Cliff Lineup and Counters (September 2024)

Learn how to defeat GO Rocket Leader Cliff during the month of September 2024. Includes Cliff’s current Pokémon line-up, best counters and teams to use, and rewards for defeating Cliff.

Cliff is one of the Team GO Rocket Leaders in Pokémon GO, next to Arlo, Sierra, and Giovanni. In this article, we’ll share the best counters and strategies to beat Cliff in Pokémon GO during September 2024, starting from the Adventure Week: Taken Over event.

Shadiw Lileep counters

Lileep (Shadow)

Open with a strong opener that can burn shields efficiently while still having utility after rotation. Lileep is a Rock and Grass-type Pokémon. It is weak to Bug, Fighting, Ice and Steel type moves. It takes reduced damage from Electric and Normal type moves.

Lileep Counters

Pokémon	Moves
Necrozma (Dusk Mane)	Metal Claw, Sunsteel Strike
Metagross	Bullet Punch, Meteor Mash, Flash Cannon
Lucario	Counter, Power-Up Punch, Aura Sphere
Terrakion	Double Kick, Sacred, Sword, Close Combat
Darmanitan (Galarian)	Ice Fang, Avalanche, Super Power

Shadow Kingdra Counters

Kingdra (Shadow)

Kingdra is a Water and Dragon-type Pokémon. It is weak to Dragon, and Fairy type moves. It takes reduced damage from Fire, Water, and Steel type moves.

Kingdra Counters

Pokémon	Moves
Garchomp	Dragon Tail, Outrage
Dragonite	Dragon Tail, Outrage
Baxcalibur	Dragon Breath, Outrage
Xurkitree	Thunder Shock, Dazzling Gleam
Hydreigon	Dragon Breath, Dragon Pulse

Shadow Marowak counters

Marowak (Shadow)

Marowak is a Ground-type Pokémon. It is weak to Grass, Ice, and Water type moves. It takes reduced damage from Electric, Rock and Poison type moves.

Marowak Counters

Pokémon	Moves
Kyogre	Waterfall, Surf
Decidueye	Leafage, Frenzy Plant*/ Energy Ball
Baxcalibur	Ice Fang, Avalanche
Kingler	Bubble, Crabhammer
Mamoswine	Powder Snow, Avalanche

Shadow Aeorodactyl counters

Aerodactyl (Shadow)

Shadow Aerodactyl is a Rock and Flying-type Pokémon. It is weak to Electric, Ice, Rock, Steel, and Water moves. It takes reduced damage from Bug, Fire, Flying, Ground, Normal, and Poison moves.

Aerodactyl Counters

Pokémon	Moves
Necrozma (Dawn Wings)	Metal Claw, Sunsteel Strike
Xurkitree	Thunder Shock, Discharge
Metagross	Bullet Punch, Meteor Mash*
Melmetal	Thunder Shock, Double Iron Bash*
Rampardos	Smack Down, Rock Slide

Shadow Tyranitar counters

Tyranitar (Shadow)

Tyranitar is a Rock and Dark-type Pokémon. It is weak to Fighting, Bug, Fairy, Grass, Ground, Steel, and Water type moves. It takes reduced damage from Psychic, Fire, Dark, Flying, Ghost, Normal, and Poison type moves.

Tyranitar Counters

Pokémon	Moves
Lucario	Force Palm*/Counter, Aura Sphere
Conkeldurr	Counter, Dynamic Punch
Machamp	Counter, Dynamic Punch
Hariyama	Counter, Dynamic Punch
Hawlucha	Low Kick, Flying Press

Shadow Cradily counters

Cradily (Shadow)

Cradily is a Rock and Grass-type Pokémon. It is weak to Bug, Bug, Fighting, Ice and Steel type moves. It takes reduced damage from Electric and Normal type moves.

Cradily Counters

Pokémon	Moves
Necrozma (Dusk Mane)	Metal Claw, Sunsteel Strike
Terrakion	Double Kick, Sacred Sword*
Lucario	Force Palm*, Aura Sphere
Metagross	Bullet Punch, Meteor Mash*
Conkeldurr	Counter, Dynamic Punch

Shadow Dragonite counters

Dragonite (Shadow)

Tyranitar is a Dragon and Flying-type Pokémon. It is weak to Ice, Dragon, Fairy and Rock type moves. It takes reduced damage from [big], Fighting, Fire, Water, Grass and Ground type moves.

Dragonite Counters

Pokémon	Moves
Mamoswine	Powder Snow, Avalanche
Cetitan	Ice Shard, Avalanche
Baxcalibur	Ice Fang, Avalanche
Glaceon	Frost Breath, Avalanche
Mewtwo	Psycho Cut, Ice Beam

How to battle Cliff in Pokémon GO?

To fight with Cliff in Pokémon GO, you need to first defeat six Team GO Rocket Grunts to collect enough Mysterious Components to build a Rocket Radar.

Activate the Rocket Radar and you will be able to see the location of a Rocket Leader. The game will not tell you which Leader you are facing, but you have a 33% chance for it to be Cliff.

Fighting Cliff is more difficult than fighting Grunts, as Leaders use higher level Pokémon than Grunts. In order to defeat Cliff, we consider using good counters mandatory. 

You can rematch if you lose, and your Rocket Radar will be consumed if you win.

Rewards for defeating Team GO Rocket Leader Cliff

Trainers who manage to defeat Cliff – or any other Team GO Rocket Leader – will get a selection of rare rewards, including the chance to get a Team GO Rocket exclusive 12 km Strange Egg.

• Trainers receive 1,000 Stardust when defeating a Rocket Leaders,
• Trainers will receive two of the item bundles listed below when they defeat Team GO Rocket Leader like Cliff.
• Trainers have the opportunity to catch a Shadow Pokémon used by the Leader. It is always the first Pokémon used by the Leader.
• Shadow Pokémon from Rocket Leaders have a shiny chance of 1 in 64, if they are shiny eligible at the moment of defeating the Leader

Rewards for defeating Cliff in Pokémon GO

Defeating one of the Team GO Rocket Leader trio earns you two item bundles. If at least one of your Egg inventory slots is open, a 12km Strange Egg is guaranteed to replace one of those two bundles.

Receiving a Strange Egg does not have an effect on which item bundle drops alongside the egg.

A Strange Egg can drop into either your regular egg storage, or into your extra space if you already have 9 eggs.

Guaranteed

1000× Stardust

Random drop of two of these:

As an example, a typical reward drop might contain 4 Revives and 4 Hyper Potions. Similarly, a reward drop might contain 1 Strange Egg and 2 Max Revives, or 1 Unova Stone and 1 Strange Egg.