Pokemon GO: How to Beat Cliff (August 2023)

The Pokemon GO Team GO Rocket leader, Cliff, is returning with his Shadow Pokemon this August 2023. The Team GO Rocket comprises multiple grunts, leaders, and the main boss, Giovanni. Cliff is a formidable opponent, with an unpredictable roster requiring trainers to possess extensive meta-knowledge to defeat him.

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Players must defeat several Team GO Rocket Grunts to confront Cliff in Pokemon GO. Defeating multiple grunts will reward Mysterious Components required to create a Rocket Radar. Once players construct a Rocket Radar, they can locate the Team GO Rocket leader and battle him. The hardest part of this ordeal is the battle; Cliff possesses multiple Shadow Pokemon, so predicting his picks becomes highly challenging.

How to Beat Cliff in Pokemon GO

Cliff’s Pokemon GO team for August 2023 has some of the most potent Shadow Pokemon for a three-round battle. The first phase has one monster, while the next two are more challenging, with three options for each phase. Analyzing Cliff’s roster is crucial to building a strategic team of counters against him.

Cliff’s First Phase Counters

Cliff always begins with Shadow Aerodactyl for the battle’s first phase. It is a potent Rock/Flying-type Pokemon with boosted offensive prowess as a Shadow monster.

Shadow Aerodactyl

• Type: Rock and Flying
• Weaknesses: Electric, Ice, Rock, Steel, and Water-type
• Resistances: Bug, Fire, Flying, Ground, Normal, Poison-type

Cliff’s Second Phase Counters

The battle’s second phase comes up with significant uncertainty. Cliff’s Pokemon choice is not constant like in the first phase, so players must prepare to battle against the likes of Shadow Slowking, Shadow Cradily, or Shadow Gallade. To counter these opponents effectively, one must analyze the Pokemon GO meta before selecting the counters.

Shadow Slowking

• Type: Water and Psychic
• Weaknesses: Bug, Dark, Electric, Ghost, Grass-type
• Resistances: Fighting, Fire, Ice, Psychic, Steel, Water-type

Shadow Cradily

• Type: Rock and Grass
• Weaknesses: Bug, Steel, Ice, and Fighting-type
• Resistances: Electric and Normal-type

Shadow Gallade

• Type: Psychic and Fighting
• Weaknesses: Ghost, Flying, and Fairy-type
• Resistances: Fighting and Rock-type

Cliff’s Third Phase Counters

The third phase also proves to be a battle of prediction. Cliff has three choices he can pick for the final phase: Shadow Dusknoir, Shadow Mamoswine, or Shadow Tyranitar. Pokemon GO trainers must carefully select counters that can go toe-to-toe with Cliff’s roster.

Shadow Dusknoir

• Type: Ghost
• Weaknesses: Dark and Ghost-type
• Resistances: Fighting, Normal, Bug, and Poison-type

Shadow Mamoswine

• Type: Ice and Ground
• Weaknesses: Fighting, Fire, Grass, Steel, and Water-type
• Resistances: Electric and Poison-type

Shadow Tyranitar

• Type: Rock and Dark
• Weaknesses: Bug, Fairy, Fighting, Grass, Water, Steel, and Ground-type
• Resistances: Psychic, Dark, Fire, Flying, Ghost, Normal, and Poison-type

Pokemon GO is available for Android and iOS.