Street Fighter Alpha 3 Rose Guide- Version 0.5

Street Fighter Alpha 3 Rose Guide- Version 0.5
By: LBL Copyright 1999.
9/19/99

REVISION HISTORY

Version 0.1 (10/22/98)- Initial version of FAQ.
Version 0.2 (11/26/98)- A Thanksgiving revision! Fixed grammatical mistakes,
added miscellaneous section and thanks section, added one more vs.
Version 0.3 (3/4/99)- A slight revision with two more vs. strategies.
Version 0.4 (5/19/99)- Phantom Menace day! Corrections mostly.
Version 0.5 (9/19/99)- Updated strategies from contributors, updated Thanks,
some other minor stuff, the last revision.

CONTENTS

I. SFA 3 BASICS
II. ROSE
III. BASIC ATTACKS
IV. SPECIAL MOVES
V. SUPER COMBOS
VI. COMBOS
VII. STRATEGIES
VIII. VERSUS SPECIFIC CHARACTERS
IX. MISCELLANEOUS
X. THANKS SECTION

I. SFA 3 BASICS

-ISMs

In Alpha 3, after selecting your character, you get to select an "-ISM" or
mode of play. Each one has its strengths and weaknesses. This guide is
written for playing Rose any –ISM, but most of the combos apply only to A-
ISM. Here's a description:

X-ISM: In this mode, your character loses the ability to air block, alpha
counter, recover from throws (tech hit), taunt, and roll. They have a
predetermined Super Move that utilizes the entire super meter and does
(usually) tremendous damage. Rose can perform well in this mode, but gains
more options in A-ISM. X-ISM characters have more Guard Blocks than
characters of other –ISMs and do more damage (than A or V).

A-ISM: This mode is like the previous Alpha games. A-ISM characters can air
block, perform alpha counters, tech hit throws, taunt, and roll. They have 3
levels of super meter to work with. Level 1 supers are done with (the motion
for the move) + jab/short, level 2 with strong/forward, and level 3 with
fierce/roundhouse. Also, if you have 2 levels of energy, you can do a level
2 super with fierce/roundhouse. Rose works best under this ISM because she
is most versatile here. Generally, A-ISM characters have average length
Guard Meters and do an average amount of damage with respect to X and V-ISM
characters.

V-ISM: V-ISM characters have all the ability of A-ISM characters, but they
do not have super moves. Instead, their energy bar is used for Custom Combos
that can be done by pressing a punch and kick button of the same strength
simultaneously (like jab + short). Custom Combos can only be done when the
bar is at least 50% full. Unlike in Alpha 2, your character does not speed
up (considerably) during a custom and you also can jump and move backwards.
Also, your last trailing image can also hit your opponent. The time between
when you strike and your image strikes is determined by which buttons you
used to activate the custom. Jab + Short will make the image hit almost
right after you hit the enemy, while Fierce + Roundhouse will delay the
image. Rose is not suited for V-ISM since her damaging Custom Combos are
difficult to perform. However, any V-ISM is already powerful with those
cheap generic guard-breaking combo traps, so if you're Custom-Combo-skilled,
go ahead and choose Rose. V-ISM characters have relatively the same Guard
Meter lengths as A-ISM, but do less damage.

"Classic" Mode/No ISM: This not-so-secret-anymore "-ISM" is time released in
the arcades, but can be accessed thorough the World Tour Mode on the
Playstation. Supposedly, your characters act like X-ISM characters except
they can't recover from air juggles. But consequently, it is near impossible
to juggle these characters anyway. "Classic" characters also do not have a
super bar but do tremendous damage with their attacks. You have no guard
meter also. To access this mode in the arcade, hold down the Fierce +
Roundhouse buttons before you begin a game.

"Low Guard" Mode: This is another secret –ISM. Your character has only 1
block (not including the "curve" block) in his or her guard meter and can
therefore be guard crushed quite easily. To access this mode, hold down the
Jab + Short buttons before you begin a game in the arcade. Afterwards, you
will be able to select from the 3 normal –ISMs.

"Mazi" Mode: In this mode, if you lose just one round, you lose the entire
match. I think you take more damage in this mode too.

GUARD METER

New to Alpha 3 is the Guard Meter. Each time you block an attack, this meter
will deplete. The amount depleted depends on what strength of attack you
blocked. The length of the meter depends on which character and "-ISM" you
are using. When the entire meter is depleted, your character is temporarily
stunned (even in the air). You can, however, shake the joystick and press
all 6 buttons rapidly to reduce the amount of time your character is stunned.
Afterwards you will lose 1 "block" of the meter and it will reset. The Guard
Meter will refill automatically throughout the round. Rose has an average
length guard meter with respect to other characters using the same ISM.

COUNTER HITS

If you hit an opponent with an attack while they're in the middle of doing
something, you will do more damage. The action will pause for an instant and
your hit will make a loud crashing noise if you interrupted an opponent's
attack with a fierce or roundhouse. Counter hits in general are extremely
useful since they allow for certain juggle combos to connect when they would
otherwise miss.

LEGEND

U- Up
D- Down
F- Forward
B- Back
DF- Down Forward
DB- Down Back
UF- Up Forward
UB- Up Back
QCF- A quarter circle forward (D, DF, F)
QCB- A quarter circle back (D, DB, B)
HCF- A half circle forward (B, DB, D, DF, F)
HCB- A half circle back (F, DF, D, DB, B)
DP- Dragon Punch motion (F, D, DF)
P- Punch, PP- 2 Punches
K- Kick, KK- 2 Kicks
(air)- this move can also be done in the air

BASICS

Throw- F/B + PP (air), F/B + KK (air)
Tech Hit- F + PP when being thrown
More Damage/Less Damage- Rapidly shake joystick when doing/being hit with a
multi-hitting hold
Air Juggle Recover- PP when hit in air
Roll Recover- KK when hit in air
Alpha Counter- Block, then F + P&K of same strength (uses up one block
of the guard meter), Alpha Counters use up 1 level of super energy in
A-ISM and 50% of the bar in V-ISM
Taunt- Push Start (or Select on Playstation)

II. ROSE

Rose is a unique character in the Street Fighter world. In the story, she
has a mysterious, unknown past with connections to M. Bison. As a character,
her moves and strategies offer a refreshing change of pace from the usual
"shoto" style. This FAQ was created with the intent of teaching you (the
public) how to use this often under-picked but cool character (who else
fights in a dress and heels?). I hope you can be able to use this
information to add a little variety to your arcade (Ryu/Ken/Akuma matches are
such a bore...)

First things first, let's talk about how Rose stacks up against other
characters. When I first started this FAQ almost a year ago, Rose seemed
like a middle-ranked character to me. Her general lag time on most of her
fierce attacks and apparent lack of reliable anti-airs lead me to the
conclusion that she wasn't top-tier like she used to be. However, with VERY
VALUABLE feedback from those that wrote in (mainly Greg Dawson telling me
about her 99% accurate Soul Throw juggle), I can see that Rose really is one
of the best characters in A3 (that doesn't rely on cheap VC combos). It just
takes a little more skill to utilize her strengths in A3 than it did in A2.
Speaking of A2, Rose has had some slight gameplay changes to her since then
(where she was arguably the BEST character), changes generally for the worst.
Her Soul Illusion super has lost ALL of its effectiveness, she lost priority
on many of her counter moves, and has been given delay/recovery times on her
special moves as well. But we'll learn that A3 Rose doesn't require A2
Rose's strengths in order to win.

