{"id":489325,"date":"2025-02-05T08:57:01","date_gmt":"2025-02-05T14:57:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/?p=489325"},"modified":"2025-02-05T14:28:55","modified_gmt":"2025-02-05T20:28:55","slug":"how-to-beat-cliff-in-pokemon-go-best-counters-team-lineup-and-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/how-to-beat-cliff-in-pokemon-go-best-counters-team-lineup-and-strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"How to beat Cliff in Pok\u00e9mon Go: Best counters, team lineup, and strategy (January 2025)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The monthly beat-down of Team Rocket&#8217;s leaders has become one of the greatest joys of playing <em>Pok\u00e9mon Go<\/em>. Cliff is one of the easier members of the current Team Rocket administration to take on, but he can still trouble you. Here\u2019s how to defeat Cliff in <em>Pok\u00e9mon Go<\/em> in January 2025.<\/p>    <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-defeat-cliff-in-pokemon-go\">How to defeat Cliff in Pok\u00e9mon GO <\/h2>    <p>Cliff is essentially a slab of muscle, as are his bulky Pok\u00e9mon. But don\u2019t think you need a strategy to bring him down. To find Cliff in <em><a href=\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/pokemon-go-codes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pok\u00e9mon Go<\/a><\/em>, you must use a Rocket Radar to narrow down his location. Defeat Team Rocket Grunts, marked with a Team Rocket balloon, and collect six Mysterious Components to create the device.<\/p><\/iframe>    <p>You can then use the Rocket Radar to show Cliff&#8217;s whereabouts on the map. Like other bosses, he can appear at Pok\u00e9Stops or Team Rocket balloons. Other enemies sometimes appear there, making Cliff&#8217;s appearance uncertain.<\/p>    <p>Although Cliff&#8217;s Pok\u00e9mon lineup has remained relatively the same, the Adventure Week update has revamped his collection, along with <a href=\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/how-to-beat-giovanni-in-pokemon-go-best-counters-team-lineup-and-strategy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Giovanni&#8217;s<\/a>. So, if you&#8217;ve fought this boss before, you&#8217;re in for a surprise with its new Shadow Lileep.<\/p>    <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-best-team-lineup-for-cliff-in-pokemon-go\">Best team lineup for Cliff in Pok\u00e9mon Go<\/h2>    <figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/best-team-lineup-for-cliff-pokemon-go.jpg?resize=1200%2C675\" alt=\"Team to use for Cliff in Pokemon Go\" class=\"wp-image-574838\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/best-team-lineup-for-cliff-pokemon-go.jpg?w=1200 1200w, https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/best-team-lineup-for-cliff-pokemon-go.jpg?w=300 300w, https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/best-team-lineup-for-cliff-pokemon-go.jpg?w=768 768w, https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/best-team-lineup-for-cliff-pokemon-go.jpg?w=1024 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Image by Destructoid<\/figcaption><\/figure>    <p>To create the best team for Cliff in <em>Pok\u00e9mon Go<\/em>, use Lucario, Baxcalibur, and Metagross\/Gardevoir. Baxcalibur proves to be a standout amongst the team because of its dual Dragon and Ice Types. Several Pok\u00e9mon on Cliff&#8217;s team will be vulnerable to these types, where you can use Baxcalibur almost every round. Lucario also covers a few of the boss&#8217; weaknesses as a Steel and Fighting Type. Both creatures promise to be a formidable force on the battlefield, which will be effective against his newest Pok\u00e9mon.<\/p>    <p>If you want to cover all bases, equip Gardevoir for its Psychic and Fairy attacks. It&#8217;ll be great for Cliff&#8217;s Kingdra and Tyranitar, who can appear in the second or third rounds. Metagross is another suitable option against Lileep, Tyranitar, and Cradily.<\/p>    <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-best-counters-against-cliff-in-pokemon-go\">Best counters against Cliff in Pok\u00e9mon Go<\/h2>    <figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/cliff-second-round-pokemon-go.jpg?resize=1200%2C675\" alt=\"Cliff's second round Pokemon\" class=\"wp-image-574839\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/cliff-second-round-pokemon-go.jpg?w=1200 1200w, https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/cliff-second-round-pokemon-go.jpg?w=300 300w, https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/cliff-second-round-pokemon-go.jpg?w=768 768w, https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/cliff-second-round-pokemon-go.jpg?w=1024 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Image by Destructoid<\/figcaption><\/figure>    <p>Whether you&#8217;re using the team above or looking for other alternatives, we&#8217;ve compiled