a Crab instead of a Bat, may be forming. The key point: after invalidation, do not "move" the pattern to justify the failure; record it in your journal and learn from it.
Common mistakes
- Renaming the pattern after the PRZ fails so that the prediction still looks 'right'.
- Confusing the Shark's labels (OXABC) with XABCD and measuring from the wrong point.
- Measuring the Cypher's D from XA instead of XC.
- Accepting very wide PRZs that effectively 'confirm' any turn.
What does volume say here?
In extension patterns such as the Crab and Butterfly, reaching the PRZ often comes with a spike and heavy volume. The key point is the difference between capitulation volume and continuation volume: if in a bullish PRZ there is a lot of aggressive selling volume but price does not go lower and the next candle returns inside the zone, that is absorption and it strengthens the PRZ. If heavy volume comes with successive breaks of lows and growing negative delta, it is a continuation sign.
For the Bat and Gartley, where D lies inside the XA leg, the volume profile of that leg helps: a PRZ that falls on the POC or an HVN of that leg is usually more meaningful. If the PRZ is in a low-volume area or a price gap, a weaker reaction and faster crossing are logical expectations. Order flow does not replace geometric validation; it is the second layer on top of it. (XAUUSD volume on retail platforms is tick volume; real volume comes from GC futures, converted with the basis.)
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Frequently asked questions
What is the most important difference between the Bat and the Gartley?
In the Bat, B is shallower (less than 0.618) and D is deeper (0.886 of XA), whereas in the Gartley B is about 0.618 and D is at 0.786 of XA.
Are the Shark and Cypher also XABCD patterns?
The Cypher is labelled XABCD but measures D from the XC leg. The Shark is labelled OXABC and its completion point is C. So the definition of each has to be remembered separately.
If price slightly pierces the PRZ and returns, is the pattern invalidated?
A brief pierce and return inside the zone is common and not necessarily invalidation. Invalidation is usually a decisive break of a level you wrote down in advance.
Education only, not a recommendation to buy or sell; we never give signals. Price examples are illustrative. Test any method on a demo account first, with strict risk management.