vs Honda
Tier Lists - (5-5)
My opinion - (6-4 Rose)
Rose’s main tools in the match:
- Sparks
- st. mk, cr. mp, cr. hp
- Dashes
- Illusion Spark
- Throws
The main gameplan of Honda is sweet and simple. He tries to get in and do his damage before you can get the lead. Our main gameplan is to get the lead and keep the lead, slowly, but surely.
Tool 1 – Sparks
Sparks are huge. Throw Honda off with the different speed fireballs. Honda has a huge hitbox, a slow floaty jump and a hard time getting over the fireballs. LP Fireball from full screen helps you walk in with it and get in a cr. fierce if he jumps, otherwise he is forced to take the chip damage. The HP Spark gets you the traps that you need. (and it’s fun to see Honda jump and take damage, see Illusion Spark). He has no choice but to jump over these, focus absorb these, block these, or sumo slam over these, which are all pretty bad choices against Rose, (except blocking) where are all bad choices against Rose because she chips you away or she can walk anti-air everything, or when the time is right, Illusion Spark. (do something about the Focus Absorb, Rose has slides, throws, decent foot speed, spirals, etc.) Just don’t spark at the obvious positions.
Tool 2 – Our normals
st. mk on his wake up without meter is pretty fool proof. It leaves us at neutral and neutral is a fairly advantageous position against Honda. cr. mp is helpful in this match for when you fireball and you need to stop because he’s walking forward. cr. mp beats Honda’s cr. jab. Protip: Honda has no charge while he’s walking forward. 
cr. fierce is your main anti air. LP spark and follow the spark. if he jumps do cr. fierce. If he doesn’t jump, let him block the spark and go back. It puts you in that position of advantage whether he jumps or not. Also, it’s better to use cr. fierce as an anti-air against Honda, since slide gets stuffed by Honda’s j. mp cleanly.
**Tool 3 – Dashes **
The dashes are essential in every match up. Including this one. Be wary though. If he’s walking forward, you can go for a forward dash throw. If he’s charging back feel free to backdash, but his HP Headbutt is a force. Dashes combined with walking forward and backward for spacing are of course essential. Probably wasted my time typing this section up.
Tool 4 – Illusion Spark
People always disagree with me. This is the move that makes Honda v Rose 6-4. Rose’s Illusion Spark catches headbutts as you see them on reaction. Honda has to do something about the fireball if he doesn’t want to take chip all day, therefore, he can either sumo slam or jump, both punishable by Illusion Spark. cr. jab xx hands is something you can be afraid of but if you have a mindset where you can predict Oicho or headbutt or a cr. jab after it (anything that isn’t block) you will grab him out of it. Hell, mix it up a bit. I know a lot of you don’t believe in wake-up illusions, but honda is a character that can’t safely cr. jab Rose so say “try this on for size, and you will buy it” to him.
Tool 5 – Throws
It’s Rose!
Things to watch out for
cr. jab xx hands - Probably his main weapon against Rose. cr. jab xx hands won’t completely hit on a standing Rose. (or was it crouching). You shouldn’t ever be in a position where he would be able to do this to you. You have all the tools to zone him out and keep him @ bay. If he were to do it to you. Just block and do a move accordingly to their follow up (whether it be oicho, jab or headbutt). Backdashing out of it is an okay choice because I doubt anyone really is going to headbutt after jab hands lol. Jumping isn’t a bad choice either, but this is the tool you have to watch out for.
Headbutts - Getting hit hurts, 200 damage per? Rose can take 5 of these, but Rose has tools to stop headbutts, such as fireballs, soul throw, soul spark, soul spiral, blocking and then EX Spiraling the HP Headbutts.
EX Headbutt - Safe jump it. Don’t take the risk. Rose is a low risk - low reward character. Ex headbutt makes Rose a high risk - low reward character. So just be wary if you see it.
j. strong - be fooled by it and slide in and you’ll eat 50%. Slide gets c. hit clean and cr. fierce trades or beats it. Just watch out for it. main problem will be cr. jab xx hands.
The last thing you have to look out for against Honda is his damage output. That’s what Honda is, big damage in no time. Honda’s enemy since the beginning of time is fireballs, and Rose has a good one to stop character like Honda.
Goodluck on your Honda match up.
cr. fierce is your main anti air. LP spark and follow the spark. if he jumps do cr. fierce. If he doesn’t jump, let him block the spark and go back. It puts you in that position of advantage whether he jumps or not. Also, it’s better to use cr. fierce as an anti-air against Honda, since slide gets stuffed by Honda’s j. mp cleanly.