the best counter to use against Cliff in <em>Pok\u00e9mon Go<\/em>:<\/p>    <figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>Cliff&#8217;s Pok\u00e9mon (January 2025)<\/th><th>Best Counters for Cliff&#8217;s Pok\u00e9mon<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Shadow Lileep<\/td><td>-Lucario<br>-Baxcalibur<br>-Metagross<br>-Dusk Mane Necrozma<br>-Terrakion<br>-Conkeldurr<br>-Mamoswine<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Shadow Marowak (second round possibility)<\/td><td>-Baxcalibur<br>-Kyogre<br>-Kingler<br>-Mamoswine<br>-Kartana<br>-Zarude<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Shadow Kingdra (second round possibility)<\/td><td>&#8211;<a href=\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/pokemon-go-elite-raids-how-to-defeat-mega-rayquaza\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rayquaza<\/a><br>-Dragonite<br>-Baxcalibur<br>-Garchomp<br>-Xurkitree<br>-Hydreigon<br>-Gardevoir<br>-Salamence<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Shadow Aerodactyl (second round possibility)<\/td><td>-Metagross<br>-Lucario<br>-Baxcalibur<br>-Xurkitree<br>-Kyogre<br>-Mamoswine<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Shadow Tyranitar (third round possibility)<\/td><td>-Lucario<br>-Gardevoir<br>-Terrakion<br>-Buzzwole<br>-Conkeldurr<br>-Machamp<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Shadow Cradily (third round possibility)<\/td><td>-Metagross<br>-Terrakion<br>-Conkeldurr<br>-Lucario<br>-Baxcalibur<br>-Dusk Mane Necrozma<br>-Metagross<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Shadow Crobat (third round possibility)<\/td><td>-Dusk Mane Necrozma <br>-Baxcalibur<br>-Mewtwo<br>-Rhyperior<br>-Tyranitar<br>-Gardevoir<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>    <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-beat-cliff-s-team-in-pokemon-go\">How to beat Cliff&#8217;s team in Pok\u00e9mon Go<\/h2>    <figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/how-to-beat-cliff-third-pokemon-in-pokemon-go.jpg?resize=1200%2C675\" alt=\"Cradily ,Crobat, and Tyranitar\" class=\"wp-image-504742\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/how-to-beat-cliff-third-pokemon-in-pokemon-go.jpg?w=1200 1200w, https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/how-to-beat-cliff-third-pokemon-in-pokemon-go.jpg?w=300 300w, https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/how-to-beat-cliff-third-pokemon-in-pokemon-go.jpg?w=768 768w, https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/how-to-beat-cliff-third-pokemon-in-pokemon-go.jpg?w=1024 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Image by Destructoid<\/figcaption><\/figure>    <p>You&#8217;ll go against Shadow Lileep in the first round of Cliff&#8217;s battle. Since it&#8217;s weak against Ice, Fighting, Bug, and Steel, it&#8217;ll allow you to choose from multiple Pok\u00e9mon. Thanks to their robust attacks, Lucario and Metagross are among the best to use for this. If you get the exclusive Dusk Mane Necrozma, you can opt for this one instead to unleash even more damage.<\/p>    <p>When fighting Cliff\u2019s second Pok\u00e9mon, you may fight Shadow Kingdra, Shadow Aerodactyl, or Shadow Marowak. Kingdra is a Water and Dragon Type Pok\u00e9mon weak to both Dragon and Fairy Type moves. Rayquaza is ideal, as its Dragon Tail attack can turn Kingdra into sashimi. But if you haven\u2019t had the chance to tame the Sky High Pok\u00e9mon, Dragonite<strong> <\/strong>is an excellent substitute that functions similarly. Just put Dragon Tail on Dragonite\u2019s quick move and Hurricane on its significant move to ensure it can counter two of Cliff\u2019s possible Pok\u00e9mon.<\/p>    <p>Aerodactyl and Marowak share a weakness with Water and Ice Types, so it&#8217;s best to use creatures like Kyogre or Mamoswine. Even more so, Baxcalibur can stand against both Pok\u00e9mon, thanks to its Ice attacks. <\/p>    <p>For Cliff\u2019s third Pok\u00e9mon, you\u2019ll have the chance to encounter Shadow Tyranitar, Shadow Cradily, and Shadow Crobat. This is a diverse and powerful lineup, so bring your heavy hitters out.<\/p>    <p>If you\u2019re facing Tyranitar, you can exploit its Fighting and Steel weaknesses with Metagross and Lucario. Metagross is truly the star of this team, as it offers so much. But beware. Tyranitar may have a Dark Type attack, which can brutalize Metagross. Lucario has the highest chance of surviving this fight, as it takes reduced damage from Tyranitar\u2019s Rock and Dark Type attacks.<\/p>    <p>If Cliff calls on Cradily, you\u2019ll call on the same Pok\u00e9mon. Metagross and Lucario can exploit Cradily\u2019s weakness in Fighting and Steel Type attacks. Cradily isn\u2019t a powerhouse and is one of the easier Pok\u00e9mon to fight in this last match, so don&#8217;t worry about it too much.