The Sodom SFA3 FAQ (v2.0) (That's Sodom the SF character you sick li'll monkey!!!) \\\\\\\------------------------------------------------------/////// /~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Legal Crap~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | Copyright 1998 Joseph Parise. All information provided may be used | in non-profit publications and MAY NOT be altered without the | express written permission of Joseph Parise (kingkung@earthlink.net). | Capcom, Street Fighter Alpha, Street Fighter Alpha 2, Street Fighter | Alpha 3, Final Fight, and all character related to these games are | copyright/trademark of Capcom Co. Ltd. Samurai Shodown 4 and Jubei | Yagyu are trademark of SNK Inc. All other copyright/trademarks are | representative of their holding parties. \~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^Contents^ 1 - Introductions and FAQ information a. Welcome! b. Why a Sodom FAQ? c. Revision history d. Where can I find this FAQ and how to contact the author 2 - About Sodom a. Storyline (as best put as possible...) b. History of the character and where he belongs in the SF universe 3 - SFA3 Attack and Move Guide a. Key to moves and universal moves b. Basic attacks c. Special Moves d. Super Combos 4 - Strategy To Bust Heads With a. What's different in the -isms b. Combos! c. Winning strategies (ticking, psyche outs) 5 - Other Stuff For The Devoted Player a. Win Poses b. Mid-boss and Ending Text c. Win Quotes d. Regular and Special Move Names e. Did You Know... 6 - The Rest a. What YOU can do to help ME with future revisions b. Those that helped (even if they don't know it!) \\\\\\\---------1. Introduction and FAQ Information----------/////// a. Welcome! Hey there! Welcome to a FAQ for one of the most interesting and skillfull Street Fighter characters around: Sodom! He's that big guy with the jitte or katana, raking up the wins against those other pathetic fighters. ----- b. Why a Sodom FAQ? So, why bother? Well, it takes a certain amount of skill and timing to use Sodom, making him a choice for the dealving fighting game afficianado. I was drawn into using Sodom back when the original SFA game appeared in arcades. His jitte were unique as a weapon and was excellent versus those that liked to turtle. Once you got by his tragic name (look up Sodom in religious texts or maybe even an encyclopedia) he was easily one of the more dominating characters, at least until everyone learned the power of Ken and Guy. Alpha 2 rolled around and he was considerably weakened: his three-kick chain into the Daikyo Burning was lost, as well as recieving a new counter move that seemed almost worthless. Nonetheless, I stuck by my character of choice. Now, with the arrival of Alpha 3, Sodom is back up to his powerful status, ready to take on opposition, especially with the arrival of mass juggling. Quite frankly, Sodom is not the greatest character in the game, but very well near to the top. Since he was toned down between A1 and A2, many peole have abandoned this character. Some even go as far as to say that he is weak. Far from it! He can hold his own in a fight and win against so-called 'top tier' characters quite often. His moves are debilitating, hitting fast and hard. ----- c. Revision history 9/6/98 - 9/8/98 Version 0.1 - First edition. Bare bones, mostly dealing with moves. LOTS of mistakes. Insert 3/4 year break here. ^_^ ?/?/98 Version 1.0 - Unreleased, but existed ineed. 6/6/99 Version 2.0 - Needed an update now that the home release has arrived here in North America. As the skills of players change, so does the effective styles of play. Almost the entire FAQ has been redone. ----- d. Where can I find this FAQ and how to contact the author This FAQ will soon be available at: - http://www.gamefaqs.com - Any site of your own; I don't care where this FAQ ends up as along as it isn't sold for money or used in a publication that doesn't ask me. If you have a site where it's up, tell me please. Contact me at: kingkung@earthlink.net on AIM at: kingkung2 and around IRC at: EFNet: #capcom Pibbman \\\\\\\------------------2. About Sodom----------------------/////// a. Storyline Sodom was born in America. However, ever since he was a child, he had a profound obsession with Japanes culture. Disgusted with himself for not being born of lineage, he began to study the ways of Japanese life and history. Along with this, he started learning the Japanese martial arts, becoming a master of the katana, jitte, and even Kabuki fighting. Sodom soon considered himself Japanese to the core. This didn't go over big amongst Americans, where national pride is supposedly high. This left him with little opportunity to earn a living. The only jobs he could get were as a toughguy while he asserted himself in the ring as a street fighter. He used his skills in the martial arts to keep afloat financially. Life wasn't going so well. Sodom wanted to make a name for himself and prove once and for all that he was a champion of his own self conscious... even if that meant breaking the law. Indeed, he would join the ranks of the Mad Gear crime ring, the underside of Metro City, his hometown. He quickly worked his way up the ranks with his skill, challenging members of the organization to a fight and taking their rank. Word on the streets was that nobody could beat him; he was the master of the ring. This caught the eye of Belger, leader of the Mad Gear gang, deciding to make him one of his select few right hand men. Inside himself, Sodom didn't want to be a criminal, but he had very little choice at this point in his life. He became warped with depression and the ails of his pasts caught up to him. Nobody ever saw him without his samurai mask on. Eventually his boss Belger went mad and kidnapped Jessica, daughter of mayor and retired street fighter Mike Haggar. It was this Haggar and his close friends Cody and Guy who eventually destroyed the Mad Gear crime ring, sending Belger to his death. Guy, a young man who believed himself to be of pure ninja descent, defeated Sodom in the ring. Sodom was shattered, and sought revenge. Gathering up the Mad Gear lackeys, including Rolento and Hugo, Sodom sought to build a new organization, one cleaner and of more substinance. He tried to pursuade them to join under his leadership, but they refused unless Sodom could prove himself by defeating the people who destroyed Mad Gear. What they didn't know is that Sodom was planning this in the first place. He was consumed with rage that a man of supposed pure Japanese descent, Guy, defeated he who was not of true birth. He decided it was only fitting to defeat Guy and build his reputation as a leader. For the latter he would need to gather the help of his 'brothers,' the Japanese warriors fighting in the streets... and in the ring. Sodom sought Edmond Honda, champion of the sport of sumo. He could identify with him and other Japanese fighters and would benefit from all of these skillfull fighters in his potential organization. Lastly, the new Mad Gear gang would need a base of operations. Upon hearing of the Shadowlaw (Shadaloo) drug cartel's large inhabitance, it became clear what would have to be done... ----- b. History of the character and where he belongs in the SF universe Sodom was the level two boss of another Capcom game that arrived around the time that the Street Fighter games exploded onto the arcade scene. You fought him in a ring, where he wielded the katana that you now find in Alpha 3. In fact, he even had his dash move, though it didn't involve grabbing the opponent and setting them on fire. Wielding his katana, he could cut your life meter by more than half with one swipe and was a sticking point for many arcade goers until they learned to use the vertical plane to avoid his attacks. It was a surprise for many that Street Fighter Alpha signalled the return of Final Fight characters Guy and Sodom. They were brought on with much praise, having rather unique fighting styles. Street Fighter Alpha builds its storyline for Sodom on his loss to Guy in Final Fight. Guy was his final boss in both Alpha 1 and 2, as he sought revenge for his past defeat. In Alpha 3, he is in more of a phase