III. BASIC ATTACKS

JAB:

Crouching- A quick punch. Like most of its kind, it's weak, main use is in
linking combos, and has extreme priority. Rose can also use this as she's
getting up to snuff most get-up combos or super moves your opponent might
try. Also try doing a rapid succession of jabs after rolling if you want to
protect yourself against possible throws/counters.

Standing- A quick standing punch. Little range. Nothing great.

Jumping- An air chop with little range. Jumping straight up with a jab stops
a lot of jump ins, but jabs do lousy damage as you already know.

STRONG:

Crouching- Rose's crouching strong was a major weapon she used in Alpha 2 to
counter almost every low attack an enemy threw at her. Its priority has been
slightly reduced in Alpha 3 (you can't snuff supers like in A2 anymore, but
your jabs can!), but it still works extremely well as a counter, beating just
about anything. Get into the habit of canceling into a short Soul Spiral
every time you hit your opponent with a low strong. You will also use it a
lot to 2-in-1 into combos.

Standing (far)- A glowing version of her jab punch. Let's move on.

Standing (close)- A glowing slap to your opponent's face. Although cool
looking, it doesn't seem to have any other useful value except for the
ability to 2-in-1.

Jumping- A glowing version of her jab punch. Used in similar circumstances.

FIERCE:

Crouching- Rose's main anti-air attack. Yeah, it's priority isn't nearly as
high as it was in Alpha 2, but this is what will win you your fights. I used
to think this move sucked because it only counters moves about 65% of the
time, trading hits with the opponent the rest of the time. But, the 65% it
does register a counter hit enables you to follow up with a Soul Throw or
Aura Soul Throw that is virtually guaranteed to connect. If it does trade,
you can still time your Aura Soul Throw to connect as your opponent is
falling down. You can use this to combo too, but it has virtually non-
existent horizontal range and you must be standing EXTREMELY close to the
enemy if you want it to connect.

Standing (far)- Rose whips out her shawl which looks really cool. It has
decent range but its slow coming out so use it generally for counter attacks.
Can't 2-in-1.

Standing (close)- A shorter-ranged whip of her shawl. Use it to 2-in-1 your
combos if you have the skill.

Jumping- Rose jumps in with her shawl in the shape of a glowing crescent.
This is a good jump attack for her to start combos with because it's easy to
hit your opponent deep with it, but it doesn't have the range nor priority of
her jumping roundhouse. It's hard to follow up with this move, so stick with
the more reliable roundhouse or forward.

SHORT:

Crouching- Like the jab, mainly used for ticking or in links.

Standing- A real short ranged kick. No use, except maybe for ticking.

Jumping- A short ranged jump kick. Although it little range, Rose's jumping
short surprisingly has some uses that have been pointed out to me. Its
priority is great, beating out most standard air attacks like the shoto's
jumping forward and roundhouse. It hits at a very steep angle and will knock
an airborne opponent upwards, allowing for an easy Soul Throw when you land.
It can be used as a jump in, but I recommend the forward as it has the same
priority with more damage.

FORWARD:

Crouching- A long range kick. She can 2-in-1 with this, although you might
accidentally do an unintended slide instead.

Standing (far)- Rose balances herself on her shawl and delivers a long ranged
kick. Rose can't be sweeped when using it because she is off the ground.
Cannot 2-in-1 with this. Good for ticking.

Standing (close)- Rose will do a small hop kick that looks like an upside-
down letter "L." I see no use for it though since it can't be cancelled.

Jumping- THE jump-in of Rose. This kick is great to meet someone up in the
air with because of its horizontal range and priority. Rose can cross
opponents up with a jumping forward really easily as well (something you'll
want to do often). This is probably your safest bet for a jump in attack as
it has great priority, hits deep easily, and allows for an easy follow up.
Its only downside is it doesn't do the damage of a fierce/roundhouse.

ROUNDHOUSE:

Crouching- A really long range sweep (one of the best sweep ranges in the
game). Be careful though, it's quite slow recovering and you can
consequently be sweeped yourself if your opponent blocks it. Like all
sweeps, never use it from close range, always use it from its maximum
distance to avoid being counterattacked.

Standing (far)- Like the standing forward, except Rose extends her body
farther for more range. Because of it's long range, it makes a great counter
attack after blocking moves that put your opponent's at a distance such as
Blanka's rolls. However, it has hideously slow recovery time, so never use
it haphazardly up close as opponents can (and will) easily jump in on you as
you are recovering.

Standing (close)- A cartwheel kick. This is not a top-down as I previously
suspected. It will only come out if you're extremely close to your opponent.
If you're skilled, you can time it to counter enemies jumping from far away.
But IMO, Rose better and damaging anti-airs, making this move pretty useless.
Recovery time isn't that great and it can't combo.

Jumping- A good jump in. It has better range and priority than her fierce,
but it's harder to hit deep. You should probably use this more often than
the fierce, but the forward is better. Use the roundhouse/fierce when you're
sure your jump in will hit, use the forward for the other times.

IV. SPECIAL MOVES

TAUNT- Start (Select on Playstation)

Only A-ISM and V-ISM characters can taunt. Rose will close her eyes, shake
her head, and wave her finger at your opponent in a "You shouldn't do that"
sort of fashion. Like all taunts, you are completely vulnerable while doing
it. The best time to do this is at far distances and right after you
connected with a super move or big combo. It's mainly used just for
humiliation purposes.

SLIDE- DF + Forward [1 hit]

This allows Rose to slide under certain projectiles. It has some slight
recovery delay, so you should try and hit your opponent with the tip of it so
you will be safe. You might also want to use it when the Soul Illusion is
active to break a low guard meter. Finally, by connecting with the tip of
it, you can set up traps.

SOUL DRAIN- F/B + PP (air) [5 hits]

This is Rose's only throw. It's not great (mainly since it leaves too much
distance between you and your opponent afterwards), but she has it, and it
might as well be put to use. This is a hold and therefore if you shake the
joystick rapidly, you will do more hits and damage to your opponent. But
your opponent can also shake the joystick to reduce the damage given. One
thing to remember is that Rose will not automatically switch sides when she
throws anymore. If she does 5 or more hits, she will switch sides. If she
does 4 or less, she will remain of the same side that she initiated the
throw. So, if you're in the corner, try to get your throw to do many hits by
shaking the joystick so your opponent will be put in the corner.
Consequently, DON'T do a high hitting throw your opponents when they are
already in the corner. After a Soul Drain, you'll be too far away from them
to do anything complicated, just do a Soul Spark for 1 tick of blocked
damage.
[Note: On the Playstation version, Rose will always do 5 hits and will never
switch sides? ...Strange.]

ALPHA COUNTER (A-ISM)- Block, then F + P&K of same strength [0 hits]

Rose will do a mini Soul Throw that switches the sides with her opponent. It
can be used on either jump in attacks or ground attacks, but it doesn't work
well against projectiles. Most useful when you're in the corner, but Alpha
Counters themselves aren't that useful anyway since they have low priority,
do crap damage, and take away a guard block.

ALPHA COUNTER (V-ISM)- Block, then F + P&K of same strength [1 hit]

Rose will do a low roundhouse. This should only be used on ground attacks or
closely thrown projectiles. Use only when necessary because of all the
negative consequences of Alpha Counters listed above.

SOUL PIETTE- F + Roundhouse [1 hit]

Rose has a top-down? Apparently she does. This move looks like the
cartwheel kick she performs when she does a close standing roundhouse. She
will take a small step forward after performing a Soul Piette. Like most
top-downs, the most opportune time to use this would be on an opponent
getting up.

