Bearish Counterattack candlestick pattern
A strong bullish candle followed by a bearish candle that gaps up and then falls back to close right at the prior candle's close.
Illustrative shape. Real patterns vary in proportion.
How to identify a Bearish Counterattack
- Appears after a rally
- First candle is a strong bullish body
- Second opens well above the first close
- Second closes at (or very near) the first candle's close
What the Bearish Counterattack tells you
The gap up looks like more strength, but sellers erase the entire gap by the close. The rally's follow-through has been fully counterattacked.
How traders use it
It's weaker than dark cloud cover because the second candle doesn't push into the first body. Most traders want a lower close the next session before acting.
Before taking any pattern-based trade, decide your stop first and size the position from it with the position size calculator.
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Frequently asked questions
Is the Bearish Counterattack bullish or bearish? +
The Bearish Counterattack is a bearish reversal pattern. A strong bullish candle followed by a bearish candle that gaps up and then falls back to close right at the prior candle's close.
How reliable is the Bearish Counterattack? +
No candlestick pattern works every time. Patterns are more reliable when they form at a meaningful level (support, resistance, a moving average), after a clear trend, on higher volume, and when the next candle confirms them.
Do I need confirmation to trade the Bearish Counterattack? +
Most traders want it. Waiting for the next candle to move in the expected direction filters out many false signals, at the cost of a slightly worse entry price.
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