<\/p>    <p>The final Pok\u00e9mon Cliff can have in his arsenal is Crobat. This Poison and Flying Type Pok\u00e9mon is weak to Psychic and Rock-type attacks. If you have Metagross, Mewtwo, or Gardevoir in your arsenal, you should have no problem clipping Crobat\u2019s wings. But if you don\u2019t, Rayquaza with Ancient Power will ground it \u2013 literally.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cliff will crumble with this lineup <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":923,"featured_media":489345,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"article_type":"","gamurs_wordpress_blocks_hide_tags":false,"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"[]","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21983,19796],"tags":[232,304],"internal-label":[22869,24254],"invoiceable_action":[23730],"article_type":[23118],"coauthors":[{"id":923,"display_name":"Daphne Fama","user_login":"Daphne Fama","user_nicename":"daphne-fama"},{"id":917,"display_name":"Kristina Ebanez","user_login":"Kristina Ebanez","user_nicename":"kristina-ebanez"},{"id":940,"display_name":"Drew Kopp","user_login":"DKopp","user_nicename":"dkopp"}],"class_list":["post-489325","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guides","category-mobile","tag-guides","tag-pokemon-go","article_type-seo"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n<title>How to beat Cliff in Pok\u00e9mon Go: Best counters, team lineup, and strategy (January 2025)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/how-to-beat-cliff-in-pokemon-go-best-counters-team-lineup-and-strategy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to beat Cliff in Pok\u00e9mon Go: Best counters, team lineup, and strategy (January 2025)\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Cliff will crumble with this lineup\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/how-to-beat-cliff-in-pokemon-go-best-counters-team-lineup-and-strategy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Destructoid\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Destructoid\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-02-05T14:57:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-02-05T20:28:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/cliff-feature-image.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"675\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Daphne Fama, Kristina Ebanez, Drew Kopp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@destructoid\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@destructoid\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/how-to-beat-cliff-in-pokemon-go-best-counters-team-lineup-and-strategy\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/how-to-beat-cliff-in-pokemon-go-best-counters-team-lineup-and-strategy\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Daphne Fama\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/#\/schema\/person\/e5f4d54b777040ed35c60b712e1ab8d2\"},\"headline\":\"How to beat Cliff in Pok\u00e9mon Go: Best counters, team lineup, and strategy (January 2025)\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-02-05T14:57:01+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-02-05T20:28:55+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/how-to-beat-cliff-in-pokemon-go-best-counters-team-lineup-and-strategy\/\"},\"wordCount\":888,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/how-to-beat-cliff-in-pokemon-go-best-counters-team-lineup-and-strategy\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/cliff-feature-image.png?fit=1200%2C675\",\"keywords\":[\"guides\",\"Pokemon Go\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Guides\",\"Mobile\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/how-to-beat-cliff-in-pokemon-go-best-counters-team-lineup-and-strategy\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2025\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/how-to-beat-cliff-in-pokemon-go-best-counters-team-lineup-and-strategy\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/how-to-beat-cliff-in-pokemon-go-best-counters-team-lineup-and-strategy\/\",\"name\":\"How to beat Cliff in Pok\u00e9mon Go: Best counters, team lineup, and strategy (January 2025)\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/how-to-beat-cliff-in-pokemon-go-best-counters-team-lineup-and-strategy\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/how-to-beat-cliff-in-pokemon-go-best-counters-team-lineup-and-strategy\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/cliff-feature-image.png?fit=1200%2C675\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-02-05T14:57:01+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-02-05T20:28:55+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/how-to-beat-cliff-in-pokemon-go-best-counters-team-lineup-and-strategy\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/how-to-beat-cliff-in-pokemon-go-best-counters-team-lineup-and-strategy\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/how-to-beat-cliff-in-pokemon-go-best-counters-team-lineup-and-strategy\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/cliff-feature-image.png?fit=1200%2C675\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/cliff-feature-image.png?fit=1200%2C675\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":675},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/how-to-beat-cliff-in-pokemon-go-best-counters-team-lineup-and-strategy\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How