How to Beat ??? (The Self)

??? (The Self) Summary

Shadow Rose is a classic mirror match for Rose. She has much of the same attack and arsenal as Rose but can string them faster. Defeating her will purge Dracula's curse from Rose and grant her The Self Arcana, the Absolution Spell, and the path to the true ending.

??? (The Self) Attack Patterns

Attack	Description
Sword Slash	Real Rose's standad sword combo. Has a variation where The Self turns around to attack if you are behind her.
Spear Throw	Spear Throw from using spears. Aims at you wherever you are, even in the air.
Smash	Double-jumps then dashes to you then uses Smash
Shield Tackle	Rose's special attack with a sword and shield. Charges all the way through.
Dual Blade Slash	Equips and attacks with dual blades using the special quick-combo attack. Only goes until the second stage of the combo
Uppercut	Uses the arcane whip to pull herself towards you and uses the Uppercut whip attack
Holy Cross	Equips Leon's tarot card and throws the Holy Cross.
Potion Heal	Drops potion when damaged. If she dodges you, she will pick up the potion and heal herself. You can take the potion for yourself.
Added At 50% and Below
Greatsword Slash	The Greatsword's charge attack. Charges only once
Infernal Pyre	Equips Joan of Arc's tart card and lights the four spaces around her on fire. Can light up the whole stage if she is in the middle. Can burn you.
Petrifying Gaze	Equips Medusa's tarot card and charges at you to petrify you.
Blood Spikes	Equips Carmilla's tarot card and launches spikes of blood at you. Can inflict bleed.
Soul Harvest	Equips Death's tarot card and swings a large scythe at you. Slow, but very strong.

How to Beat ??? (The Self)

[1] Attack Sparingly.

attack sparingly

The Self does not have large windows of opportunity for you to attack. She strings together her attacks very quickly. To beat her more effectively, attack in those small pauses between attacks. A whip is a good weapon of choice since it attacks from a distance, or you can use the double blades to quickly transition to another attack yourself.

[2] Steal Her Health Potions.

steal potions.gif

Sometimes while fighting The Self, she will drop potions like the ones Rose uses. Do not let her get them, as they will heal her. But do not leave lying around either. If you take them for yourself, you will replenish your potion supply like you would have found them in the map.

[3] Understand Your Own Skills.

The Self is the inner darkness within Rose, meaning she uses almost all of the same attacks as she does but faster. Understand what your own skills can do and how far they attack so you can predict and read The Self's various attacks, especially against her Tarot Card spells.