Guard Power Gauge, or simply Guard Meter, is a mechanic introduced in the Street Fighter Alpha series, used in Street Fighter Alpha 3.
Description[]
This bar lies beneath the lifebar next to the timer of the game. It may have three distinct colors:
Each character has a guard meter that depletes when taking hits while blocking. It works similarly to the stun mechanic in that its length is determined based on the character's maximum health and/or stun. X-ISM Guard Meters are generally longer compared to other meters, since the style emulates a series where blocking was effectively the only defensive option.
The meter will begin blinking when it is close to running out; if knocked to zero by another hit, the character will suffer a stun-like state known as Guard Crush, where they are staggered and left open to attack. In addition, the meter will shrink in size by one portion, thus making it possible for guard-heavy players to be almost unable to block at all eventually.
A parry-like mechanic exists within this system: if the player guards at the last moment, just as an attack is about to hit (as opposed to doing so before hand), the meter will not decrease as much. The character will flash blue if this is done properly.