to beat Cliff in Pok\u00e9mon Go: Best counters, team lineup, and strategy (January 2025)\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/\",\"name\":\"Destructoid\",\"description\":\"Probably About Video Games\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Destructoid\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/destructoid-logo-new.png?fit=611%2C104\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/destructoid-logo-new.png?fit=611%2C104\",\"width\":611,\"height\":104,\"caption\":\"Destructoid\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Destructoid\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/destructoid\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/destructoid\/\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/jbsgame.com\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/DTOID\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/#\/schema\/person\/e5f4d54b777040ed35c60b712e1ab8d2\",\"name\":\"Daphne Fama\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/4b53797f3e217539b882453a0bdd74b4\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/T033VCGFU-U0488ML5NCT-0decbe602ee6-512-96x96.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/T033VCGFU-U0488ML5NCT-0decbe602ee6-512-96x96.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Daphne Fama\"},\"description\":\"As a Destructoid Staff Writer, Daphne Fama spends an inordinate amount playing games of all stripes but has a soft spot for horror, FPS, and RPGs. When she\u2019s not gaming, she\u2019s an author and member of the Horror Writers Association with a debut novel coming out in 2025. In a previous life, she was an attorney but found she preferred fiction to contracts and forms.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/author\/daphne-fama\/\"}]}<\/script>\n","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to beat Cliff in Pok\u00e9mon Go: Best counters, team lineup, and strategy (January 2025)","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/how-to-beat-cliff-in-pokemon-go-best-counters-team-lineup-and-strategy\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to beat Cliff in Pok\u00e9mon Go: Best counters, team lineup, and strategy (January 2025)","og_description":"Cliff will crumble with this lineup","og_url":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/how-to-beat-cliff-in-pokemon-go-best-counters-team-lineup-and-strategy\/","og_site_name":"Destructoid","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Destructoid\/","article_published_time":"2025-02-05T14:57:01+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-02-05T20:28:55+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":675,"url":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/cliff-feature-image.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Daphne Fama, Kristina Ebanez, Drew Kopp","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@destructoid","twitter_site":"@destructoid","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/how-to-beat-cliff-in-pokemon-go-best-counters-team-lineup-and-strategy\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/how-to-beat-cliff-in-pokemon-go-best-counters-team-lineup-and-strategy\/"},"author":{"name":"Daphne Fama","@id":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/#\/schema\/person\/e5f4d54b777040ed35c60b712e1ab8d2"},"headline":"How to beat Cliff in Pok\u00e9mon Go: Best counters, team lineup, and strategy (January 2025)","datePublished":"2025-02-05T14:57:01+00:00","dateModified":"2025-02-05T20:28:55+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/how-to-beat-cliff-in-pokemon-go-best-counters-team-lineup-and-strategy\/"},"wordCount":888,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/how-to-beat-cliff-in-pokemon-go-best-counters-team-lineup-and-strategy\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/cliff-feature-image.png?fit=1200%2C675","keywords":["guides","Pokemon Go"],"articleSection":["Guides","Mobile"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/how-to-beat-cliff-in-pokemon-go-best-counters-team-lineup-and-strategy\/#respond"]}],"copyrightYear":"2025","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/how-to-beat-cliff-in-pokemon-go-best-counters-team-lineup-and-strategy\/","url":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/how-to-beat-cliff-in-pokemon-go-best-counters-team-lineup-and-strategy\/","name":"How