SOUL REFLECT- QCB+ P [1 hit]

As you probably know, there are 3 forms of this move, each performed by
pressing a different punch button. Rose CANNOT reflect or absorb super combo
fireballs with the exception of Dan's super.

JAB- Rose absorbs a projectile into her super meter. This is essential to
charging up. The amount of energy you gain has been reduced from Alpha 2,
giving you only 1/3 a level of super energy rather than a 1/2, so it takes
about 3 fireballs to charge 1 level of super energy in A-ISM. Just make sure
you don't absorb too early or too late.

STRONG- Rose will reflect a projectile horizontally. The speed at which the
fireball is reflected has been GREATLY reduced, so don't expect to hit your
opponent with a reflected fireball from full screen distance unless they're
brain dead. Mainly use this to pressure opponents, set up traps, or send
back fireballs at relatively close range. Surprisingly, the strong reflect
can be used as a semi-decent anti-air, as it hits Rolento from his wall jumps
very consistently.

FIERCE- Rose will reflect a projectile upwards at a 45 degree angle. This is
mainly used if you think your opponent will jump in after throwing a
fireball. Use this mainly from long range to keep your opponent at bay. The
fierce reflect can also be used to initiate juggling in the corner.

SOUL SPARK- HCF + P [1 hit]

This is Rose's projectile and the punch used determines the length of the
shawl. It is really slow recovering and therefore should only be used while
pressuring or keeping the opponent away (not in combos). The shawl can be
hit so it's best used from far distances. When blocked at close range, the
Soul Spark will send your opponent far away, so use that if you want to keep
your distance too. By itself, it does PATHETIC damage, but after absorbing
fireballs you can increase the damage of the next Soul Spark you throw.
After throwing it though, your sparks will go back to its "normal" damage and
you'll have to absorb again.

SOUL THROW- DP + P [0 hit]

This is supposed to be Rose's air defense, but it's not very reliable (by
itself). The punch used depends on the height Rose jumps. In order to work
effectively, Rose must meet with a jumping opponent at the peak of their
jump, so the timing is tricky. Since this is more an anticipation move
rather than a reaction move, I'd suggest to use it very sparingly as an anti-
air. It is not invincible so she can often get hit out of it. Like I said,
by itself, the Soul Throw is not very useful, however, it combos perfectly
and with 90%+ consistency off of a counter hit, so generally use it as a
juggle.

SOUL SPIRAL- QCF + K [Short- 1 hit; Forward- 2 hits; Roundhouse- 3 hits]

This is Rose's main special move to combo with, however like most of her
moves, the damage has been reduced (greatly) from SFA2. The kick used
determines the number of hits produced. Consequently, the stronger the kick,
the longer the delay AND recovery time. Thus the Soul Spiral will leave you
in a dangerous situation if blocked. Only use it if you're sure it will hit
(like in a combo) or to drain the last bits of life on an opponent, as even
the short version can be retaliated against if done from too close.

V. SUPER COMBOS

AURA SOUL SPARK- QCB, QCB + P

"Sako Made Yo!" (Whatever the hell that means, I just think it sounds cool)
Rose throws a stronger version of a Soul Spark (although visually it looks
the same) that hits for several times. At Level 2, she will attack first.
The Aura Soul Spark has specific uses at each level.

Level 1 [3 hits]- Use mainly to reverse projectiles or moves at close range.
Level 1 does lousy damage. It will go through regular fireballs, but not
super ones.

Level 2 [6 hits]- Rose will cartwheel several times before throwing the
fireball thus this does more hits (but not damage) than a Level 3 super.
This is best used in combos, especially with the Soul Illusion active, but
again the damage is not so hot.

Level 3 [4 hits]- Rose will throw a stronger version of the Level 1 Aura Soul
Spark. This reflects both normal and SUPER fireballs, so its ideal use is to
hit an opponent who throws a close range super projectile such as Ryu's
Shinkuu Hadoken. Level 3 Aura Soul Spark does considerably less damage than
a Level 3 Aura Soul Throw, so only use it as a reversal or to finish the
round, NOT if you're trying to inflict damage (in that case, use a Level 3
Aura Soul Throw instead).

AURA SOUL THROW- QCF, QCF + P

An important super both offensively and defensively. Like the Aura Soul
Spark, each level differs in strength and usage.

Level 1 [0 hits + throw]- This is a great defensive super. Rose will do a
powered up version of a regular Soul Throw. This is strictly an air defense,
as it will NOT hit an opponent who's on the ground. Rose's Level 1 Soul
Throw will counter nearly every jump in the game (I'm sure there's an attack
that can hit it, but I never encountered an opponent who used one). You can
use it early, meeting your opponent in the air, or you can use it late as
your opponent is nearly on top of you. This can also be used when juggling
opponents.

Level 2 [2 hits + throw]- Rose will do a double-hitting crouching fierce,
then a powered up Soul Throw. Like Level 1, this can also be used as great
air defense but in this case you must hit your opponent late because of the
crouching fierce animation. Unlike Level 1 though, it can hit opponents on
the ground, but only at extremely close range.

Level 3 [3 hits + throw]- Probably one of the best supers in the game. Rose
will do a rushing standing strong punch, a double-hitting crouching fierce,
then the powered up Soul Throw. This has many uses, the main one being in
combos. You can also pop up with this super to hit opponents standing over
you. You can use this to hit missed attacks such as a missed sweep or dragon
punch. You can use it as a very reliable anti-air. You can even use it in
juggles. Finally, you can use it to hit advancing attacks such as Birdie's
Bull Horn, Balrog's rushing punches, Vega's Roll, Ryu/Ken/Akuma's Hurricane
Kick, etc. as it has tons of priority (for instance, if Ken started his
Shoryureppa super at the same time Rose started the Level 3 Aura Soul Throw,
Rose will win out) and does great damage as well. Also note that the first
frames (as she's rushing forward) of the Level 3 Aura Soul Throw is
invincible and can therefore be used to pass through fireballs and nail your
opponent while he's still stunned.

SOUL ILLUSION- QCF, QCF + K [0 hits]

As mentioned in the introduction, Rose's Soul Illusion has lost its most
powerful purpose in Alpha 3. It no longer does insane amounts of blocked
damage like in Alpha 2. It no longer does any damage, period! If you try to
do the Illusion + Roundhouse Soul Spiral blocked death trap, you'll find that
it doesn't take off hardly any amount of blocked damage and because of the
new extended recovery of the Spiral; you'll probably be countered as well.
It still multiplies the number of hits (thus the damage as well, but by VERY,
VERY, VERY little) Rose does by 4. It's only useful for breaking your
opponent's guard meter. The higher the level, the longer the illusions last.

X AURA SOUL THROW- QCF, QCF + P [3 hits + throw]

I find Rose to be quite effective in X-ISM mode as well. Her X-ISM super is
an improved version of her A-ISM's Level 3 Aura Soul Throw. Rose will do a
rushing strong punch (except she will travel farther and faster than in A-
ISM), a double hitting crouching fierce, and then the powered up Soul Throw.
It is used in the same manner as the A-ISM Level 3 version; it can also be
used as an anti-air move too (in this case your opponent must be close to the
ground, preferable jumping from far away). Like the Level 3 A-ISM version,
it is invincible to fireballs in the beginning and has lots of priority.
Greg Dawson told me you can escape this by ramming on kicks (in PSX A3).
I've never been able to, but I'll take his word on it.
[Note: In the Playstation version of Alpha 3, X-ISM supers are identical to
A-ISM Level 3 supers. Was it the same way in the arcade? Oh well...]

