Bat Pattern: Identification and Entry

If the Gartley is the conservative cousin, the Bat is the deep-value hunter.

Discovered by Scott Carney in 2001, the Bat pattern is one of the most accurate harmonic setups. It completes deeper than the Gartley — at the 0.886 retracement of the XA leg — and offers an exceptional risk-to-reward ratio because the stop beyond X is relatively tight while the reversal targets are substantial.

The structure

A bullish Bat forms after a decline; a bearish Bat forms after a rally. The five-point geometry:

X to A — initial impulse leg.
A to B — retraces 0.382 to 0.500 of XA (shallower than Gartley).
B to C — extends 0.382 to 0.886 of AB.
C to D — completes at 0.886 of XA (the defining level).

The critical rule: D retraces exactly 0.886 of XA, and the CD leg is typically 1.618 of BC.

Ratio checklist

Leg	Required ratio
AB	0.382–0.500 of XA
BC	0.382–0.886 of AB
CD	1.618 of BC
AD (= XD)	0.886 of XA

If AB retraces beyond 0.500, the structure leans toward a Gartley or Crab, not a Bat. Precision matters.

Why the Bat works

The 0.886 retracement is deep enough to flush out weak holders and trigger stops, but shallow enough that the larger trend is usually still intact. This combination — a deep shakeout inside an intact trend — is precisely where reversals are most explosive.

Trading the Bat

Entry: at the 0.886 level, wait for a reversal bar or footprint. Enter on confirmation, not on touch.

Stop: just beyond point X. Because D is only 0.886 of XA, the distance from D to X is small — usually 0.114 of the XA leg. This is the tight stop that makes the Bat's reward ratio attractive.

Targets:

Target 1: 0.382 retracement of CD.
Target 2: 0.618 retracement of CD.
Target 3: origin point A (full reversal).

Bullish Bat example

Stock falls X=$100 to A=$80 (XA = $20).
Rallies to B=$89 (0.45 retracement — within 0.382–0.500).
Falls to C=$84 (within 0.382–0.886 of AB).
Falls to D=$82.28 (0.886 of XA: 100 − 20×0.886 = 82.28).
Reversal bar at D — long, stop below $80.

Risk = $2.28; potential reward to target 2 ≈ $5–$7. Reward-to-risk comfortably above 2:1.

Common mistakes

Confusing with Gartley: a 0.786 completion is a Gartley, not a Bat. Don't fudge the ratios.
Ignoring AB: if AB retraces 0.618, the pattern is not a Bat regardless of where D lands.
Front-running: entering before the reversal bar at D invites being run over by continuation.
Wrong context: Bats in clean trends get overrun. Best in ranges or after extended moves at key levels.

Confluence boosters

A Bat is far more reliable when its 0.886 completion coincides with:

A prior swing support or resistance.
A 200-day moving average.
A measured move or Fibonacci cluster from another swing.

Each additional confluence raises the probability of the reversal.

Next: the Butterfly pattern, which extends beyond X for larger reversal potential.