Buy the range, not the tick
Trying to nail the exact bottom is a losing game; a ladder accepts that and spreads your entries so the average takes care of itself. This tool shows every rung and the blended fill so you can size the range sensibly. For a mechanical recurring version, see the DCA calculator.
Building a position in planned steps
A scale-in ladder splits your intended size across several prices — say $1,000 at $2.00, $1,500 at $1.90, $2,000 at $1.80 — committing more at better prices, with the weighted average entry and total risk computed before the first order. It's DCA compressed into one setup, with intent.
The two shapes: equal-size rungs keep it simple; pyramid ladders (bigger buys deeper) pull the average entry down harder but concentrate risk at the bottom, where being wrong costs most. The worked contrast: three equal $1,000 rungs at $2.00/$1.90/$1.80 average $1.899; weighting 1-2-3 the same levels averages $1.867 — 1.7% better entry, in exchange for two-thirds of your size betting the dip holds.
The rule the ladder must obey: total ladder size = a position you'd accept at the worst fill, sized so a stop below the last rung costs your planned risk and no more. A ladder without a bottom stop isn't scaling in — it's averaging down with a spreadsheet, and the market has seen that plan before.