to beat Cliff in Pok\u00e9mon Go: Best counters, team lineup, and strategy (January 2025)","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/how-to-beat-cliff-in-pokemon-go-best-counters-team-lineup-and-strategy\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/how-to-beat-cliff-in-pokemon-go-best-counters-team-lineup-and-strategy\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/cliff-feature-image.png?fit=1200%2C675","datePublished":"2025-02-05T14:57:01+00:00","dateModified":"2025-02-05T20:28:55+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/how-to-beat-cliff-in-pokemon-go-best-counters-team-lineup-and-strategy\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/how-to-beat-cliff-in-pokemon-go-best-counters-team-lineup-and-strategy\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/how-to-beat-cliff-in-pokemon-go-best-counters-team-lineup-and-strategy\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/cliff-feature-image.png?fit=1200%2C675","contentUrl":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/cliff-feature-image.png?fit=1200%2C675","width":1200,"height":675},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/how-to-beat-cliff-in-pokemon-go-best-counters-team-lineup-and-strategy\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How to beat Cliff in Pok\u00e9mon Go: Best counters, team lineup, and strategy (January 2025)"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/","name":"Destructoid","description":"Probably About Video Games","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/#organization","name":"Destructoid","url":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/destructoid-logo-new.png?fit=611%2C104","contentUrl":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/destructoid-logo-new.png?fit=611%2C104","width":611,"height":104,"caption":"Destructoid"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Destructoid\/","https:\/\/x.com\/destructoid","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/destructoid\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/jbsgame.com\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/DTOID"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/#\/schema\/person\/e5f4d54b777040ed35c60b712e1ab8d2","name":"Daphne Fama","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/4b53797f3e217539b882453a0bdd74b4","url":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/T033VCGFU-U0488ML5NCT-0decbe602ee6-512-96x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/T033VCGFU-U0488ML5NCT-0decbe602ee6-512-96x96.jpg","caption":"Daphne Fama"},"description":"As a Destructoid Staff Writer, Daphne Fama spends an inordinate amount playing games of all stripes but has a soft spot for horror, FPS, and RPGs. When she\u2019s not gaming, she\u2019s an author and member of the Horror Writers Association with a debut novel coming out in 2025. In a previous life, she was an attorney but found she preferred fiction to contracts and forms.","url":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/author\/daphne-fama\/"}]}},"apple_news_notices":[],"raw_content":"The monthly beat-down of Team Rocket's leaders has become one of the greatest joys of playing Pok\u00e9mon Go. Cliff is one of the easier members of the current Team Rocket administration to take on, but he can still trouble you. Here\u2019s how to defeat Cliff in Pok\u00e9mon Go in January 2025. How to defeat Cliff in Pok\u00e9mon GO Cliff is essentially a slab of muscle, as are his bulky Pok\u00e9mon. But don\u2019t think you need a strategy to bring him down. To find Cliff in Pok\u00e9mon Go, you must use a Rocket Radar to narrow down his location. Defeat Team Rocket Grunts, marked with a Team Rocket balloon, and collect six Mysterious Components to create the device. You can then use the Rocket Radar to show Cliff's whereabouts on the map. Like other bosses, he can appear at Pok\u00e9Stops or Team Rocket balloons. Other enemies sometimes appear there, making Cliff's appearance uncertain. Although Cliff's Pok\u00e9mon lineup has remained relatively the same, the Adventure Week update has revamped his collection, along with Giovanni's. So, if you've fought this boss before, you're in for a surprise with its new Shadow Lileep. Best team lineup for Cliff in Pok\u00e9mon Go To create the best team for Cliff in Pok\u00e9mon Go, use Lucario, Baxcalibur, and Metagross\/Gardevoir. Baxcalibur proves to be a standout amongst the team because of its dual Dragon and Ice Types. Several Pok\u00e9mon on Cliff's team will be vulnerable to these types, where you can use Baxcalibur almost every round. Lucario also covers a few of the boss' weaknesses as a Steel and Fighting Type. Both creatures promise to be a formidable force on the battlefield, which will be effective against his newest Pok\u00e9mon. If you want to cover all bases, equip Gardevoir for its Psychic and Fairy attacks. It'll be great for