How to beat Cliff in Pokemon Go (September 2023): Best counters & weaknesses

For Pokemon Go players, Team Go Rocket Leader Cliff poses a significant challenge. Hence, this comprehensive guide is provided to assist in defeating his September 2023 team, highlighting their vulnerabilities and suggesting the most effective counters.

Once Pokemon Go players have assembled all the components of the Rocket Radar, they brace themselves for a showdown with one of the formidable Leaders: Cliff, Arlo, or Sierra. These formidable characters possess immense strength and have the ability to catch unprepared players off guard with their unpredictable roster of powerful Pokemon, which constantly undergo changes following various events.

This guide will provide an overview of Cliff’s September 2023 Pokemon lineup. It aims to assist you in creating the optimal Pokemon Go team that can effectively defeat him. Additionally, it will outline their weaknesses and suggest the top counters available in the mobile game.

Tips for defeating Cliff in Pokemon Go
Strategies to effectively combat Cliff’s Aerodactyl in Pokemon Go
In Pokemon Go, here are some strategies to effectively counter Cliff’s Slowking, Gallade, or Cradily.
In Pokemon Go, here’s how you can effectively counter Cliff’s Tyranitar, Mamoswine, or Dusknoir.
The optimal team for overcoming Cliff in Pokemon Go

How to beat Cliff in Pokemon Go

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

In Pokemon Go, Cliff remains a formidable opponent and his team for September 2023 will unleash their full power upon you.

Following the Team Go Rocket takeover event in June, Cliff’s lineup underwent a transformation, which is evident from the changes listed below:

First Battle: Aerodactyl
The second battle lineup consists of Slowking, Gallade, and Cradily.
Battle Three: Tyranitar, Mamoswine, and Dusknoir

In order to defeat Cliff, it is crucial to possess a diverse range of Pokémon capable of both defending against and attacking different types.

How to counter Cliff’s Aerodactyl in Pokemon Go

Aerodactyl is Cliff’s first Pokemon.

Aerodactyl is a Pokemon with both Rock and Flying types. As a result, it is vulnerable to attacks of Rock, Water, Steel, Electric, and Ice types. When selecting your Pokemon for a battle, it is important to note that Aerodactyl has resistance against moves of Ground, Flying, Normal, Fire, Bug, and Poison types.

To easily defeat Aerodactyl, it is advisable to choose Pokémon with Electric or Water-type moves, considering their effectiveness. However, the battle strategy ultimately depends on your preference. Some players prefer using swift Pokémon as openers to rapidly unleash Charged Moves and deplete Cliff’s shields early on in the battle.

That being said, here are a few of the top counters against Aerodactyl:

Raikou equipped with Thunder Shock and Wild Charge.
Magnezone equipped with Charge Beam and Zap Cannon.
Metagross equipped with both Bullet Punch and Meteor Mash.
Tyranitar equipped with the moves Smack Down and Stone Edge.
A Lucario equipped with both Counter and Power-Up Punch.

How to counter Cliff’s Slowking, Gallade, or Cradily in Pokemon Go

Having a Ghost or Fairy-type Pokemon can help you deal with Cliff’s second choice.

Slowking

Slowking is a Pokemon that possesses both Psychic and Water types, making it susceptible to Bug, Ghost, Dark, Grass, and Electric-type moves. On the other hand, it exhibits resistance against Psychic, Steel, Water, Fire, Fighting, and Ice-type attacks, thereby limiting the available options for battle.

These are some effective strategies to overcome Cliff’s Slowking in a battle:

Tyranitar equipped with the moves Bite and Brutal Swing.
Gengar equipped with the moves Shadow Claw and Shadow Ball.
Chandelure equipped with the moves Hex and Shadow Ball.
Hydreigon equipped with the moves Bite and Brutal Swing.

Gallade

Gallade, being a combination of Psychic and Fighting types, possesses vulnerabilities to Flying, Ghost, and Fairy-type attacks. However, it exhibits resistance towards Fighting and Rock-type moves, providing various options for dealing neutral damage.

If you are considering placing bets on Ghost and Fairy-type Pokemon for this battle, here are a few suggestions:

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Togekiss equipped with the moves Charm and Ancient Power.
Gardevoir equipped with the abilities Charm and Synchronoise.
Clefable equipped with the charming ability and the powerful move Moon Blast.
Gengar equipped with Shadow Claw and Shadow Ball in its moveset.
Chandelure equipped with the moves Hex and Shadow Ball.