where he is searching for other Japanese street fighters to join him in his crime empire that he seeks to build. This is hinted in his first ending, where he decides on a name for his organization that is very stupid (cameos by Rolento, Hugo, Poison, and several other Final Fight characters). His second ending also shows his plans, as he fights the grand master sumo (looks a lot like Honda...) in the ring. Sodom fills in the evil gap in the Street Fighter universe. His presence helps balance out a cast of good-willed people, those seeking revenge, and the lust for power that many of them face. Alpha 3 has Sodom eventually foiling the plans of Shadowlaw with his 'ultimate attack,' and proves that he has a heroic side to him. \\\\\\\-----------3. SFA3 Attack and Move Guide--------------/////// a. Key to moves and universal moves This is the basic notation that I will use for the FAQ. This may change graphically for the next version of the FAQ, but for now you'll just have to endure. (1P layout when facing right; reverse the joystick movements if facing the other direction. Note my generic text joystick! ^_^) START BUTTON (Taunt) u PUNCHES ub | uf \ | / jab strong fierce b--- O ---f (light) (medium) (heavy) / | \ KICKS db | df d short forward roundhouse (light) (medium) (heavy) Those directions (u = up, uf = up+forward, b=back...) can also be interpreted as... jump retreat jump forward jump \ | / \ | / retreat/block------O-------walk forward / | \ / | \ defensive crouch offensive crouch crouch Phew! For any beginners, that looks more confusing than it really is. Play the game for awhile and you'll be right at home. Here is the rest of the notation that you will see in this FAQ... P - Any Punch K - Any Kick 360 - spin the joystick 360 degrees (a circle) starting and ending in any direction 720 - spin the joystick 720 degrees (two circles) starting and ending in any direction c. - a crouching move j. - a jumping move (usually forward or back) JS - Jigoku Scrape BB - Butsumetsu Buster DB - Daikyo Burning /~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |Now here are the universal moves. Every character has these, |although some of them aren't available in every -ism. As with all |characters, the value of |each move varies, since each individual |character has different powers. \~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BLOCKING - b/db (also in air) Hold back or down and back on the joystick. This will block incoming attacks for no damage. Special and super moves will cause some damage, however. In A- and V-ism modes, you can block most moves in the air, while X-ism and Classic have no air guards. Some moves can't be blocked, most notably throws and Zangief-ish SPD moves. It is important to realize that in most modes you have a Guard Crush Meter. If you continue to block hits, this will graduall wear down. When it empties you will be stunned and unable to block for an instant. Fortunately for you, Sodom has a rather lengthy Guard Crush Meter. If you are playing Classic, there is no Guard Crush Meter! AIR RECOVERY - any two P buttons When you get knocked into the air or are hit in the air, you can reset yourself by pressing two punch buttons. If you hold b or f during this, you will flip in that direction. This is primarily used to escape from juggle combos that the opponent may try to tag you with, since you can also air block in some -isms or alternately attack. You can also hold the punch buttons before you are hit to instantly correct yourself in the air. You may or may not want to do this with Sodom's many recovery moves. Also, alas, you can't do this in Classic, althouth it's hard to be juggled in that mode anyway. GROUND RECOVERY - any two K buttons When you get knocked down (your feet leave the ground after being hit), you can roll towards the opponent by pressing to kick buttons. You can hold these down before you are hit to do it immediately. This is great if you are in the corner, as you may be able to roll right past your opponent or at the least avoid a hit. You don't have this in X- or Classic modes, but it isn't too big a loss since Sodom has several recovery manuevers of his own. Still, nice to have when you're in a bind. THROWS - b/f + and two P/K buttons (can be done in the air) When close to, press b or f and two punch buttons. You will reach out to grab your opponent and fling them forward or behind you with a quick spin of your arm. Although this can set up a juggle in the corner or get you out of a bind, it isn't very useful in this game since most players will Tech Hit out of hit to eleviate te damage. On top of this, a missed throw will leave you in a miss animation, ready to be pummeled. Sodom's two ground throws may look the same, but there is a subtle difference listed in the moves section. TECH. HIT - f + two P when thrown When you are being thrown, hold forward and press two punch buttons to Tech. Hit out of it. This will reduce the damage you take. Try and do this against most throws that launch you in the air to save yourself some pain. Sodom has a great killer technique you can use against certain characters who have low throws: the Tengu Walk. COUNTER - interupt an opponent's attack with your own If the opponent attacks and you override it with your own at the same time, you will effectively Counter their move. This pauses the action for an instant to notify you of your success. A very important addition to the Alpha series, these moves do greater than normal damage. Sodom's fierce and roundhouse are notorious for countering attacks. His Jigoku Scrape is also handy for this, and even the Daikyo Burning can counter! ALPHA COUNTER - block attack, f + same P and K When you block an attack from the ground, press f + the same punch and kick button level used by the opponent for his attack. For instance, if he used a fierce punch, press both fierce and roundhouse. This will activate your Alpha Counter, a hit with his weapon. These are almost worthless, available in only A- and V-ism, where they cost a lot of accumulated super power. On top of that, they lower your Guard Crush Meter, wearing it down quicker. These to pitiful damage, though they can finish an opponent off. Don't waste your time unless you are facing a ticking character, in which case these can be somewhat usefull. CUSTOM COMBOS - in V-ism, press the same level punch and kick This is one of the main reasons to choose V-ism. Pressing jab and short to start it will have the first shadow do damage, strong and forward will work for the second shadow, and fierce and roundhouse make the third shadow hit. DAMAGE REDUCTION - wail on the p and k buttons Hard to describe... when you are taking damage from multiple hits, you can countermash in order to take less damage. You will know that this worked if your character flashes red. Alternately, you can do this while blocking to reduce guard meter wear. TAUNT - press Start Piss your opponent off with this. Sodom will do a traditional bow move. This can hit the opponent, although only for a pixel of damage. You can't use this in X- or Classic modes. Sodom's taunt can actually knock opponents out of the air, but don't do that; use crouching fierce as usual. ----- b. Basic Attacks These are your basic attacks. By that I mean your regular punches and kicks, be they from standing still, jumping, or crouching. STANDING jab - Sodom gives a quick, horizontal flick of his wrist with weapon extended. Good speed but week. Keep this generally to stop advancing attacks such as Blanka's roll. Cancellable if quick. strong 1 - When far, Sodom reaches forward with his weapon at belly height. Nice speed and reach, this is great for poking. The katana ad a lot of range to this move. In V-ism this move is cancellable. strong 2 - When close, Sodom does a similar motion to the far standing strong. However, this is more of a hit with the fist and handle of the weapon. This is a great move to use during juggles and it cancels into the Scrape and super really easily. A key to juggles. fierce 1 - When close (pressing back in V-ism...), Sodom sticks his weapons out in front of him. This is a very long range move, especially with the katana, and does rather