VI. COMBOS

1) Jump in with fierce/roundhouse/forward, low fierce, roundhouse Soul Spiral
[5 hits]
*One of Rose's most important combo that every good Rose player knows.
The low fierce might be hard to connect with and because of the new
longer delay of the spiral, you must cancel into it very quickly now,
otherwise the fierce will push them too far away. Jumping in with a
roundhouse would be safer, and a forward would be even more safer, but
neither is as stylish as the fierce.*

2) Jump in with forward, low strong, short Soul Spiral [3 hits]
*IMO, Rose's bread-and-butter. It is much safer if blocked because of the
short rather than roundhouse spiral. If done from maximum distance, she
can't be countered, and thus sets up for a lethal counter attack.*

3) Start the Soul Illusion, cross up with forward, low fierce, roundhouse
Soul Spiral [13 hits]
*This was Rose's most dreaded combos in Alpha 2, but it's not so scary
now. It's best done right after you knocked someone down, in which case
you must immediately start the Soul Illusion afterwards. It's slightly
harder to do now because you have to cancel very quickly into the spiral.
Probably does that same damage without the Illusion, but it's sure to get
you some compliments from spectators. It's a good cross up combo to do
even without the Illusions.*

4) (corner) Jump in with forward, do a low forward, fierce Soul Reflect,
juggle with Level 3/X Aura Soul Throw [6 hits]
*Originating all the way back from Alpha 1. Only the low forward will
allow you to follow up with the fierce Soul Reflect off of a jumping
forward. You can also choose to jump in with a fierce, do a low
strong and continue with the combo, but jumping in with fierce lacks the
range of the forward. Cancel extremely quickly into the Aura
Soul Throw afterwards.*

5) Jump in with fierce/roundhouse/forward, low fierce, Level 3 Aura Soul
Throw/X Aura Soul Throw [5 hits]
*Damage, damage, damage is all I can say. Learn to land this and you
should be set.*

6) Jump in with a roundhouse, Level 3/X Aura Soul Throw [4-hits]
*This allows you to combo your super directly from your jump in, making it
much easier to than the combo above. Just do a QCF + Roundhouse in the
air to hit them, and as soon as you land do the second QCF motion with
fierce to get the super to come out. VERY useful.*

7) Level 1 Soul Illusion, Level 2 Aura Soul Spark [13 hits]
*Show off combo, plain and simple. This is most easily done when your
opponent is dizzy and it takes off a good amount of energy while being
stylish at the same time. I know you can probably do a jumping fierce and
low strong before this, but it's too much effort to try to. And it's much
easier to just to combo the Aura Soul Throw.*

8) Low fierce when opponent jumps in, then...
[counter hit] Soul Throw [1 hit]
Level 1 Aura Soul Throw to juggle [1 hit]
Level 2 Aura Soul Throw to juggle (fierce must hit very late) [3 hits]
Level 3 Aura Soul Throw to juggle (cancel very quickly) [4 hits]
(if in corner), another low fierce, then anyone of the above [2+ hits]
*THE juggle that will win you your games. The low fierce must be a
counter hit in order for the regular Soul Throw to connect. The supers on
the other hand, need not have the low fierce be a counter hit, but it will
make it easier if it were.*

10) As your opponent gets up, do a low jab, link into a low short, link into
a low forward, then do a short Soul Spiral [4 hits]
*An easy combo to use on a getting up opponent. Also a good poking combo.
Be careful of pop-up supers though. Actually, you can implement this
combo as part of a trap discussed later.*

V-ISM COMBOS

I've tried my hardest, but I can't find a decent V-ISM combo for Rose. She
really suffers disadvantages in that –ISM since she loses her all important
Aura Soul Throw. I was experimenting a little and found moderately passable
Custom Combo. Thankfully, some nice contributors gave me some more VCs to
work with.

1) Start Custom Combo with LP + LK when opponent is in the corner, do
repeated (and RAPID) short Soul Spirals. [10+ hits]
*You've got to be REALLY quick in doing those spirals or else they will
fall to the ground. I can usually get around 8-10 hits before something
messes up.*

2) Start Custom Combo with HP & HK when opponent is in the corner, do a short
Soul Spiral, hold back + fierce, short Soul Spiral (miss), back + fierce,
repeat...
*The second and subsequent short Soul Spirals should miss in order for
this to work properly. I usually mess up though...*

3) Start an air Custom Combo with MP & MK when opponent is in the corner, do
a jumping forward, low short, low forward, repeat from jump in.
*A generic corner trap VC that works for just about everyone.*

VII. STRATEGIES

In this strategy section, I'll show you what mind games I play with my
opponents.

- Many opponents win by turtling (how pathetic) and making you come to
them. If you don't they'll throw fireballs at you so you're forced to get
closer. But with Rose, you can just reflect/absorb the fireballs. Try to
get your opponents to come to you instead of chasing them.
- GET OPPONENTS TO JUMP AT YOU! Your anti-airs will win you your games, not
your combos. Make them jump into a low fierce and follow up with the
appropriate juggle or just make them jump into a Level 3 Aura Soul Throw.
Do it enough times, and they'll never jump on you again! Reflect a
fireball horizontally to bait them to jump.
- Rose's crouching strong is great for winning ground games/ticking. If an
annoying Ryu or Ken tries to poke at you with a low forward (so they can
2-in-1 into a fireball, how predicable), the low strong will snuff it out.
- THE INDESTRUCTIBLE JAB: If you haven't noticed, jabs in A3 have
sickeningly high priority. Just time your jabs to be fully extended when
it makes contact, and you can snuff ANYTHING!
- This psych works on those shotoscrubs who just love to uppercut their
opponents (and they stupidly use the fierce version too). Walk up towards
your uppercut happy friend, then make him think your about to jump by
suddenly pulling the joystick to the down-back position as hard and as
loud as you can. Because of your sudden jerk, he might uppercut by
mistake, then you can punish him with an Aura Soul Throw, or do a low
fierce 2-in-1 into a roundhouse Soul Spiral (remember cancel fast).
- Rose's Level 3/X Aura Soul Throw is one of the best counters in the game
since it has such high priority. Basically, you want to set your opponent
up to be hit by it, by pretending you're vulnerable and then quickly
executing the super as they try to counter. The best way to do this is to
make them block a Short Soul Spiral at maximum range. Usually, the short
version will push the opponent just far away enough so that their counter
attempt (almost always a sweep) will miss. So right after they block the
Short Soul Spiral, do a Level 3/X Aura Soul Throw to nail them. Combos #3
and #10 set this up rather nicely.
- Also set up the Level 3/X Aura Soul Throw by making them block a slide at
maximum range.
- Use the Level 3/X Aura Soul Throw to pass through fireballs. When a shoto
does a constantly keeps doing a low forward into a fireball pushout, do a
Level 3/X Aura Soul Throw immediately after blocking the low forward to
pass through the fireball and nail him.
- Reflect a fireball with the Fierce Soul Reflect, then immediately throw a
fierce Soul Spark. This should pin your foe since if he jumps, he'll get
hit by the reflected fireball, and if he stays grounded, he'll have to
block your fireball. Don't do this too often, because smart players can
throw a super fireball in your face.
- This is a cheap that works for almost everyone, but I feel obliged to put
it in. Use at your own risk. As your opponent gets up, do a low strong.
If it hits, 2-in-1 into a short Soul Spiral. If they block, throw them.
I personally don't use this unless my opponent cheeses (throws when I'm
blocking) or cheaps me (then they have the nerve to get mad at me, go
figure).
- Rose's Soul Illusion intimidates a lot of people, even though it
shouldn't. Start it, and if they jump at you, do a crouching fierce
followed by a juggle. If they don't, slide in closer and try for a cross-
up that will take a large chunk off their guard bar. If they just turtle
there, throw 'em!
- Although I hardly ever use it, at times when I get stuck the corner, I do
my Alpha Counter. Many opponents won't expect it because no one ever uses
it. This will put them in the corner, but remember, you'll sacrifice a
level of super energy and a guard meter block.
- If you're fighting the type that just crouches next to you when you get up
waiting for you to pop-up with a super so they can counter, just throw
them as you get up. Conversely, if you're fighting the type that just
blocks when they get up, throw the sucker too!
- Just be patient and stay grounded. Once the opponent realizes they can't
jump in on you, you can start being more aggressive and start jumping in
yourself (when there's an adequate opening).
- Avoid sweeping a lot. Rose's sweep has a long recovery time (longer than
Ryu/Ken/Akuma's sweeps) which allows her to be countered. Only sweep when
the opponent is vulnerable, and only if you couldn't hit them with
anything more damaging. Sweeping a missed uppercut is stupid as you could
easy have hit them with a more damaging combo or super. Get it?
- Go for cross-ups. If you do sweep an opponent, cross them up with a
jumping forward as he's getting up and go into a combo. If you're fast
enough, start the Illusion before crossing them up so you can get more
hits/better damage his guard meter.
- I wouldn't recommend you trying a get up combo right away. Definitely
don't try for it when their bar is full since most intermediate and expert
players pop up with supers. Pretend like you are going for one, and draw
them to use their super to make them waste their precious energy. You can
counter them then, and it should be "safer" for you to try get up combos
on them now.
- As soon as the round begins, try jumping straight up with roundhouse. If
they tried to jump at you, you'll be able to nail them. If they jumped
backwards or threw a fireball, you didn't lose any ground.

