Time stops vs technical stops for scalpers: which one gets you out first?

[FXS London Scalper]

Two traders take the same EURUSD long at the London open. One has a 4-pip technical stop under the opening range low. The other uses the same stop, plus a rule: if price hasn't moved 2 pips in their favour within 6 minutes, they exit at market.

Over a few hundred trades those two will not look alike. The time-stop trader takes more small scratches but avoids the slow bleed where price drifts down and finally tags the stop 25 minutes later.

Arguments for time stops:
- A scalp is a bet on immediate follow-through. If it doesn't come, the reason for the trade is gone.
- They cut exposure to random news and liquidity changes.
- They make average loss smaller without moving the hard stop.

Arguments for pure technical stops:
- Some setups need a retest before they go. A time stop exits right before the move.
- More scratches mean more spread paid.
- It is easy to set the clock too tight for the pair. GBPJPY at 08:05 and EURCHF at 11:00 are not the same animal.

A reasonable middle ground is a time stop that only applies when price is below entry. Positive but slow trades are allowed to breathe.

Which side are you on, and how many minutes is your clock?