heavy damage. One of your main poke type attacks, this counters well. Pushes the opponent back also. This doesn't provide as much coverage as his other fierce attack. fierce 2 - When far (pressing forward in V-ism...), Sodom swipes downwards in an arc with both of his weapons. This will cover your front and is relatively powerfull. This also does immense guard crush damage, and is great with the opponent trapped in the corner. It can even counter up close fireballers, snuffing even Ryu's super version when used really early. Use this often. Thank you for the advice M4. ;) short - A speedy kick at shin height. There is a chance to tick here. Begin with the BB motion while throwing this in. If the opponent blocks, finish the motion with a punch to execute the unblockable move. However, if the kick connects follow with a jab JG or the DK. This is one of the easier cancellable moves for Sodom, so use it to open up a Scrape combo. forward - A side kick. One of the primary poking moves for Sodom and is also cancellable, especially into a fierce Scrape. Use this one a lot. However, I agree with Mr. Megura that this move has been decimated compaired to that of previous games. roundhouse - Sodom lunges out with a long kick. If this connects it hits for rather heavy damage. As a counter it might pop the opponent in the air for more hits. Unfortunately, you can't two-in-one this into the DB anymore. Bummer. It also doesn't have the sick ability as a heavy hit when the opponent is getting up to be almost unblockable like in SFA, but that would be unfair anyway. Stick with short or forward unless you know you can land this as it can leave you vulnerable. CROUCHING jab - Holding his weapon out, this punch hits at gut height. This is a major two-in-one machine, as you will be able to link into the jab or strong JS, making it a major weapon. This especially holds true in X-ism with your extra katana reach. Also a good tick into the BB. Nice. Still, I use the crouching short more. strong - Standing with knees bent, this thrust attack hits most characters high up. It may not be an overhead, but this punch has excellent reach. Use it often to keep the opponent at bay and for a quick poke against standing or large characters. With some characters it will snuff out sweeps, though don't rely on that. This also has some anti-air properties against low or long jumpers like Zangief or Rolento (super jump). It's best range is from a step or two away. fierce - Sodom uppercuts, hitting the opponent with his fist and the bottom of his weapon of choice. This is a serious anti-air move that will start juggles. It has high priority and has even longer horrizontal range with the kitana. If it hits the opponent on the ground it will push them back and cause rather heavy damage. Antoher very important move. The motion is canceled in a two-in-one into the fierce JS for pretty rutheless damage, and canceling it into the DB is the easiest 'in' for the move you can get. You'll be using this a lot. short - A quick ankle kick. This cancels into the DB or jab or fierce JS. It comes out fast enough to stop incoming attackers much like a shoto short. For some reason, canceling into the strong Scrape now often causes the attack to go over the opponents head. Damnit. Scratch that one. forward - A low kick that has slightly more range than the short. This one comes out slowly, making it pretty lame unless you want to poke with it. While it doesn't cancel into a regular attack, it will cancel into a super combo. Keep that in mind when using it in A- or X-ism. roundhouse - BINGO! HUGE MOVE HERE! So huge I listed it as a special move, which is where you should look for info on this. Sorry for the inconvenience, but it'll be worth it! Trust me! ;) JUMPING jab - A little flick as Sodom leans back in the air. The katana gives it long range. You could try using this as a tick so that when you land you can BB, but that won't work very well (BB isn't an automatic move, it has to connect). Unless you want to stuff air attacks, this is useless. Use the short for that job. strong - Sodom holds the weapon out in front of him at head level. I find this move to be almost completely useless, as it's angle makes it useless for jump-ins. Maybe if the opponent is over you in the air... but still, there are so many other options. fierce - Sodom swings both weapons down in an arc in front of him, leaving a speed trail behind it (ala the thing you see after a Flash Kick). This covers your entire front and does decent damage. The important part is this will knock air opponents even higher back into the air. This does excellent damage, but it has a tendency to pass through unless it hits squarely (many moves in A3 have this problem...) short - A quick little kick. This moves saving grace comes with the fact that it is one of his only cross-up moves. Paydirt for a three hit combo leading involving the JS or DB. Otherwise it has pretty excellent priority, so use it to stuff jumpers. forward - Once again, a similar animation to the short but with more range. This move can't cross up, even on big characters, but it does have decent priority. I prefer jumping short myself. roundhouse - Another goldmine, Sodom extends both his legs for a powerful, air-dominating kick. This bounces the opponent when they're in the air but not as much as the jumping fierce does. The damage seems slightly greater than the fierce and is great if timed to hit deep in the jump. It is also rather safe as it pushes the opponent pretty far back if blocked. Use this in place of the fierce for nice damage and security. It also hits more often than the fierce. Of all of the grapplers, Sodom has my favorite dropkick-ish attack. ----- c. Special Moves You'll obviously be using these. Sodom's specials are special in their own right, as he is a grappler with long range but with a few surprises to those that think they can just pound him with heavy offense. He even has a few tricks up his sleave after he gets knocked over... All moves are available in every -ism, so use at will. Throws are also listed here. Jigoku Scrape d, df, f + P - Sodom will slide forward, swinging one of his weapons. The katana have more range. jab - slide forward swinging weapon at head height strong - uppercut with weapon under the chin fierce - strong overhead swing In the previous version I liked the strong version because of its juggling potential, but the jab version is now my favorite. Use it to apply pressure to the opponent, but don't whiff or you might be screwed. The jab version used to hit crouching opponents, but now it doesn't, which hurts its effectiveness. Up close it will hit twice. The strong version of this move is very effective at juggling the opponent and has some anti-air priority, though you should probably stick with the crouching fierce for that job. It will whiff entirely if some characters duck, so be warned. The final version, with fierce, has the longest reach and will knock the opponent to the ground. It is the most powerful and the easiest to cancel into. It is also effective at hitting opponents who thought they could escape with their air recovery. Sliding d + roundhouse - Slide on the ground to sweep the opponent BINGO! I've seen many people list this is a special move, which is why I followed suite. Technically this is a regular attack, but let me get to the basics of it: this is a slide that comes out quick and goes pretty far. It should be your major counter move for the entire game, especially when the opponent whiffs a move. It is also a fireball character killer, going beneath that attack and knocking the opponent to the ground. Geez, it even goes below a low Tiger Shot, something that not every other slides in the game can do. The only bad thing about this is the extreme lag time if it is blocked that leaves you open to an opponent's sweep, although this can be alleviated by using the move from just within hit range. If blocked then, you will usually have time to avoid a counter attack. Hell, on top of that it can knock long-range jumpers out of the air. This move really makes Sodom a nuisance. Butsumetsu Buster 360 + P - Sodom lunges forward, crossing his weapons