This is a quick overview of the attacks Rose should use for an anti-air, jump
in, or tick. They are listed in order of usefulness.

BEST ANTI-AIR ATTACKS

Aura Soul Throw (any level)
Low fierce (followed by juggle)
Soul Throw (anticipation)
Strong Soul Reflect (high jumpers)
Standing Roundhouse (enemy jumped from far away)
Air Throw (for an unexpected surprise)

BEST JUMP-INS

Forward (all purpose)
Roundhouse (if you're sure it'll connect)
Short (snuffing out other air attacks)
Fierce (like Roundhouse)

BEST TICKING ATTACKS

Low strong (all purpose, combo afterwards)
Low jab (like strong)
Slide (set up traps, go under projectiles)
Standing forward (avoid sweeps)
Standing roundhouse (you'd better be at a safe distance!)

VIII. VERSUS SPECIFIC CHARACTERS

RYU:

You will probably encounter this match often. The good thing is that very
few people have ever fought against a skilled Rose player, so a surprise
factor is giving you an edge already. You can tell whether you're fighting a
skilled Ryu player or a scrub in a matter of seconds. Scrubs will almost
instinctively jump back and throw a fireball (the number of fireballs will
determine the level of scrubiness). Against these scrubs, it's a simple task
a just looking for a pattern (they usually throw a fireball from more than
half a screen away, and jump in from closer up) and counterattacking. I
would not recommend reflecting fireballs against scrubs because they then
become weary of your ability to do so and thus won't leave themselves open as
much. Once you pick up their fireball/dragon punch pattern (it's usually
fireball, fireball, move in), jump in when you find an opening and do either
combo #2, #3, #6, or #7 (depending on how far away you were). Scrubs love to
use super moves, and will be especially prone to using it if they're losing.
Just pay attention to this and if it looks like they're frantically doing
fireball motions on the joystick, it's your signal to jump in and murder
them. Cross ups and get-up combos work especially well on scrubs too.
Intermediate players will use the Hurricane Kick a lot. If they use a ground
Hurricane to get closer to you, either do a Level 3 Aura Soul Throw, or do an
(Level 1 or 3) Aura Soul Spark to nail them. If they try to do an air
Hurricane Kick to jump in on you, do a Level 1 Aura Soul Throw to grab them
(sometimes a crouching fierce works, but it often trades). Reflecting
fireball traps work pretty well. Intermediate players often have a fireball
pattern you can pick up on too. They are especially susceptible to the
missed dragon punch "psych" discussed in the strategy section. Expert
players will provide a challenge. They will only throw fireballs when there
is minimal risk for them to do so; thus they have no real pattern to leave
them open. You can recognize an expert player since he will play more ground
games and tick rather than bombarding you with fireballs. Counter his ground
moves with your low strong. He might try to jump in on you with an air
Hurricane Kick like intermediate players do, you can Level 1 Aura Soul Throw
him here too. In this kind of match, you've got to take advantage of every
mistake. Try the "psych," but know that if it works once, he probably won't
fall for it again. Do some reflecting traps to try to get him to jump. Go
for a cross up every time you trip him (remember not to use a sweep too much
because he can counter). Don't go for an early get-up combo when his bar is
full since he will almost definitely pop up with a super and you'll eat major
damage. Instead, if you think he will pop up with a super (or Dragon Punch),
stand next to him like you're trying for a combo and block as he gets up.
He'll either waste his super and will be at a disadvantage then, or you'll
block his Dragon Punch and he'll be vulnerable. If you do get knocked down,
roll and do repeated low jabs as you get up to stop him from tripping you
again. Be careful of his top-down chop, experts (and intermediate) players
will use this on you as you get up. You must block high to avoid it, but
also be careful because your opponent might be "teaching" you to expect a
top-down and block high, then he'll do a low sweep to trip you again. Avoid
this costly scenario by popping up with a Level 3 Aura Soul Throw and making
him think twice about attacking you while you're down. Always remember to
keep your meter charged as well; absorb fireballs when you're low on energy
and reflect when your bar is full. Ryu usually starts off aggressive, so
counter his jump ins with your low fierce juggles and counter his ticks with
your strong. Afterwards, you can start your offense and show him no mercy!

AKUMA:

Too many people choose this character in my arcade, and very few play him
well. Scrubs (and sometimes experts) are sometimes obsessed with connecting
a Raging Demon. They'll always try to trip you and do the motion. But, you
can ALWAYS see it coming, and you can ALWAYS jump out of it (If you have a
full bar of super energy, just use the Level 3/X Aura Soul Throw to hit him
out of it). Once they waste their 3 levels of precious super energy, they
will be more prone to jumping in and attack. Now just be patient and counter
their efforts with Aura Soul Throws, crouching fierces, etc. If they plan on
jumping in with an air fireball, do a fierce Soul Reflect to be stylish or do
a Level 1 Aura Soul Throw. Again, be careful of A-ISM Akuma popping up with
a Super Uppercut, if you sense they will (especially if they have a full
bar), don't try a get up combo. Wait for them to pop up with it, block, then
counter. If he tries his flying air-throw attack, do any appropriate level
Aura Soul Throw to hit him out of it. Follow the general strategies outlined
in the Ryu section in dealing with patterns, how to counter (air hurricane),
and top-down dangers and you should do fine. Besides, Akuma's a shotokan;
you're destined to beat him.

