Cycles

A cycle is the lifecycle of a prop firm account, arbitrated with PFArmour: from the moment you configure it, through every evaluation phase, to its closure — whether that closure is a payout or the maximum drawdown limit. One prop account, one cycle.

The lifecycle

1. Configuration. You enter the challenge parameters — account size, prop cost, refund, bonus, profit split, steps, profit targets, drawdown limits — and choose the cycle mode and your live phase target. Armour shows the expected outcomes and the broker deposit the cycle requires before you commit.
2. Connection. The prop account terminal and your broker account terminal are connected on the PC where Armour runs, and the hedging begins.
3. Active phases. You trade the challenge phases and then the live phase. Armour hedges every position, and the cycle page tracks the balance timeline, the erosion and the two exit projections.
4. Closure. The cycle ends when the prop account reaches either your live phase target (payout path) or the maximum drawdown limit (recovery path). Its outcome flows into your accounting.

The two exit scenarios

Every active cycle is projected against both possible endings:

• Net Payout Projection — the expected net outcome if the account reaches your live phase target and pays out, including broker P&L, refunds and bonuses.
• Projected Broker Profit — the expected net outcome if the account reaches the maximum drawdown limit of the current phase, including the challenge fee and broker P&L.

Which of the two you optimise for — and how much capital each requires — depends on the cycle mode. See Margin vs Scaling; for the full metric definitions see Metrics & Payouts Explained.

Active, closed, parallel

Active cycles are the ones currently running; closed cycles are finished, and their combined result is your P&L. You can run multiple cycles in parallel — each with its own prop account, broker leg and configuration — and the dashboard aggregates them into a single portfolio view.