to grab the opponent, jumping up, then slamming them to the ground. Here's your grappling move. It is Sodom's most damaging attack and is also (of course) unblockable. It can be ticked into, and the crouching fierce will cancel out if you two-in-one with it. It also has a great range, either equal or greater than Zangief's SPD, thanks to the short lunge preceding the actual hit. The punch button used determines the height you will lift the opponent up, the range (fierce has the best), speeed (fierce has the longest lag), and also power (fierce doing the most damage). At fierce, after the hit lands, it will bounce the opponent high enough to follow through with a strong or fierce JS or jab/strong normal in the corner. The little leap forward that you take before hitting with this move also gives it greater distance than most grappling moves, allowing for a surprise for turtlers, especially after they block a jab JS. The only downside is the slow speed at wich the move comes out. You can be swept out of it, so use it if you are pretty sure it will land. Just look at the CPU Sodom to see how this move SHOULDN'T be used. A missed BB will leave you shaking your crossed-up fists in front of you, the signal that you are about to be pounded. Also, unlike Zangief, this isn't a good recovery move after falling over because you need startup time. Daikyou Burning 360 + K - Sodom runs forward, both weapons held in front of him. If he makes contact he will pin the opponent with the weapons, dragging them on the ground. After awhile they will catch fire, at which point Sodom releases them. short - small run distance and hits four times forward - average run distance and hits five times roundhouse - long run distance and hits six times If in X-ism mode with the katana, you'll recognize it as the charge move from Final Fight, though it doesn't do fifty percent damage anymore ;) A great move with excellent range, especially with the more lengthy katana version. There are even a few surprises built into it. First off, it can be canceled into from many attacks, preferably the forward or crouching fierce. Secondly, it will go right into an opponent's move, sometimes pulling them right out of it and scoring the damage. Finally, it has a surprising hit radius, capable of knocking incoming jumpers out of the air, and if you hit after the actual running ends, will knock the opponent over. The downside is that a miss will leave you wide open, so use it only if you are sure it will hit, namely in a combo, or for that extra juggle hit. The short one is a great pysche out, where it will finish early; the opponent might sweep and whiff, leaving you to knock them over with a fierce JS. Shogun Throw f/b + 2P or 2K - Sodom will grap the opponent with his hand and toss them across the screen. Despite sharing an animation, these throws are different. The punch throw can be flipped out of afterwards. However, this is actually a bad idea, as a strong Scrape will then be unavoidable. This sets up some really cool juggles, especially in A-ism. Because many people try to tech hit out of throws, a missed tech hit will cause a flip, leading to chaos. On top of this, the throw itself is very fast, so the chances of teching are lower than with other characters. The kick throw, however, is more of a 'safe' move, as it can not be flipped out of. With this there is no follow through afterwards, just a way to toss the opponenet across the screen. Shirraha Catch f, d, df + K - When the opponent jump attacks you or tries an overhead, this will catch them and throw them in the air for damage. Ah, I love this move because it brings back good memories of Jubei Yagyu in his third and fourth incarnations of my other favorite series, Samurai Shodown (Spirits)! On the other hand, I also hate this move because of its low success rate. This was a rather pathetic move in A2, but now it is slightly more effective. The added ability of now catching people out of the air is where you should primarily use it (if you ever are going to...). The damage is the same as a punch throw and it can be flipped out of. This, once again, can set up some mean juggles. The timing of this move is critical; if the opponent doesn't arrive just as your weapons strike each other, it will whiff and you'll be hit. The short kick version doesn't last long, while the roundhouse one has a long-lasting effect. Unfortunately, you are much better off with a crouching fierce to stop air opponents. Daimyo Throw f/b + 2P in the air - Sodom grabs the opponent and slams them to the ground. This animation is similar to the Butsumetsu Buster and does a little less damage than that move. A typical air throw. This is a good end to VCs that leave the opponent up in the air. Tengu Walking 1 When knocked over or after an air block, b, db, d + K - Sodom runs forward on the ground doing a handstand with his weapons, striking three times. 2 d, df, f + K - This is done as you are getting up. It hits more times, is faster, and does more damage than the other version. This is a shocker move, meaning that it should be used sparingly to shock the crap out of your opponent! When you are knocked over pull this out, especially if you land right next to the opponent, for a few quick hits. This is a great alternative to all of the other aerial recovery moves, but many people don't realize this part: it can be used whenever you block a move. This includes air blocking, which allows you to perform the move as you land. You can even counter hits with this if the opponent's combo doesn't continue. People tend to shrink back after you air block them, so this can be a surprise. Another smart move against certain characters (mainly Chun Li and Adon) is to use it right after the throws that tend to knock you to the ground right away, as you will attack while they are still in their throw animation frame. When you're fighting Chun Li, you need all the help you can get. ;) Any way you put it, this move really kicks ass. Don't overuse it, but be ready to counter heavy offenders with it. Yagura Reverse b, d, db + K - Sodom flips up into a handstand on his weapons. If the move description sounds familiar, it should. This is basically a fake Tengu Walk, and should primarily be used as a psyche out in place of the Walk. The psyche out game is an important part of Sodom's effectiveness, as it clouds the judgement of your enemy, letting you dicipate their patterns. A note should be taken: you CAN do this when just sitting there on the ground, but that is pretty much useless. It can hit sweepers if you're up close, perhaps making it a good push back move, but the range there is pathetic, so don't waste your time with it in those instances. A smart move nonetheless, even if it serves little to an offensive strategy. As Mr. Megura points out, it pisses people off too. ^_^ Kouten Okiagari When knocked over, f, df, d + P - Sodom rolls up into a ball, rolling away from his attacker. Not too great, but when you can't air recover in certain -isms, this can be rather handy. It is yet another alternative to recovery techniques. The stronger the punch used, the further you roll away. If you use jab, you will roll in place! Sound useless? I'm sure there is a use for rolling in place. In fact, I have managed to have Ryu throw a fireball over me using this. ;) ----- d. Super Moves Here's the cream of the crop! Sodom only has two types of supers, but both are rather powerful. As usual, both of these are available in A-ism; however, only the Meido no Miyage is available in X-ism. Meido no Miyage d, df, f, d, df, f + P - Sodom lashes forward with his weapon of choice in a superized version of his Jigoku Scrape manuever. A-ism Level 1 (jab) - Three quick uppward slashes, similar to the jab and strong Jigoku Scrapes, hitting three times with juggling ability. A-ism Level 2 (strong) - A series of four quick forward-moving slashes that go a long distance, each hitting multiple times, the last an overhead slash similar to the fierce Jigoku Scrape for varying hit amounts. A-ism Level 3 (fierce) - All of the hits of a Level 2, followed by a leap in the air with a very strong arcing swipe similar in style to a jumping