How to Beat Team GO Rocket Leader Cliff in Pokémon GO: Complete Guide

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The best team to take down Leader Cliff in Pokémon GO
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If you've tried battling any of the Team GO Rocket Leaders, you know it's a formidable task. Cliff is one of these leaders, and while he isn't easy to beat, he can be taken down if you go in with the right Pokémon on your team. In this guide, we'll go over the best team and tips to beat Leader Cliff in March 2024.

Top Tips for Defeating Leader Cliff

The best Pokémon to bring into your battle with Cliff are Metagross, Haxorus, and Lucario. These three Pokémon cover almost all of the weaknesses of Cliff's potential team. However, Mewtwo or Xurkitree are solid replacements for Lucario if you have them.

Section 1 of 3:

Leader Cliff's Team

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  1. Currently, Cliff's team can include the following Pokémon in Pokémon GO :
    • Phase 1 will always have a Shadow Zubat.
    • Phase 2 can have either a Shadow Kingdra, Gallade, or Aerodactyl.
    • Phase 3' can have either a Shadow Tyranitar, Cradily, or Crobat.
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Section 2 of 3:

Best Pokémon to Beat Cliff

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  1. Below are some of the best choices to beat Leader Cliff, but you should use Pokémon you have that are the strongest , as even a strong Pokémon can beat a non-ideal encounter. If you'd like to formulate your own team, keep reading the rest of this section to learn more about what Pokémon types are best for each phase.
    • Metagross: Bring a Metagross with Zen Headbutt and Psychic to target a number of weaknesses on Cliff's team.
    • Haxorus: Bring a Haxorus that knows Dragon Tail and Breaking Swipe to deal with Kingdra, who is only weak to Dragon- and Fairy-types.
    • Lucario: Bring along a Lucario that knows Counter, Power-Up Punch, and Shadow Ball to take down multiple Pokémon in the third round.
    • Mewtwo: Bring a Mewtwo that knows Confusion and Psystrike to tackle Cliff's Zubat, as well as a few other weaknesses on his potential team
    • Xurkitree: Bring along a Xurkitree that knows Thunder Shock and Discharge as a strong counter against Zubat, Aerodactyl, and Crobat.
  2. Lucario is a great choice, even though Zubat takes reduced damage from Fighting-type moves. Metagross also works well here, as Zubat is weak to Psychic-type moves.
  3. Phase 2 has quite a bit of variety for Cliff's current team. Kingdra is only weak to Fairy- or Dragon-types, so Haxorus is a good choice for a counter. Aerodactyl is weak to Electric- and Steel-type moves, so Metagross or Xurkitree would work here. And Gallade is only weak to Fairy-, Flying-, and Ghost-type moves, though you can use a strong shield-breaker like Lucario or Mewtwo to break through.
  4. Lucario is a good counter for both Tyranitar and Cradily, as these Pokémon are both weak to Fighting-type moves. Crobat is an outlier, but you can take it down easily if you have a Mewtwo, Metagross, or Xurkitree on your team.
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Section 3 of 3:

How to Challenge Leader Cliff

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  1. To battle a Team GO Rocket Leader like Cliff, you must have the following two prerequisites: [1]
    • Be at least Trainer Level 8
    • Collect 6 Mysterious Components (by defeating Team GO Rocket Grunts) and craft a Rocket Radar
  2. The indicated PokéStop is secretly a Leader Hideout, but the Hideout looks like a normal PokéStop until you're in range. You can tell that a PokéStop is a Leader Hideout because a Team GO Rocket Leader will be standing next to it.
  3. If you lose the battle, you can re-challenge the Leader until the Leader Hideout disappears from the map. If the Leader Hideout disappears, you can keep challenging Leaders at new Hideouts, as your Rocket Radar is not consumed until you win a battle against a leader.
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      Tips

      • After you craft your first Rocket Radar using Mysterious Components, you can buy Rocket Radars from the Store with PokéCoins.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://niantic.helpshift.com/hc/en/6-pokemon-go/faq/2102-team-go-rocket-leaders-giovanni/

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