Team GO Rocket Leaders are enemy battles that can be challenging for Trainers to overcome in Pokémon GO; however, it can be rewarding. Defeating Arlo, Cliff, and Sierra will lead to the showdown with their boss, Giovanni, but before that, you'll need to go head-to-head with each leader.
However, preparing for the battle with Cliff can be straightforward as he uses similar types with common weaknesses. This guide details Cliff's current line-up and the best counters, including Pokémon, their typing, and attacks to use against him in Pokémon GO.
Team GO Rocket Leader Cliff's Current Line-up In Pokémon GO For March 2023:
As of the start of the Team GO Rocket Takeover event, Team GO Rocket Leader Cliff has shuffled his line-up to reflect the new Shadow Pokémon added to his team. Likewise, you’ll need to adjust their line-up to include the best possible counters to defeat Cliff, which all data is supplied by notable Pokémon source, PokémonGOHub.
Below is the current Shadow Pokémon line-up for Team GO Rocket Leader Cliff for March 2023:
- Cliff Battle Phase 1: Magnemite
- Cliff Battle Phase 2: Omastar / Pinsir / Venusaur
- Cliff Battle Phase 3: Camerupt / Sharpedo / Tyranitar
Best Magnemite Counters:
Cliff will start the opening round using his Electric-type Shadow Magnemite in battle, which is weak to Fighting, Fire, and Ground attacks. Trainers shouldn’t have much trouble finding suitable counters to overwhelm Magnemite in the first round.
- Excadrill (Ground/Steel): Mud Shot (Fast Attack); Drill Run, Earthquake (Charged Attack)
- Flygon (Ground/Dragon): Mud Shot (Fast Attack); Earthquake, Earth Power (Charged Attack)
- Garchomp (Dragon/Ground): Mud Shot (Fast Attack); Earth Power, Outrage (Charged Attack)
- Incarnate, Therian, and Normal Landorus (Ground/Flying): Mud Shot (Fast Attack); Earth Power, Rock Slide (Charged Attack)
- Terrakion (Rock/Fighting): Smack Down (Fast Attack); Rock Slide, Sacred Sword (Charged Attack)
Best Omastar, Pinsir & Venusaur Counters:
For the second round, Cliff could potentially bring out one of three different Shadow Pokémon: Omastar, Pinsir, or Venusaur. Omastar, a Rock/Water type, is weak to attacks from Electric, Fighting, Grass, and Ground Pokémon, while Pinsir is weak to Fire, Flying, and Rock-type Pokémon.
Lastly, Venusaur is a Grass/Poison-type Pokémon; it has a weakness to Fire, Flying, Ice, and Psychic Pokémon. As Pinsir and Venusaur share common weaknesses with Fire and Flying, Omastar’s counters will look vastly different from the latter Pokémon.
- Exeggutor (Grass/Psychic): Confusion (Fast Attack); Psychic, Seed Bomb (Charged Attack)
- Kartana (Grass/Steel): Razor Leaf (Fast Attack); Leaf Blade, X-Scissor (Charged Attack)
- Roserade (Grass/Poison): Poison Jab (Fast Attack); Sludge Bomb (Charged Attack)
- Xurkitree (Electric): Spark (Fast Attack); Discharge, Thunder (Charged Attack)
- Zarude (Dark/Grass): Vine Whip (Fast Attack); Dark Pulse, Power Whip (Charged Attack)
- Chandelure (Ghost/Fire): Incinerate (Fast Attack); Flame Charge, Shadow Ball (Charged Attack)
- Darmanitan (Fire): Fire Fang (Fast Attack); Overheat (Charged Attack)
- Ho-Oh (Fire/Flying): Incinerate (Fast Attack); Brave Bird, Sacred Fire (Charged Attack)
- Moltres (Fire/Flying): Fire Spin (Fast Attack); Overheat, Sky Attack (Charged Attack)
- Reshiram (Dragon/Fire): Dragon Breath (Fast Attack); Crunch, Overheat (Charged Attack)
- Alakazam (Psychic): Confusion (Fast Attack); Future Sight, Psychic (Charged Attack)
- Attack Forme Deoxys (Psychic): Zen Headbutt (Fast Attack); Thunderbolt. Psycho Boost (Charged Attack)
- Espeon (Psychic): Confusion (Fast Attack); Future Sight, Psychic (Charged Attack)
- Mewtwo (Psychic): Psycho Cut (Fast Attack); Ice Beam (Charged Attack)
- Unbound Hoopa (Psychic): Confusion (Fast Attack); Psychic, Shadow Ball (Charged Attack)
Best Camerupt, Sharpedo & Tyranitar Counters:
The final round of this tough battle against Cliff could see potential match-ups against Camerupt, Sharpedo, or Tyranitar. Camerupt’s dual typing makes it weak to Ground and Water Pokémon, as Sharpedo is weak to Bug, Electric, Fairy, Fighting, and Grass Pokémon.
Finally, Tyranitar is a Rock/Dark-type Pokémon with weaknesses to attacks from Bug, Fairy, Fighting, Grass, Ground, Steel, and Water Pokémon. Therefore, some of the counters may be shared amongst three Pokémon, which we’ve listed below.
- Galarian Darmanitan (Ice): Ice Fang (Fast Attack); Avalanche, Ice Punch (Charged Attack)
- Greninja (Water/Dark): Bubble (Fast Attack); Hydro Pump, Surf (Charged Attack)
- Kyogre (Water/Ice): Waterfall (Fast Attack); Blizzard, Surf (Charged Attack)
- Mamoswine (Ice/Ground): Powder Snow (Fast Attack); Avalanche (Charged Attack)
- Tyranitar (Rock/Dark): Smack Down (Fast Attack); Stone Edge, Crunch (Charged Attack)
- Kartana (Grass/Steel): Razor Leaf (Fast Attack); Leaf Blade, X-Scissor (Charged Attack)
- Keldeo (Water/Fighting): Low Kick (Fast Attack); Hydro Pump, Sacred Sword (Charged Attack)
- Pheromosa (Bug/Fighting): Bug Bite (Fast Attack); Focus Blast, Close Combat (Charged Attack)
- Terrakion (Rock/Fighting): Smack Down (Fast Attack); Rock Slide, Sacred Sword (Charged Attack)
- Xurkitree (Electric): Spark (Fast Attack); Discharge, Thunder (Charged Attack)
- Conkeldurr (Fighting): Counter (Fast Attack); Dynamic Punch, Stone Edge (Charged Attack)
- Keldeo (Water/Fighting): Low Kick (Fast Attack); Hydro Pump, Sacred Sword (Charged Attack)
- Lucario (Fighting/Steel): Counter (Fast Attack); Dynamic Punch, Shadow Ball (Charged Attack)
- Machamp (Fighting): Counter (Fast Attack); Cross Chop, Rock Slide (Charged Attack)
- Terrakion (Rock/Fighting): Smack Down (Fast Attack); Rock Slide, Sacred Sword (Charged Attack)
As we’ve provided the best counters to go toe-to-toe with Cliff’s current line-up, which can be used during the Team GO Takeover event, it should help you assemble the best possible line-up. Therefore, bring Darmanitan (Pinsir & Venusaur), Mamoswine (Camerupt & Omastar), and Terrakion (Magnemite, Sharpedo & Tyranitar) to battle.