fierce. X-ism - Simply a Level 3 version of the move. This is probably Sodom's best super, but that is debatable as far as damage goes. Maybe not as damaging as the Ten Chuu Satsu, but it does what is needed. The primary focus here is on the Level 1 version in A-ism. This is easily the most useful version. This is not just because it has enormous priority (goes through most sweeps and even snuffs fireballers if timed right), but more importantly because it juggles. The best use for this is on jumping opponents. The three swipes are similar in style to the strong JS, so you will juggle the opponent for three powerful hits. Excellent when you're in a bind. The Level 2 version is almost useless; sure, it has priority and goes through fireballs with relative ease, but the second set of hits sometimes knock the opponent in the air, causing the third overhand move to whiff. It just doesn't have the anti-air and juggling abilities of the Level 1. Level 3 is very powerful, especially if you connect with all of the hits. Unlike Level 2, this one will usually bounce the opponent up after the third set of hits, following through with the big jumping attack to slam them to the ground. Extremely powerful. X-ism is basically the same with similar damage (around 45%), but the tragedy of X-ism is the loss of the Level 1. All versions can be comboed into by throwing a crouching jab or short right before you start the move. The most damage is incurred after a crouching fierce cancel. This will make the opponent eat the entire move, especially usefull for Level 3 and X-ism. Ten Chuu Satsu 720 + P - Sodom grabs the opponent with both of his weapons and proceeds to devastate them with several slam moves. A-ism Level 1 (jab) - After the grab, you do a small BB followed by a fierce-looking BB. A-ism Level 2 (strong) - After the grab, you do a small BB, then leap up into the air where you pause for a few moments, finally coming down with full force to the ground for massive damage. A-ism Level 3 (fierce) - This begins looking like Level 2; you do a small BB, jump up, stall, and slam the opponent hard to the ground, but then you proceed to drag them in a DB move, resulting in extremely devastating damage. Ouch. OUCH! Even the Level 1 version of this is somewhat powerful. The Level 2 looks seriously painfull (very heavy damage). Level 3 will draw the 'ooohs' and 'awwws' from the crowd as well as dealing out a seriuos can of whup ass! We're talking at least 45-50% damage, usually more. The great thing about this move compared to the regular BB is that it has more priority. It also has a range that extends slightly farther than the animation would have you realize. A quick character might be able to knock you out of this up close with a short, but the key is the distance. If you are just within the reach of a BB, the short should not have the range required to stop you and the stronger moves won't hit in time or will be stopped by it. This is great when the opponent is in the corner and you are just getting closer to them. Use it sparingly: you may want to stick with Level 2 so that you can keep a spare level of super meter available for your anti-air Level 1 Meido no Miyage. Of course, if it's the final round, the opponent has about half his life bar, and you know you can land the move, you might as well piss them off or leave them in awe of your mighty Level 3 deathbringer. :) \\\\\\\----------4. Strategy to Bust Heads With--------------/////// a. What's different in the -isms The biggest change from A2 to A3 would have to be the ability to alter your character's abilities. You do this by selecting a mode, or as they put it in the game, -ism. Each one has some catch to it, and be it losing moves but gaining power to different meters, each has its advantages and disadvantages. There are six -isms that are known: X-sim, A-ism (Z-ism if you're playing the Zero games), V-ism, Classic, Saikyou, and Mazi. Because the last two are essentially variations of whatever other -ism you pick, they will not be described here throughly. A-ISM This is the regular playing mode. It plays a lot like previous Alpha games in that you power up a super meter. Sodom has all of his special moves in every mode, so that isn't an issue, but in this mode he has all of his supers as well. The super meter powers up to three levels. Alpha Counters take one level to use each time (and don't forget a little guard meter as well...) and come in the form of a strong JS. Your guard meter starts at its normal level (which is pretty high for Sodom anyway). Basically, everything normal is there and averaged out. This is probably the mode you want to choose for the indecisive, although that depends on how you play. You may want to start out in this one to get used to the character and have everything readily available. Then, if you like some of the changes in the other modes, by all means, go right ahead! X-ISM This mode reminds me a lot of the final Street Fighter game before the series progressed into the Alpha series, and is in fact named after the Japanese title of that game. In this mode you have one level for your super meter that charges slowly. There are no Alpha Counters available. Your guard crush meter is larger than in A-ism, so it takes longer to be guard crushed. There is no ground recovery, though Sodom can compansate this with some of his own recovery moves. You lose the ability to taunt in this mode. You do more damage in this mode but also take more damage from enemy hits. However, let's look at what is obvious right off the bat: YOUR JITTE ARE REPLACED BY KATANA!!! For all of you that remember Final Fight, these are the weapons that Sodom wielded as a boss! Sweet! Your range is greatly improved in this mode, and the katana make the increased damage of this mode more believable. This is my personal favorite mode of play, even with some things no longer available and the ever evolving obsession with variable combos. V-ISM This is possibly the strongest version of Sodom. The 'V' stands for Variable Combo, the Japanese name for the Custom Combos in A2. Alpha Counters take up half of your meter. Your guard meter is smaller than the average set by A-ism. You do less damage in this mode, which is dissapointing, but also take less damage. Of course, you can select the distance of your moves here by holding back or forward on the joystick, mainly applicable for your standing fierce. The obvious change is that your super meter has been replaced by a graduated meter. This meter fills up the same way as a super meter, but much faster. After filling up half way or more, you can now use Variable Combos. Your attacks here are generally doubled as your shadow attacks after you, timing depending on how you initiated it. This leads to some really gruesome comboing and juggling if you can get it to connect, leading to pretty heavy damage after many hits. Made popular by Earth Sodom, this version has some killer combos and guard crush tactics. Classic Oh man, this is my favorite. This is true old-school fighting, more so than X-ism. To use it in the arcade, the time release must have reached a certain point, where the startup screen (after you put coins in) is a strange green color, or further along a somewhat bluish color. On this screen, hold fierce and roundhouse and press start. Now when you select your fighter (which should be Sodom), you won't get to select any -ism at all! On the home version, the mode is easily selectable after defeating the arcade mode at difficulty seven. When you first use it you'll notice some odd things. First off, there is no super meter of any kind. Bummer. Secondly, there is no guard meter. This means you can't incur a guard break! Yes! Upon closer examination, you will see other changes. You have practically none of the additions other modes contain, such as recovery in the air or ground, Alpha Counters, taunts, and of course no air blocking. There are is a major plus to this mode: you can not be juggled easily. There may be a few exceptions to this, but generally after a being knocked into the air you will fall back down to the ground. You have your kitana here just like in X-ism. Saikyou ('strongest') The