Cradily

Cradily, being a Pokemon with both Rock and Grass types, is vulnerable to Bug, Fighting, Steel, and Ice-type attacks. However, it exhibits resistance against Electric and Normal-type moves. Hence, you’ll need to devise an alternative strategy to overcome this.

To overcome Cradily, you have the option to choose from these counters:

Metagross equipped with the moves Bullet Punch and Meteor Mash.
Lucario equipped with the moves Counter and Power-Up Punch.
Conkeldurr optimized with the moves Counter and Focus Blast.
The Galarian Darmanitan possesses the moves Ice Fang and Avalanche.

How to counter Cliff’s Tyranitar, Mamoswine, or Dusknoir in Pokemon Go

A powerful Steel-type Pokemon can be the key to victory.

Tyranitar

Tyranitar, a Pokemon with a combination of Rock and Dark types, is vulnerable to Bug, Fairy, Fighting, Grass, Ground, Steel, and Water-type moves. On the other hand, it exhibits resistance against Flying, Poison, Ghost, Fire, Psychic, and Dark-type attacks.

Taking that into consideration, you will require a distinctly unique Pokemon to emerge victorious. Presented below are several prime options as counters:

Lucario equipped with both Counter and Power-Up Punch.
Machamp equipped with the moves Counter and Close Combat.
Conkeldurr equipped with Counter and Dynamic Punch.
Terrakion equipped with both Double Kick and Sacred Sword.
Breloom equipped with the moves Counter and Dynamic Punch.

Mamoswine

Mamoswine, as a Pokemon, possesses both Ice and Ground types. Consequently, it exhibits vulnerability towards Fighting, Steel, Fire, Water, and Grass-type attacks. However, it can withstand Poison and Electric-type moves, providing you with numerous possibilities to counteract its weaknesses.

To maximize your chances of success, it is advisable to choose Pokemon that can effectively counter multiple of Cliff’s Pokemon. Here are some recommended counters:

Metagross is equipped with the powerful moves Bullet Punch and Meteor Mash.
Hydreigon equipped with the moves Bite and Brutal Swing or Flash Cannon.
A Lucario equipped with the moves Counter and Aura Sphere.
Chandelure possesses the moves Fire Spin and Overheat in its arsenal.

Dusknoir

Dusknoir, being a Ghost-type Pokemon, is exclusively vulnerable to Ghost and Dark-type moves. However, it possesses resistance against Poison, Bug, Normal, and Fighting-type attacks.

Although Ghost-type Pokemon have the ability to cause super-effective damage, we advise against directly confronting a Team Go Rocket Leader. Nevertheless, we have compiled a list of the finest counters to utilize against Dusknoir:

Tyranitar equipped with the moves Bite and Brutal Swing.
Hydreigon equipped with the moves Bite and Brutal Swing.
Gengar equipped with the moves Sucker Punch and Shadow Ball.
Zoroark equipped with the moves Snarl and Foul Play.
Chandelure, equipped with Hex and Shadow Ball, is a formidable opponent.

Best team to defeat Cliff in Pokemon Go

To confront Team Rocket Leader Cliff in Pokemon Go, it’s essential to strategically select three Pokemon that encompass diverse typings. This way, you can effectively counter any challenges he may present.

When thinking about Cliff’s team, starting with an Electric-type Pokemon can be a smart strategy. This allows you to effectively handle Aerodactyl and Slowking, should they be present. Lucario is a strong option that can assist you in dealing with various Pokemon Cliff may have. Just ensure that Lucario’s moveset encompasses different types. Additionally, Tyranitar is an excellent choice for these battles, as long as you have both Dark and Rock-type moves at your disposal.

If you’re looking to counter Tyranitar and Gallade, having a Fairy-type Pokemon on your team can prove to be quite effective. On the other hand, if your aim is to take down Gallade, Slowking, and Dusknoir, having a Ghost-type Pokemon at your disposal can be really helpful.

For September 2023, Lucario/Metagross, Gengar, and Togekiss make a fantastic team to counter Cliff’s lineup. Including Tyranitar in your team is a safe move, but exercise caution when battling Water-type Pokemon.

To defeat Team Go Rocket Leader Cliff in Pokemon Go, this is all the information you need. Don’t forget to explore our other guides for more Pokemon Go content.

– Connecting Pokemon Go to Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: A Step-by-Step Guide
- Healing Pokemon in Pokemon Go: Tips and Tricks
- Unveiling the Count: How Many Pokemon Exist?
- Acquiring Revives in Pokemon Go: A Comprehensive Guide
- Master Ball Hunt: Unlocking the Secret in Pokemon Go
- Unlocking Vivillion Patterns in Pokemon Go & Scarlet and Violet: A Complete Guide