Learn how to defeat GO Rocket Leader Cliff during the month of March 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 March 2024.
Rocket Leader Cliff is currently using the following Shadow Pokémon:
Pokémon #1 | Pokémon #2 | Pokémon #3 |
---|---|---|
Zubat (Shadow) | Kingdra (Shadow) | Tyranitar (Shadow) |
Aerodactyl (Shadow) | Cradily (Shadow) | |
Gallade (Shadow) | Crobat (Shadow) |
- Cliff’s first Pokémon is Shadow Zubat
- Cliff’s second Pokémon can be Shadow Kingdra, Shadow Aerodactyl or Shadow Gallade.
- Cliff’s third Pokémon can be Shadow Tyranitar, Shadow Cradily or Shadow Crobat.
Best team to defeat Rocket Leader Cliff’s Pokémon
To beat Cliff’s current Pokémon, you need to exploit their weaknesses and use best counters you can use to defeat each one. One of the best Teams you can use against Cliff in Pokémon GO is Haxorus, Lucario, and Metagross.
- Lucario, as a superior Fighting-type, can help defeat Tyranitar to an extent. Lucario can be used to burn through shields quickly.
- Metagross is an excellent choice against Cliff. Metagross will be super effective against multiple Pokémon in Cliff’s lineup so is a pretty safe bet.
- Haxorus has some versatility against Cliff’s lineup, using Dragon Tail and Breaking Swipe.
💡 Note: In Trainer Battles, counters need not always be Pokémon that do super-effective damage. We include Pokémon that are more viable to defeat Cliff, rather than those who do maximum damage. Defeating Cliff rewards 3× Shadow Shards.
Best Pokémon to defeat Cliff’s Shadow Zubat
Zubat (Shadow)Open with a strong opener that can burn shields efficiently while still having utility after rotation.
Zubat is a dual Poison/Flying-type Pokémon. It is weak to Electric, Ice, Rock and Psychic type moves. It takes reduced damage from Bug, Fighting, Grass, Fairy, Ground and Poison-type moves.
Pokémon | Moves |
---|---|
Mewtwo | Confusion, Psystrike |
Xurkitree | Thunder Shock, Discharge |
Rhyperior | Smack Down, Rock Wrecker |
Rampardos | Smack Down, Rock Slide |
Metagross | Zen Headbutt, Psychic |
Best Pokémon to defeat Cliff’s Second Pokémon
Cliff’s second Pokémon can be Shadow Slowking, Gallade or Cradily:
Follow up with a Pokémon that can burn through Cliff’s second choice quickly, be it through reusing your first Pokémon and charging up, or by simply destroying his pick. Your choice will depend on which second Pokémon Cliff uses, as they have quite varied counters. It is an interesting group of Pokémon, with some varied counter choices.
Kingdra counters
Kingdra (Shadow)Shadow Kingdra is a Water and Dragon-type Pokémon. Shadow Kingdra is weak to Dragon and Fairy-type moves. It takes reduced damage from Steel, Fire, and Water-type moves.
Pokémon | Moves |
---|---|
Rayquaza | Dragon Tail, Outrage |
Salamence | Dragon Tail, Outrage |
Haxorus | Dragon Tail, Breaking Swipe |
Garchomp | Dragon Tail, Outrage |
Dragonite | Dragon Tail, Outrage |
Aerodactyl counters
Aerodactyl (Shadow)Shadow Aerodactyl is a Rock and Flying-type Pokémon. Shadow Aerodactyl is weak to Electric, Ice, Rock, Steel, and Water-type moves. It takes reduced damage from Bug, Fire, Flying, Ground, Normal, and Poison-type moves.
Pokémon | Moves |
---|---|
Metagross | Bullet Punch, Meteor Mash |
Kyogre | Waterfall, Origin Pulse |
Rampardos | Smack Down, Rock Slide |
Rhyperior | Smack Down, Rock Wrecker |
Melmetal | Thunder Shock, Double Iron Bash |
Gallade counters
Gallade (Shadow)Shadow Gallade is a Psychic and Fighting-type Pokémon. Shadow Gallade is weak to Fairy, Flying, and Ghost-type moves. It takes reduced damage from Fighting and Rock-type moves.
Pokémon | Moves |
---|---|
Rayquaza | Air Slash, Dragon Ascent |
Chandelure | Hex, Shadow Ball |
Lunala | Air Slash, Shadow Ball |
Mewtwo | Psycho Cut, Shadow Ball |
Honchkrow | Peck, Sky Attack |
Best Pokémon to defeat Cliff’s last Pokémon
Cliff’s last Pokémon can be Shadow Tyranitar, Mamoswine, or Dusknoir:
Finish by dealing large amounts of super effective damage, depending on what you are faced against. Tyranitar is a fairly common Pokémon for Cliff’s lineups, and Cradily is fairly easy.
Tyranitar counters
Tyranitar (Shadow)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 Dark, Fire, Flying, Ghost, Normal, Poison, and Psychic type moves.
Pokémon | Moves |
---|---|
Terrakion | Double Kick, Sacred Sword, Rock Slide |
Conkeldurr | Counter, Dynamic Punch, Stone Edge |
Swampert | Mud Shot, Hydro Cannon, Earthquake |
Lucario | Counter, Power-Up Punch, Shadow Ball |
Machamp | Counter, Close Combat, Stone Edge |
Cradily counters
Cradily (Shadow)Cradily 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.
Pokémon | Moves |
---|---|
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 |
Conkeldurr | Counter, Dynamic Punch, Focus Blast |
Crobat counters
Crobat (Shadow)Shadow Crobat is a Poison and Flying-type Pokémon. Shadow Crobat is weak to Electric, Ice, Psychic, and Rock-type moves. It takes reduced damage from Fairy, Ground, Poison, Bug, Fighting, and Grass-type moves.
Pokémon | Moves |
---|---|
Mewtwo | Psycho Cut, Psystrike |
Metagross | Zen Headbutt, Psychic |
Rampardos | Smack Down, Rock Slide |
Rhyperior | Smack Down, Rock Wrecker |
Xurkitree | Thunder Shock, Discharge |
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× StardustRandom drop of two of these:
- 4× Revive
- 2× Max Revive
- 4× Hyper Potion
- 2× Max Potion
- 1× Unova Stone
- 1× Egg 12 km
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.