strongest fighting style! Saikyou is Dan Hibiki's martial arts style. As we all know, he is the strongest fighter in the world, so only the strongest use this super weapon. It's advantages include giving less damage and taking more damage, getting dizzy very fast, having a small guard crush meter, and not having the ability to cancel any of your attacks! You can feel the power! Oh yes! (psst... in case you haven't figured it out by now, this mode actually makes you weaker. Dan's style... weak? It can't be!) Mazi (serious) Another strange mode that appears to be aimed at providing a handicap to increase challenge. This is for the true serious players. You will dish out a lot of damage, but also take double the damage when hit. Also, while you must win two rounds to be vitorious, the opponent need only knock you out once to win. ----- b. Combos! Basic combo construction consists of hitting your opponent with a series of moves that can't be blocked after the first hit. Some blockable or escapable combos exist, but most still consider these combos nonetheless. Two-in-ones are regular moves placed in the middle of special move motions. For instance, putting a jab in the middle of the motion for the JS. The jab will hit, with the hits of the JS following up right away. Combos require timing. Below are most of the basics to building combos. TWO-IN-ONES (CANCELS) Here are your basic two-in-ones. Put these in your combos or simply use them alone to get a free in for your specials. Build combos out of these. c. jab -> JS (a great in for any of the moves) c. fierce -> fierce JS (three hits of blocked, two if not?) jab -> BB (only if the jab is blocked with the BB hit) c. fierce -> fierce BB (the first fierce may not hit, but if the opponent blocks, then it usually will hit for a block, making the BB unavoidable) forward -> BB (slightly more damage than using short, better range too) c. fierce -> DB (the best in for the move) c. short -> Yagura Reverse (hehe, this won't hit at all, but it happens. Any use for it?) c. jab/short/fierce -> Meido no Miyage (using short here is easier to do, then pick the level of the super with the punch button if you're in A-ism. A major in for your X-ism super) c. short -> Meido no Miyage or: jab, short, far strong (in V-ism), close strong, forward, c. jab, c. short, c. fierce (Those are the moves that can be cancelled into a special) As a note on using forward, the Scrapes seem to come out easier if you use a half circle to do the move. That is, you hit forward while holding back, then pull off a half circle motion and press punch. This is because of the timing required after the forward, which is longer than that of the weaker attacks. In V-ism this also applies to the standing strong. COMBOS Here are a few combos to try out. Admittedly (outside of V-ism) Sodom isn't a combo machine, but he can do some really sweet juggles. If your opponent gets countered, that is the time to use a strong Scrape combo. These often work even if they flip; it all depends on when the move is used. late j. fierce, c. roundhouse (opponent not in air) j. fierce, juggle with j. fierce (almost all characters have this...) late j. roundhouse, strong JS (this is a quick juggle; it is done when both you and the opponent are in the air) j. roundhouse, DB (again, opponent in air;DB will only bounch opponent) j. forward, c. jab -> jab or fierce JS (I do this one a lot) cross-up with j. short, short -> DB (your cross-up move. Second short can be a c. fierce) AFTER COUNTER / OPPONENT IN AIR The following can be done anywhere after a counter or when the opponent jumps. As with all of Sodom's juggles, the timing is different for each one, and most can be flipped out of, so they don't serve so much of a purpose unless the opponent is naive. Still, they are fun to use, and a forward or neutral flip usually allows completion of the combo anyway. strong JS, strong JS (this can work anywhere if performed correctly. Be quick or wait for the opponent to fall) Lvl 1 Meido no Miyage, Lvl 1 Meido no Miyage (only if they don't flip backwards. You can't follow with a third one) Lvl 1 Meido no Miyage, close strong -> any JS (this isn't too difficult) Lvl 1 Meido no Miyage, close strong -> Lvl 1 Meido no Miyage (yes, it can be done! However, the second one must be started real fast, before the opponent begins to fall. You can replace the strong with a jab, but I find that to be harder) CRAZY CORNER FUN Your opponent needs to be in the air for any of these to work or you can get them there with your punch throw.These are sooooo much fun to watch, and because they are in the corner you can often get a few extra jabs in. The DB only serves to bounce your opponent for a little damage, but it's an in and has huge range to it, so don't count it out. Of course, anything with a super in it requires A-ism. For the Lvl 1 Meido, you may want to try being slightly outside of the corner on very small characters to get all three hits. Don't worry about getting too close during them, the hits will all make it. Many of these are flippable, so they are more for show than actual gameplay use. That's okay; Sodom isn't made for combos anyhow. If the opponent flips forward or neutral, they will take the full brunt anyway. strong JS, strong -> Lvl 1 Meido no Miyage (not too tough) Lvl 1 Meido no Miyage, strong JS, close strong -> jab JS Lvl 1 Meido no Miyage, close strong -> strong JS, jab Lvl 1 Meido no Miyage, c. fierce, Lvl 1 Meido no Miyage, strong, jab (or jab, strong...) jab JS, close strong -> Lvl 3 Meido no Miyage (not as many hits as you would normally get) VARIABLE COMBOS Here are Sodom's Variable Combo options. There are many more, but these are the most effective. 1. THE EARTH SODOM COMBO This is Sodom's most damaging VC, made famous by the best Sodom player in the world (opponent in corner) activate jab+short VC (possibly strng+fwd also...) fierce JS, forward (whiffs), fierce JS, forward (whiffs), repeat The fierce JS doesn't knock them down but instead launches the opponent high into the air and is un-flippable. The whiffed forward is used as a pacekeeper and allows the juggle to continue. This seems more difficult to do on the Playstations version of the game; it looks as though the opponent isn't knocked into the air as high with each Scrape. Strange. 2. FROM ANYWHERE This one can be used from anywhere jab+short VC 4 jab JSs, 3 strong JSs, DB The actual number of scrapes used is variable, and the DB at the end usually juggles for a final hit. If you get near the corner, makes sure that you aren't pushed back too far, as the opponent may be able to block. 3. GUARD CRUSHER This will crush the opponents guard really fast jab+short VC (might be useable with strong+forward also) c. fierce -> fierce JS, c. forward -> fierce JS, c. forward -> fierce JS, repeat from c. forward If their guard gets crushed, either go into Earth Sodom or get in a BB. 4. FLIPPABLE BUT CRAZY This is escapable after the first BB. Daikyou Burning into corner, jab+short VC, jab BB, strong (whiffs), jab BB, strong (whiffs), repeat from jab BB The first jab BB will pick them up off of the ground. Neat, ey? 5. THE TAUNT GAME Any VC that knocks them in the air can be ended with a taunt to hit My brother yelled at me after this. :) ----- c. Winning strategies Here are a few important strategies to winning with Sodom. TICKING Yes, you can, but not as well as Zangief. A few things you need to remember about Sodom's BB (if you didn't know that was the move to tick into, ouch...) is that it is somewhat slow to get through the initial frames and has a longer range than most 360 moves. The slow speed of both Sodom's regular attacks and the BB make simple jab ticks impossible. - j. short or jab, BB works some of the time if your opponent is comatose, but...
 - j. roundhouse, BB works more often! If the opponent blocks, you
should be just far enough away to avoid most sweeps, except maybe
Dhalsim's slide and a few others. Works most of the time. 
 - long-distance strong JS, fierce BB is surprisingly effective.
Because you aren't close, the opponent might just walk forward
after the JS, right into your BB. This is unexpected and deadly. 