KEN:

Another one of "those" characters. Ken can be played much like Ryu and
Akuma. Look for a fireball pattern (especially against scrubs) and try to
get them to miss an uppercut by "psyching" them out. Like Akuma, be careful
of Ken popping up with his Shoryureppa super, don't try for a get up combo if
he has a full meter. Counter his hurricane attempts and jump ins like you
would with Ryu or Akuma. Watch out for his top-down kick; just pop up with
your Level 3/X Aura Soul Throw. Expert Ken players love to cross up with a
forward. Unfortunately, Rose doesn't have a good counter for this other than
just know which direction to block. Be careful when crossing up expert Ken
players since they can do a Shinryuken to hit you out of your cross up
attempt, only experts will do this though so you shouldn't experience this
problem often. Again, you should read the Ryu section to get more in-depth
strategies since they play mostly the same.

CHUN LI:

Not very many people play her at the arcade I go to (Tilt, Tyson's Corner),
but I use her and I assume players use her in a similar fashion. Her
fireball's range has been decreased and she's no where near how strong she
was in Alpha 2. Don't jump at her since she can counter with a Kikoshou,
Hazan, Rising Kick, or crouching roundhouse. NEVER EVER jump at a crouching
Chun Li, as she's just baiting you to jump into her Hazan. Use your low
strong to counter her low forward. If a scrub is using her, look for
fireball patterns and jump in accordingly as she has the worst fireball
recovery in the game. Watch out for Chun Li's top-down kick. If you see her
do it and you're quick enough, you can do a Level 3/X Aura Soul Throw to nail
her. Use low jabs to stop throw happy Chun Li players, or just do an Aura
Soul Spark/Throw to counter. Try and get her to jump so you can counter
since she jumps so high. Don't try to meet her in the air since her forward
will beat out yours. You'll need to be quick at reacting to her mistakes and
countering her moves in order win.

CAMMY:

I'm glad more people are using her since A3 first came out. Cammy's best
aerial attack is her jumping roundhouse because it has priority on almost
every air attack. In other words, don't fight her in the air. Like Chun Li,
you must take her on the ground. Fortunately, a lot of Cammy's moves have
significant delays, so if you block them, you can retaliate full force.
Cammy players can be very sneaky. They will go in and out of your range,
poking at you and setting you up for mistakes. She plays generally like a
shoto without a fireball, so treat her as such. Do be careful of her using
her Flying Frankensteiner/Slide attack, as it catches many people off guard.
Level 2 or 3 Aura Soul Throw her if you're quick and she tries that, or do a
low fierce. Also be cautious about crossing up since she can use her Reverse
Shaft Breaker to counter your attempt. Jumping in on her will be hard since
she doesn't have a fireball to make her open, just be careful she isn't
making you jump into a Cannon Spike or Reverse Shaft Breaker. Pop up with
Level 3/X Aura Soul Throw to stop her get-up combo attempts. You can also
use it to get her after blocking almost any of her special/super moves (with
the exception of her Flying Frankensteiner, since you can't block it, you
must hit her out of that). Her jumping strong can beat out your low fierce,
so it's better to counter her jump ins directly with an Aura Soul Throw.

SAGAT:

People chose him when Alpha 3 first came out, but now he's left unpicked so I
won't go to in-depth. Reflect his fireballs back at him because he has a
long recovery time (just be careful he isn't throwing a super). In fact,
against CPU Sagat, you can get a perfect by just continuously reflecting his
fireballs with the strong Soul Reflect, but that's another story. Try and
psych him into using a Tiger Blow, after he misses punish him with an Aura
Soul Throw. Other than that, standard Ryu like procedure should be enough to
stop him.

SAKURA:

Again, another under-picked character left to waste away into oblivion...
She plays sort of like Ryu in that she can sometimes slip into a fireball
pattern too. But her fireballs come out slow and have worse recovery time so
you can punish her fireball mistakes more easily than Ryu. You can Level 3/X
Aura Soul Throw her Hurricane Kick attempts all the time, just be fast with
the motion. A missed Dragon Punch/Uppercut super (Midare Zakura) leaves her
VERY vulnerable, don't squander the opportunity to kill her if you do block
these attacks. The only real threat is her top-down kick. She can alternate
this with her Haru Ichiban (super Hurricane Kick) and if you blocked wrong,
you could take a lot of damage. Either don't get tripped, or pop up with a
super of your own. Like all matches, you should not jump in often because
Sakura has some mean juggles with her standing fierce and jab uppercut.
Experts Sakuras like to cross up a lot with after a successful trip or throw,
be ready and block in the right direction.

BLANKA:

I haven't fought an experienced Blanka, so this is mostly experience from
scrub matches. As soon as the round starts, do a standing roundhouse. It
will hit him if he tried anything, or take a nice chunk off his guard meter.
If you ever block his roll attack, immediately do a Level 3/X Aura Soul Throw
to nail him. Don't jump at him (should I even say this? You should rarely be
jumping) because his jumping fierce beats out almost all of your air attacks
or he might be baiting you to jump into his Electricity or Vertical Roll. If
he jumps at you, you can always counter with an Aura Soul Throw or do a
crouching fierce leading into a juggle.

ZANGIEF:

I haven't fought a good 'Gief player either... and I know they exist because
there's so many good FAQs about him. Well, I'll give you my experiences from
the ones I have played. Zangief needs to get close to inflict damage, so you
want him far away; and the best way to do that is to make him block a Soul
Spark. A blocked Fierce Soul Spark can send him almost all the way across
the screen, making him have to regain ground. Obviously you can't throw Soul
Sparks all day because he has several ways to get around them. If he jumps
(which a good Zangief will rarely do), then just knock him out of the air
with your Aura Soul Throw. DON'T try a low fierce juggle as his splashes and
forward knee drops will hit you cleanly. If he spins through your fireballs,
you can try a standing roundhouse to keep your distance (don't sweep or he'll
FAB you). If he makes you block a Glowing Hand or does a missed one at very
close range, he's probably trying to FAB/Piledriver you afterwards. Be
careful and either jump away, or counter with X/Level 3 Aura Soul Throw.
DON'T jump at A-ISM Zangief since he can do that nasty standing jab/Aerial
Slam on you. It's better just to keep your distance in this fight and don't
panic if he approaches.

KARIN:

She's too cool. Karin can juggle really good in Alpha 3, and a good Karin
player will do anything to land that Hop Kick on you. So what to do? I
would choose to be semi-aggressive and try to keep the Karin player on the
defensive. Don't jump at Karin, obviously, since she as an anti-air Kick
super and her Fierce has mad priority on jump-ins. You can use X/Level 3
Aura Soul Throw if she tries to do her rushing punches at you. Get her to
jump at you by throwing Soul Sparks at a distance so you can counter. If she
ever ends her rushing punch series with her Palm Thrust (which is often the
case if she accidentally push punch one too many times), you can quickly nail
her with your trusty X/Level 3 Aura Soul Throw. If she ends with a Hop Kick,
she's basically safe from retaliation and you can't do much about it. If you
tried to Aura Soul Throw, she will block or blow through you with her Punch
Super. Yep, Karin's Rushing Punch super is one of the few attacks in the
game that out-prioritizes Rose's Level 3 Aura Soul Throw, so watch out. Just
block her Rushing Punches low, and if you see her starting her top down
ender, super through it. Anyway, my personal opinion is that there are much
more beginner Karin players out there than there are experts, so you should
be able to handle this fight fine.

