Pokémon GO: How to Counter Leader Cliff (June 2022)

Cliff is one of the three Team GO Rocket Leaders in Pokémon GO who takes direct orders from Giovanni, the boss of the criminal organization aiming to take over all PokéStops around the world. To encounter or be confronted by Leader Cliff, Trainers must defeat regular Grunts to acquire their Mysterious Components. After collecting six, players can combine the Mysterious Components to create a Rocket Radar, a device used for pinpointing the location of a Team GO Rocket Leader. The Leader can be Arlo, Cliff, and Sierra. Accordingly, those who face Leader Cliff in Pokémon GO will naturally want to know how to counter him in battle.

Countering Team GO Rocket Leader Cliff in Pokémon GO

To counter Leader Cliff in Pokémon GO in June 2022, combatants must first know what Shadow Pokémon comp this boss enemy will potentially dispatch. The first Pokémon will always be Cubone, and the second has a chance to be Omastar, Luxray, or Electivire. Finally, the third can be one of the following: Charizard, Tyranitar, or Swampert.

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Below is a brief list of Leader Cliff’s possible Pokémon team comps and what their weaknesses are:

1st Pokémon: Cubone: Type – Ground | Weaknesses – Water, Grass, and Ice
2nd Pokémon (1): Omastar: Type – Rock and Water | Weaknesses – Grass, Fighting, Ground, Electric
2nd Pokémon (2): Luxray: Type – Electric | Weaknesses – Ground
2nd Pokémon (3): Electivire: Type – Electric | Weaknesses – Ground
3rd Pokémon (1): Charizard: Type – Fire and Flying | Weaknesses – Rock, Water, and Electric
3rd Pokémon (2): Tyranitar: Type – Rock and Dark | Weaknesses – Fighting, Ground, Bug, Steel, Water, Grass, and Fairy
3rd Pokémon (3): Swampert: Type – Water and Ground | Weaknesses – Grass

With the listed weaknesses above in mind, players can use the following Pokémon team to best counter Team GO Rocket Leader Cliff in Pokémon GO:

Masquerain: Type – Bug and Flying | Best Moveset – Fast Move: Infestation, Charged Move: Bubble Beam and Ominous Wind
Garchomp: Type – Dragon and Ground | Best Moveset – Fast Move: Mud Shot, Charged Move: Sand Tomb
Omastar: Type – Rock and Water | Best Moveset – Fast Move: Mud Shot, Charged Move: Ancient Power

These Pokémon not only provide Movesets that can counter Cliff’s possible parties, but they also are resistant to many of the potential abilities that the Team GO Rocket Leader’s Pokémon might have in Pokémon GO. Nevertheless, if a Trainer is missing one or more of the Pokémon above, they can double-check the weaknesses of Cliff’s brigade to prepare their party accordingly.

Pokémon GO is available on iOS and Android.