The oddest tick of all is to do a standing fierce, then the BB. You 
wouldn't expect this to work, but the BB will land if spaced right. 

In short, it is dangerous to tick with Sodom, but if done right can 
still be very effective.


THE PSYCHE GAME

I use a lot of psyche outs because I am evil. >:)

Sodom has one of the best psyche out games there is. First and
foremost is the Yagura Reverse. This fake Tengu Walk is great for
making the opponent hold back or sweep aimlessly. Then, when they 
start moving forward, a roundhouse sweep will knock them on their ass! 
The Tengu itself will make many people hesitant to charge at you, 
giving you more breathing room. This should be the ONLY time you use 
a fake Tengu. That is, whenever you can reverse.

Another key psyche is the mere fact that you have two 360 degree
moves at your disposal. It really pisses people off, but spin the
joystick around from time to time. This will keep the opponent
guessing as to whether you will try and tag them with a DB from a
distance or to counter their move. Then, while they are thinking of
their next move, go on the offensive. This is a great time to tick
and actual land a BB, when the opponent starts going defensvie on
you. 


ANTI-AIR MOVES

Here are Sodom's anti-air and tradeoff moves:

 - Crouching fierce. This is ol' reliable, and should be the one that 
you use most often.

 - Shirraha Catch is an anti-air move. That's what it's
made for! Unfortunately, since the beta it has been made pretty 
much useless. Still, it is there if you have some kind of sick luck.

 - Strong JS is another knock out of the air move. This will set up 
some nice combos, also.

 - Level 1 Meido no Miyage works much like the strong JS, except
for three hits and with higher priority. MUCH higher priority, that 
is. You will knock the opponent out of almost anything.


KEY POINTS

 - Sodom's only real link is jab -> short, and that doesn't work 
very well anyway. Seemed easier before...

 - Despite all of the options open for anti-air, Sodom seems weak 
defensively. This is especially true in the corner. If you find 
yourself trapped in the corner, try to get out with a slide.

 - Beware of V-ism opponents. Because of the pass through initial 
frames of a VC, your scrapes can go right through the opponent and 
leave you open for big damage.

 - While X-ism is great, the super for it isn't all that hot. The 
damage varies against different opponents, but you may want to 
consider using Classic. Many of the lost escape options are made up 
for with Sodom's many reversal moves. Having no guard meter is 
always an advantage, as is the limited amount of juggling that can 
be done to you in this mode.

 - If your opponent is Chun-Li... don't pick Sodom. It's a headache 
waiting to happen.



