How to beat Cliff in Pokemon Go (July 2024) – Counters & weaknesses

❘ Updated: 2024-07-12T16:02:24

team go rocket leader cliff in pokemon go

Niantic/The Pokemon Company

Squaring off against Team Go Rocket Leader Cliff is difficult for Pokemon Go players, thanks to his powerful Shadow lineup.

We’ve got you covered as here’s his current lineup of Shadow Pokemon in July 2024 to help you build the best Pokemon Go team to defeat him, along with details on their weaknesses and the best counters to use.

Cliff Pokemon Go team in July 2024

Machop
Kingdra / Gallade / Aerodactyl
Tyranitar / Cradily / Crobat

Cliff’s team is very versatile, mixing fast-paced attacks with high-damage figures. This is quite challenging for most Pokemon Go players but with the right counters, beating him is no big deal.

How to defeat Cliff in Pokemon Go

To beat Cliff, you’ll have to make sure that you have counters that can cover various typings, both for defense and offense.

pokemon team go rocket leaders promo image

Cliff uses some of the hardest-hitting Pokemon in his team.

Machop counters

Shadow Mewtwo with Psycho Cut and Psystrike.
Mega Latios with Zen Headbutt and Psychic.
Metagross with Zen Headbutt and Psychic.
Shadow Gallade with Psycho Cut and Leaf Blade
Alakazam with Psycho Cut and Psychic.

Machop is a pure Fighting type, which means it’s weak to Fairy, Flying, and Psychic-type attacks. When picking your team for battle, you should also consider that it can resist Bug, Dark, and Rock moves.

Using leads to spam fast Charged Moves and leaving Cliff without shields early in the battle is a good strategy you can follow.

pokemon go team rocket leader cliff shadow machop

Shadow Machop is Cliff’s main shield breaker, so watch out.

Kingdra counters

Tyranitar with Bite and Brutal Swing.
Gengar with Shadow Claw and Shadow Ball.
Xurkitree with Spark and Discharge/Power Whip.
Hydreigon with Bite and Brutal Swing/Dark Pulse.

Kingdra is a dual Dragon/Water type, so it’s weak against Dragon and Fairy types. Keep in mind that it’s not weak to Ice, Grass, or Electric types, as most Pokemon Go trainers aren’t used to facing opponents with Kingdra’s type combination.

Gallade counters

Togekiss with Charm and Dazzling Gleam.
Gardevoir with Charm and Shadow Ball.
Xurkitree with Spark and Dazzling Gleam.
Gengar with Shadow Claw and Shadow Ball.
Giratina with Shadow Claw and Shadow Force.

Gallade is a Psychic/Fighting type, which means it’s weak against Flying, Ghost, and Fairy-type attacks. It’s resistant only to Fighting, and Rock-type moves, so you have a lot of options for dealing neutral damage.

Cliff will use Kingdra, Gallade, or Aerodactyl on his second turn.

Aerodactyl counters

Metagross with Bullet Punch and Meteor Mash.
Swampert with Water Gun and Hydro Cannon.
Mega Blastoise with Water Gun and Hydro Cannon.
Shadow Rampardos with Smack Down and Rock Slide.
Shadow Rhyperior with Smack Down and Rock Wrecker.

Aerodactyl could be the most troublesome to deal with, as its counter-compatibility with other members of Cliff’s lineup doesn’t match all too well and could mess up your strategy if you encounter it. But, the heavy damage from the counters stated above can get the job done without much effort.

Cliff can have Tyranitar, Cradily, or Crobat as his third Pokemon.

Tyranitar counters

Lucario with Counter and Power-Up Punch.
Swampert with Water Gun and Hydro Cannon.
Conkeldurr with Counter and Dynamic Punch.
Machamp with Counter and Close Combat.
Breloom with Counter and Dynamic Punch.

Tyranitar is a Rock/Dark-type species, which means it’s weak against Bug, Fairy, Fighting, Grass, Ground, Steel, and Water-type moves. It’s resistant to Flying, Poison, Ghost, Fire, Psychic, and Dark-type attacks.

Cradily counters

Metagross with Bullet Punch and Meteor Mash.
Lucario with Counter and Power-Up Punch.
Conkeldurr with Counter and Focus Blast.
Galarian Darmanitan with Ice Fang and Avalanche.
Terrakion with Double Kick and Close Combat.

Cradily is a dual Rock/Grass-type Pokemon, so it’s weak against Bug, Fighting, Steel, and Ice-type attacks. It’s also resistant to Electric and Normal-type moves.

Crobat

Metagross with Bullet Punch and Meteor Mash.
Shadow Rampardos with Smack Down and Rock Slide.
Shadow Rhyperior with Smack Down and Rock Wrecker.
Shadow Mewtwo with Confusion and Psystrike.
Mega Latios with Zen Headbutt and Psychic.

Crobat is a Flying/Poison-type species, meaning it’s weak against Psychic, Electric, Rock, and Ice-type attacks. It will resist Bug, Grass, Fighting, Ground, Poison, and Fairy-type moves, so pay attention to your lineup in case you end up having one of these types.

Best team to defeat Cliff in Pokemon Go

A team composed of Rhyperior/Rampardos, Togekiss, and Metagross should work wonders against Cliff’s lineup.

Since you can only pick three Pokemon to face Cliff, you’ll need to cover different typings to be prepared for whatever he throws at you.

Don’t forget to check out how to defeat other Team Rocket Leaders in Pokemon Go such as Arlo, Sierra, and their Boss, Giovanni.