Cliff's Kingdra and Tyranitar, who can appear in the second or third rounds. Metagross is another suitable option against Lileep, Tyranitar, and Cradily. Best counters against Cliff in Pok\u00e9mon Go Whether you're using the team above or looking for other alternatives, we've compiled the best counter to use against Cliff in Pok\u00e9mon Go: Cliff's Pok\u00e9mon (January 2025) Best Counters for Cliff's Pok\u00e9monShadow Lileep -Lucario -Baxcalibur -Metagross -Dusk Mane Necrozma -Terrakion -Conkeldurr -Mamoswine Shadow Marowak (second round possibility) -Baxcalibur -Kyogre -Kingler -Mamoswine -Kartana -Zarude Shadow Kingdra (second round possibility) -Rayquaza -Dragonite -Baxcalibur -Garchomp -Xurkitree -Hydreigon -Gardevoir -Salamence Shadow Aerodactyl (second round possibility) -Metagross -Lucario -Baxcalibur -Xurkitree -Kyogre -Mamoswine Shadow Tyranitar (third round possibility) -Lucario -Gardevoir -Terrakion -Buzzwole -Conkeldurr -Machamp Shadow Cradily (third round possibility) -Metagross -Terrakion -Conkeldurr -Lucario -Baxcalibur -Dusk Mane Necrozma -Metagross Shadow Crobat (third round possibility) -Dusk Mane Necrozma -Baxcalibur -Mewtwo -Rhyperior -Tyranitar -Gardevoir How to beat Cliff's team in Pok\u00e9mon Go You'll go against Shadow Lileep in the first round of Cliff's battle. Since it's weak against Ice, Fighting, Bug, and Steel, it'll allow you to choose from multiple Pok\u00e9mon. Thanks to their robust attacks, Lucario and Metagross are among the best to use for this. If you get the exclusive Dusk Mane Necrozma, you can opt for this one instead to unleash even more damage. When fighting Cliff\u2019s second Pok\u00e9mon, you may fight Shadow Kingdra, Shadow Aerodactyl, or Shadow Marowak. Kingdra is a Water and Dragon Type Pok\u00e9mon weak to both Dragon and Fairy Type moves. Rayquaza is ideal, as its Dragon Tail attack can turn Kingdra into sashimi. But if you haven\u2019t had the chance to tame the Sky High Pok\u00e9mon, Dragonite is an excellent substitute that functions similarly. Just put Dragon Tail on Dragonite\u2019s quick move and Hurricane on its significant move to ensure it can counter two of Cliff\u2019s possible Pok\u00e9mon. Aerodactyl and Marowak share a weakness with Water and Ice Types, so it's best to use creatures like Kyogre or Mamoswine. Even more so, Baxcalibur can stand against both Pok\u00e9mon, thanks to its Ice attacks. For Cliff\u2019s third Pok\u00e9mon, you\u2019ll have the chance to encounter Shadow Tyranitar, Shadow Cradily, and Shadow Crobat. This is a diverse and powerful lineup, so bring your heavy hitters out. If you\u2019re facing Tyranitar, you can exploit its Fighting and Steel weaknesses with Metagross and Lucario. Metagross is truly the star of this team, as it offers so much. But beware. Tyranitar may have a Dark Type attack, which can brutalize Metagross. Lucario has the highest chance of surviving this fight, as it takes reduced damage from Tyranitar\u2019s Rock and Dark Type attacks. If Cliff calls on Cradily, you\u2019ll call on the same Pok\u00e9mon. Metagross and Lucario can exploit Cradily\u2019s weakness in Fighting and Steel Type attacks. Cradily isn\u2019t a powerhouse and is one of the easier Pok\u00e9mon to fight in this last match, so don't worry about it too much. The final Pok\u00e9mon Cliff can have in his arsenal is Crobat. This Poison and Flying Type Pok\u00e9mon is weak to Psychic and Rock-type attacks. If you have Metagross, Mewtwo, or Gardevoir in your arsenal, you should have no problem clipping Crobat\u2019s wings. But if you don\u2019t, Rayquaza with Ancient Power will ground it \u2013 literally.","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/cliff-feature-image.png?fit=1200%2C675","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"latest_revision":{"revision_id":1007103,"modified_date_gmt":"2025-02-05T14:57:01"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/489325","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/923"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=489325"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/489325\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1007103,"href":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/489325\/revisions\/1007103"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/489345"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=489325"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=489325"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=489325"},{"taxonomy":"internal-label","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-label?post=489325"},{"taxonomy":"invoiceable_action","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/invoiceable_action?post=489325"},{"taxonomy":"article_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article_type?post=489325"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=489325"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}