Module 2 — SMC and ICT concepts · Lesson 9 of 23 · 6 min
Breaker block and mitigation block
Order block variants: what they are, when they appear and how not to overcomplicate things.
Breaker block
An order block that gets broken (price crosses it and closes beyond) can become a breaker: the zone changes role and, if retested from the other side, acts as resistance instead of support (or vice versa). It is the SMC-language equivalent of the classic 'broken support turns into resistance'.
Mitigation block
It is similar, but it comes from a move that fails to create a new extreme: the zone where losing positions concentrate, which price may return to test in order to 'mitigate' the losses. In practice the distinction from a breaker is subtle and often subjective.
Advice
Don't multiply concepts. Many beginners get lost distinguishing order block, breaker, mitigation, rejection block, propulsion block. Mastering structure, liquidity, order blocks and FVGs is enough to build a complete plan. Variants are added only if the data show they improve the result.
Exercise
- Take the 50 order blocks from the previous test and mark how many were broken
- For the broken ones, check whether a return to the zone produced a reaction from the opposite side
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Educational content, not financial advice. Trading involves risk. ICT is a term referring to the materials of Michael Huddleston: this course is independent and not affiliated.