CHARLIE:

Anyone play him? Well, he's a pretty good turtler, but turtling won't win
you victories in Alpha 3. Reflect his barrage of Sonic Booms back at him, </pre><pre id="faqspan-2">
alternating with the strong and fierce Soul Reflects. If he jumps over the
strong reflected fireball, low fierce into juggle, Aura Soul Throw, or
regular Soul Throw him. If he tries jumps over the fierce reflected
fireball, he'll be forced to block or take the hit. His Flash Kick isn't
that good as it used to be, so occasionally jump in with forward, and do a
low strong followed by short Soul Spiral. If he blocked, he'll most likely
try to counter with a Flash Kick or sweep. In the former case, block the
Flash Kick and punish him on the way down. In the latter case, use your Aura
Soul Throw to blow through his sweep attempt. Don't jump in too often, or
he'll Somersault Justice you. Remember that your Level 3 Aura Soul Throw can
pass through his fireballs. The best way to handle defensive characters like
Charlie is to make them come to you. Stay at a distance and do reflecting
traps until Charlie is forced to go after you. If you ever do get hit by his
Flash Kick, roll and pop up with a Level 3 Aura Soul Throw when you get back
up.

DHALSIM:

Hard match, but winnable. An expert Dhalsim (which will almost always
exclusively choose V-ISM) will actually try to stay close to you. However
most Dhalsims you'll fight aren't experts and prefer to play him the more
traditional way of keeping you at a distance. Against the distance fighting
Dhalsims, counter his limbs with your crouching jabs or strong. Level 3 Aura
Soul Throw him if he begins to haphazardly stick them out. Reflect his
fireballs horizontally if you think he'll follow up with a limb afterwards.
Reflect it vertically if you think he'll try to air drill towards you. Most
Dhalsims won't jump in with a traditional attack. Rather, they'll use their
kick drills. Your low fierce isn't so reliable against his drills, but once
again your Aura Soul Throw can cleanly counter him. His jumps are really
high, and you can regular Soul Throw him if he gets too carried away at
floating... er I mean jumping. He has his anti-air grab super, but I found
it hard for Dhalsim to connect with it. You shouldn't be jumping in on him
anyway, but if you do, just remember he has it. I have fought an expert V-
Dhalsim and they are hard with their constant drilling VCs. Beat out their
pokes with your jab and super them out of the VC. But your chances of
fighting an expert Dhalsim are slim to nil, so don't worry. :)

IX. MISCELLANEOUS

COLORS

Arcade SFA3's outfit system only allows 2 colors per ISM, but the Playstation
version thankfully allows any of a character's 6 colors to be used in any -
ISM. In the Playstation, the color is determined by which button is used to
choose your character. In the arcade, the color is determined by which kind
of button (punch or kick) you use to select your –ISM, not which button you
use to select your character. Here are descriptions of Rose's outfits:

X–ISM:

PUNCH [Square]- Gray outfit & blue shawl. She looks kind of like a zombie in
this color.
KICK [X button]- Light blue outfit & blue shawl. I prefer this X-ISM color
over the punch and personally think it's one of her coolest
colored outfits.

A-ISM:

PUNCH [Triangle]- Red outfit & yellow shawl. This is her original color and
it's pretty plain IMO, but it is the better A-ISM color
though.
KICK [Circle]- Blue outfit & Yellow shawl. I never liked this color. She
looks too pale like she's already dead.

V-ISM:

PUNCH [R1 button]- Pink outfit & white shawl. This is my favorite color for
Rose (just barely beating out X-ISM kick).
KICK [R2 button]- Light purple outfit & white shawl. I was mistaken and
thought that this was the awful KK color in Alpha 2. It's
okay, but rather plain to me.

Classic Mode/No ISM- This mode has the same color options as X-ISM in the
arcade.

OFFICIAL STORYLINE

Rose is a mysterious woman who wields the mystic "Soul Power."
She feels that Doomsday is fast approaching...
She must seal Bison's power away, even at the cost of her life...
What future awaits her in the end...?

GAME DIALOGUE

(Mid-boss fight with Guy, 5th round)

Guy: You are Rose, are you not?
It is not right to give up your life, even for your mission.
Risking life and surrendering it are two different things.
Rose: My mind is made up. Is it your place to try and help me?
Even if so, your assistance is not anything that I need nor want.

<after the fight>

Guy: "Soul Power..." Most impressive!
But never underestimate his power.
He's a man of such evil energy, even my kindred fear him.
Rose: Thanks for the advice, but I must continue on my path...

(Fight with Vega, 9th round)

Rose: Vega! Warrior of Shadowloo! I've finally found you!
You know where Bison is, don't you? Tell me!
Vega: I have no reason to do such... However...
As your name implies you possess the beauty and thorns of a rose...
So I shall adorn you in a pure red to suit your name better.

<after the fight>

Vega: Remember... Bison looks forward to your challenge...
I don't understand his thinking, and I probably never will...
Why would you dare to go to him, only to be slain in the end...?
Rose: By reading your mind, I now know where Bison is...
Once divided, two separate fates unite. This is our fate...
I don't know what awaits us... And neither does he...

(Fight with Juli and Juni, 10th round)

Bison: You arrived earlier than I had anticipated...
Sorry, but I have another appointment... Come back later.
Rose: Bison! You can't avoid this... You know you can't...
Since the day we met, fate knew it had to end in this way...
Bison: Ha ha ha ha! Don't be so melodramatic!
Why don't you play with them if it's a challenge you desire?
You have nothing to lose... Except perhaps your life...

(Boss fight with Shin Bison, 11th round)

<This match has a cool introduction. As Bison is descending down surrounded
by psycho flames, Rose is in her block stance and is being pushed back by
Bison's force. After Bison lands, Rose throws a tarot card at Bison which he
effortlessly knocks away. Then the dialogue starts...>

Rose: Did you truly believe they could defeat me?
There's no escape... For either of us...
Bison: A rose without thorns means friendship... Come now...
I should never have allowed you to grow thorns...
Rose: No! That obedience is what caused all this tragedy...
The game is over... Let's finish this now!!

ENDING

<Rose zaps Bison with a bolt of Soul energy>

Bison: Guwaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!
Rose: You are finished Bison!
It wasn't supposed to end like this...
You were my master...
Now I must destroy you with my own hands...
Bison: Guh... You impressed me...
There was no other way to end this...
But... my "soul" will not be extinguished just yet!

<Bison knees Rose in her stomach>

Bison: Haaaaa!!
Rose: Ughhaaaaaahhhhh!!
Bison: Just imagine your future...!
Can you see it?!
Can you see who truly wields the power granted only to us?
It is YOU who stands victorious in the world of eternal doom!!
Rose: ...!! ...What... what is this...!
This means... you will... No... I myself... will...
Bison: Right... we'll return to where we belong... as was our wish!!
Two separate lives share the same... soul...

<Portrait of Bison's face burning in blue flames>

Bison: Guwahhhhhh......!!

Guy: <holding an injured Rose> Hmm... I was wise to come here quickly...
I felt something unsettling...
...Her wound does not seem fatal but...
...she needs to be taken care of immediately...

<A black and white picture of Bison is flashed>

Guy: Hmm..! Was it all in my mind...?
That man is gone... He is no longer a threat to this world...
Then... what could this be...? What is this sudden chill...?

WIN QUOTES

"If existence is a nightmare, one can only hope they are dreaming."
"A life shrouded in darkness is spent searching for the light."
"Fate is fate, whether or not you choose to accept it."
"Every action has the potential to fill or empty one's heart."

INTRODUCTION POSE

Rose will begins each match floating in the air with her eyes closed and arms
crossed in front of her. Two sparkling energy orbs are on each side of her.
Once they dissipate, Rose will land and Round 1 begins.

WIN POSES

Rose has 6 win poses after winning a round. You can select which pose she
will perform by holding the appropriate button before she starts posing. For
no particular reason, I decided to give a name to each one.

TSK-TSK (Hold Jab)

This is her taunt. She will close her eyes, shake her head, and wave a
finger at your fallen opponent.

