The Drawdown Recovery Playbook
Quick answer: a 30% drawdown needs a 42.9% gain just to break even — roughly 143 trades at a realistic +0.3R average with 1% risk. Recovery is arithmetic, not courage. This free 15-page playbook gives you the numbers and the 30-day protocol that gets you back to full size without blowing what is left.
What you get
- The recovery table — the gain required for every drawdown from 5% to 50%, with realistic trade counts and timelines.
- Streak statistics — how often a 6, 8, 10 or 12-loss run happens in a healthy system, so you stop abandoning strategies that work.
- The 8-loss damage table — what the same losing streak costs at 1%, 2%, 3% and 5% risk per trade.
- A four-question diagnostic to separate a normal streak from a genuinely broken system.
- The first 72 hours — a step-by-step procedure for the days when the worst decisions get made.
- The half-risk protocol and the exact conditions for restoring full size.
- The 30-day plan on a single printable page.
- Revenge trading — what it looks like in your data and the constraints that actually stop it.
- Funded accounts — daily loss limits, trailing drawdown and the trap that fails passing traders.
- A printable recovery tracker, pre-trade gate and escalation ladder.
Who it's for
Traders currently in a drawdown who need a process instead of an impulse, and traders who are not — and would rather decide the rules now, while nothing is at stake.
Inside the playbook
| Chapter | What it covers |
|---|---|
| 1 — Arithmetic | Why 50% down needs 100% up, and how long that really takes |
| 2 — Streaks | How long a normal losing run is, and what size turns it fatal |
| 3 — Diagnosis | Normal streak or broken system: four questions |
| 4–5 — Stop and audit | The first 72 hours and the demo diagnosis week |
| 6–7 — Return | The half-risk protocol and the 30-day plan |
| 8–9 — Behaviour | Revenge trading, and drawdowns on funded accounts |
| 10–12 — Tools | Printable tracker, FAQ and glossary |
Frequently asked questions
Is it really free?
Yes. Add it to your cart at $0 and the download link arrives by email straight after checkout.
What format is it?
A 15-page PDF, readable on desktop, tablet and phone.
How long does it take to recover a 20% drawdown?
At +0.3R expectancy with 1% risk, roughly 83 trades — about five months at four trades a week. The playbook explains the full table.
Should I increase size to recover faster?
No, and chapter 2 shows the numbers. The same eight-loss streak costs a month at 1% risk and half a year at 5%.
Does it apply to funded accounts?
Yes — chapter 9 covers daily loss limits, static versus trailing drawdown and the adjustment to make.
Disclaimer: educational content only. Cortex Next is not a financial service, does not manage money and guarantees no results. All figures are illustrative. Trading involves risk of loss.