\\\\\\\--------5. Other Stuff for the Devoted Player---------///////

Here are the little quirks that don't fit anywhere else.


a.   Win Poses

When you win a round, press this button to activate the specified win 
pose. Note that because he wields katana, X-ism (or Classic) Sodom has 
his 'spinning the weapon' poses replaced by his fountain poses.

 jab     -  Sodom does his taunt (he bows to the opponent).
 strong  -  Sodom takes out his fan that emits a small fountain of water. 
            Appare!
 fierce  -  Sodom takes out and waves his fan and waves it. As he does 
            so, butterflies hover above it. Bureiko!
 short   -  Sodom hunches over and spins his jitte.
 forward -  Sodom hunches over and spins his jitte, but they fall out of 
            his hands. Sodom looks around surprised and embarrased. He 
            really needs to practice that some more. ^_^
 rndhse  -  Same as with jab (he bows).


b.   Win Quotes



c.   Midboss and Ending Text

 (SPOILERS!!! DON'T READ IF YOU DON'T WANT THE STORY RUINED!!!)

MIDBOSS 1: Rolento
Rolento - I'm trying to accomplish a vital mission.
Rolento - Join me right now, and you will be rewarded handsomely!
Rolento - Otherwise...  I'll assume you are just an obstacle to my plan...
Rolento - and I will eliminate you!
-after victory-
Rolento - I never imagined my plan would end in such failure!
Sodom - Your plan?
Rolento - Shadaloo is said to have constructed an underground base.
Rolento - We planned to take it over and make it into our own.
Sodom - Oh, that is a nice plan!  I'll take that base for myself!
Sodom - I'll make it the headquarters of the new "Mad Gear!"

MIDBOSS 2: Chun Li
Chun Li - You there! I'm in the middle of a very important mission!
Chun Li -  Please do not interfere!
Sodom - The Shadaloo base... It's going to be perfect for Mad Gear!
Sodom - Then, everything will be mine!
Chun Li - There seems to be no point in talking to you. Get ready!


FINAL BOSS: (Shin) M. Bison
M. Bison - On well... Another day, another piece of trash.
M. Bison - Garbage such as you has no place here!
Sodom - I'm not trash! I really have class I tell you!
Sodom - And now I'll show you my super special move, too!
M. Bison - I see. Worthless trash came here to spew more garbage. Show me.

ENDING (synopsis)
Though defeated, Bison restores his vitality using the Psycho Drive.
Chun Li and Charlie (in his harrier) watch on as Sodom uses his ultimate 
technique... the Kamikaze Attack! He drives the big rig from his SFA2 
background right into the Shadowlaw base, causing the over-used mega 
explosion. Chun Li witnesses this and comments on how Sodom was a hero after 
all. Rolento, also looking on, believes that surely Sodom could not have died in 
the blast.


d.   Normal and Special Move Names and Translations


All of this information was provided by the ever-generous Kao Megura. 
It is pretty much lifted from an e-mail he sent to me, so... enjoy. ^_^

Standing Far Punches
jab - Jitte Barai (Jitte Sweep)
strong - Samurai Punch (a samurai is a warrior who serves a master)

Standing Close Punches
fierce - Ganmen Jitte Kudaki (Face Smashing Jitte)

Crouching Punches
jab - Jitte Barai
strong - Upper Jitte Barai
fierce - Samurai Upper

Jumping Punches
jab - Gedan Jitte Barai (Low Level Jitte Sweep)
strong - Gedan Jitte Barai
fierce - Futa Jitte Seppou Otoshi (Double Jitte Snow-Destroying Drop)

Standing Kicks
short - Low Kick
forward - Middle Kick
roundhouse - Bushido Kick (bushido means "way of the warrior")

Crouching Kicks
short - Soku Barai?
forward - Soku Barai (Foot Sweep)
roundhouse - Sliding (the official name of his slide kick)

Jumping Kicks
short - Sodom Kick
forward - Sodom Kick
roundhouse - Kamikaze Kick (kamikaze means "divine wind", but can also 
mean 'sucicidal' or 'last-ditch attempt' (like "do or die")).

I assume you'd replace 'jitte' with 'katana' if you were listing his
X-ism moves.

Special Moves:
 Shogun Throw                   (emperor's follower) Throw
 Daimyo Throw                   (feudal lord) Throw
 Jigoku Scrape                  Hell Scrape
 Butsumetsu Buster              Unlucky Day Buster
 Daikyou Burning                Worst Luck Burning
 Shiraha Catch                  White Blade Catch
 Yagura Reverse                 Oar Reverse
 Kouten Okiagari                Roll Backwards and Get Up
 Tengu Walking                  (type of demon) Walking
 Meido no Miyage                Present from Hades
 Ten Chuu Satsu                 Death in the Midst of Heaven?

It's hard to see, but the symbol on his chest is "shi" (death, die).



e.   Did You Know...

... that the jitte were often used by Japanese law enformcement?   

... that because of his American lineage he is ashamed to show his
face, hiding it behind a mask that he never takes off in public? This 
is hinted at in the Street Fighter manga. It can also be seen in his 
SFA2 ending where he fights a sumo out of outfit yet still wears his 
mask.

... that many of Sodom's Japanese win quotes are very informal and 
show his incomplete knowledge of the language?

... that Final Fight Sodom was renamed Katana for the sensitive SNES 
viewers?

... that the truck in Sodom's ending is the same as in his SFA2 stage?

... that there was a rumor of a special entrance animation in Honda vs 
Sodom fights? (if anyone can actually show me this I will be very 
thankfull)




\\\\\\\---------------------6. The Rest----------------------///////



a.   Comments Appreciated

Want to say thank you? Pissed off? Hate me? Drop me a line. I enjoy 
all feedback, good or bad. Contributions are very welcome as well.


-----


b.   Those that helped (even if they don't know it!)

 - Kao Megura (kmegura@hotmail.com): Without the SFA3 FAQ, where the
hell would many people be? Many contributions and move names. One 
of the greatest FAQ writers in the world, easily. For shame to those 
magazines that rip his FAQs! http://members.xoom.com/megura

 - Joe VanPelt aka: Chocobo (chocobo@mindspring.com): great VC list where I 
first heard the BB VC Combo from. And he's got a sweet name, damnit! >_<

 - M4 (sorry, don't have your address...): showing me that criticism
is important, even when it is highly negative. Standing fierce

 - Matt Hall (lordbbh@aol.com): because he kicks ass. Check out his 
Karin guide

 - Julien Beasley: various information and his great info from Japan

 - alt.games.sf2: although I have personally witnessed its decline 
over time, there are still many fine people there with valuable 
information



This unpublished work is copyright 1999 Joseph Parise