LOOKIE HERE (Hold Strong)

Rose will extend her arm while holding her shawl, allowing it to drop to the
ground. A sparkling ball on energy will encircle the shawl as Rose smiles.

ILLUSION TSK-TSK (Hold Fierce)

This is like her Tsk-Tsk pose, except she will first make two images of her
appear on both sides. Then all 3 Roses will close their eyes, shake their
heads, and wave their fingers.

HAND-IN-HAND (Hold Short)

Rose will make an image of herself. They both will stand back to back and
hold hands with the other arm across their chest (pledge-of-allegiance
style). The "real" rose will then look at you and smile.

FOOL'S GOWN (Hold Forward)

This is by far her coolest pose. Rose will create a giant glowing Fool tarot
card and hide behind it. When the card spins around and disappears, Rose
will be dressed in an awesome looking gypsy-like gown (the color of her gown
will be the same color as her outfit). Also, she will be holding a fan of
tarot cards in one hand, a single tarot card in the other, and have a tarot
card sticking out between her breasts! Not only does this look awesome, but
there's a little humiliation factor to it as well. Loosely implied, you
could be calling your defeated opponent a "fool." Rose will automatically do
this pose if she has a perfect victory.

FATE IS FATE (Hold Roundhouse)

This pose is pretty cool as well. Rose will face away from your defeated
opponent, kind of at a slant with wind blowing in her hair. She will look at
a tarot card, then cooly toss it on the ground with a disconcerting look on
her face.

X. THANKS SECTION

Well, since this is probably the last revision of this FAQ, I want to take
the time to really thank all the people who have contributed to making this
FAQ possible. Really, this FAQ wouldn't be possible without your help (oh
God that sounded sappy, but it's true). To be honest, I started this because
I was bored, and then eventually ended up expanding it to what it is now.
Now that SFA3 is 1 year old, I think it's time to end this.

1. Danny "Aya Brea"
They very first contributor to this FAQ. He gave me some much needed Rose
stuff such as her new standing strong/forward, throw, and strategies; plus
he's a non-shoto. Haven't heard from him ever since, but I'm really grateful
that you were the first to help this FAQ.

2. Greg Dawson
Probably a much better Rose player than I'll ever be, and the biggest
contributor to this FAQ. Greg gave me very useful information such as being
the first to tell me about the low fierce counter hit into a Soul Throw,
combo #10, the Aura Soul Throw traps, and for being an all around cool guy.
He also helped me in my other FAQs too. If you already haven't, everyone go
out and read his Z-ISM combo FAQ, his Blanka FAQ, and his Juni FAQ, they're
all excellent. Also the one that convinced me that Rose is THE shit!

3. Desmund Wu
Desmund made me change my mind about the usefulness of Rose's jumping short.
He also contributed the strategy of knocking people out of the air with an
air attack, and Soul Throwing immediately when you land on the ground. I
think he was second to mention the low fierce counter hit into a Soul Throw.

4. Peter Yao
He also mention the low fierce counter hit into a Soul Throw, but I
appreciate the contribution nonetheless.

5. Aurore Kim
We exchanged a few e-mails about how we hated shotos. Nice
conversationalist. Is there a Dan FAQ on the way? Sorry, but I don't think
I can write another character FAQ, plus SFA3 is old now. Oh yeah, Sakura and
Dan are NOT shotos. :)

6. [email protected]
Sorry, I don't know your name, just your e-mail address. [email protected] was
nice enough to wish me luck in my organic chemistry class in the beginning of
the summer. Thankfully I was able to pull off an A, but the reactions, oh
God the number of reactions I had to memorize... Thank God it's all over,
and thanks Q2we for being a nice guy.

7. Ernest Kim
For just recently giving me that much needed VC combo #2 and showing me that
I can combo a fierce soul reflect off of a jumping fierce, low strong. Thank
you very much.

8. Nefdar/Colin Caldwell (http://members.spree.com/sip/nefdar)
For being a very cool person to talk to. My penpal for basically all of July
and August. He contributed more to my other FAQs, but he did give me the
generic VC combo #3. Has one of THE coolest (and most importantly ORIGINAL)
Sailormoon webpages on the net. We differ on how much we like Chun Li
though. He hates the Alpha version, I hate the SFIII version. Hopefully we
can one day fight each other (on SF of course). We're gonna win the ECC4
too, so you might as well just give us the prizes now. Read his really good
Adon FAQ and his Combo guide, they're both excellent. Thanks for everything.
Very cool guy in my book, but Nephrite as the best? Mistress 9 was way
cooler!

9. Seong Kim
Well, I haven't heard from him in over a year, but know that I'm glad I was
able to talk to you even if it were for just a little while. Too bad we
never got a chance to meet up. Tilt and Tyson's Corner sucks in general
anyway.

10. [email protected]
Unfortunately, I forgot to set it so that when I left for summer ('99), all
mail sent to my university addy would be forwarded to my hotmail account. So
I felt really bad for all those that wrote in and seemingly didn't get a
response until September. [email protected] wrote in about using the strong
soul relfect as a reliable anti-air. He also wanted me to write a vs.
Charlie section. Sorry [email protected] for: 1) not knowing your real name
and 2) not responding earlier. Thanks for writing in, though.
11. Manny Dhono (http://thethreshold.net/~ryuken/ryuken.htm)
Victim #2 of the summer e-mail mess. He was really nice in asking me if he
could paraphrase part of my FAQ, which he (and anyone) is more than happy to
do. I feel bad because I must've seemed like a jerk for not answering him
right away. When I tried to reply to him after getting back to school, his
e-mail apparently doesn't work so I couldn't apologize. Well, if you're
reading Manny, know that I'm very sorry and of course you can use anything
from my FAQs. No need to even credit me for taking a few sentences from my
random ramblings :).

12. Winters Calvin

Final victim #3. He plays females fighters just like me, and more
importantly plays CHARLOTTE of SS2, IMO the coolest female fighter ever made.
Anyway, he gave me a cool training combo that involved using the Soul
Illision (Soul Surge as he called it), jumping in with fierce, standing
roundhouse, 2-in-1 into a Level 3 Aura Soul Throw for 21 hits(I think he was
using the World Tour Options). Well, I if I had a training combo section,
it'd be there, but since I don't I'm listing it with him. He had a really
cool closing quote at the end of his e-mail though, "If Rose Was A Weapon,
She Would Be An A-Bomb!!!"

13. Robert Iu
I got fed up with the fast scrolling text of the endings in SFA3 and used his
VERY convenient Quotes/Dialogue FAQ to complete Rose's and Cammy's endings.
Thanks for writing such a useful FAQ.

Is that everyone? If I missed you, I sincerely apologize and know that you
are very much appreciated.

CLOSING

Well, this is it folks, the last revision of this FAQ. I'm glad that this
FAQ was able help people try a new character. No, I'm not going to preach
about not using shotos. If you're happy with using those characters, go
ahead and use them (just know that your attack patterns will be VERY
predictable to all of us who can use a variety of characters ^_^). Since
this is the last update, sending in more contributions won't help me. But,
I'm more than willing to talk to you about anything. Who doesn't like
opening up their e-mail and finding messages? So go ahead and write to me at
[email protected] or [email protected] Until the next SF...

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If you want to use this FAQ, just email me at [email protected] or
[email protected] and I'll be happy to give it to you. Just give me credit
for my work.

Do not use this FAQ for any kind of profit whatsoever. Street Fighter Alpha
3 and Street Fighter characters are all copyrights of their respective
trademarks.