How to Beat Cliff in Pokemon GO: Lineups & Counters [September 2025]

Cliff is one of the Team GO Rocket Leaders in Pokemon GO, and defeating him can be tricky if you don’t know his current lineups and counters. In this guide, you’ll learn how to beat Cliff in Pokemon GO with updated lineups, the best counters, and advanced strategies to win every battle. Let’s go!

Who is Cliff in Pokemon GO?

Cliff is one of the three Team GO Rocket Leaders you can battle in Pokemon GO, alongside Arlo and Sierra. Unlike standard Rocket Grunts, Cliff commands powerful Shadow Pokemon with higher CP and strong moves, making him a major step up in difficulty.

Trainers usually encounter him after defeating several Rocket Grunts and collecting Mysterious Components to build a Rocket Radar. His lineups change regularly, which is why checking the latest Cliff lineups and counters is crucial. If you’re also aiming to battle Giovanni, Cliff is one of the key steps before facing the Team GO Rocket boss.

Current Cliff Lineups [September 2025]

Cliff’s team in Pokemon GO changes from time to time, which makes it important to check the latest updates before battling. Here is Cliff’s current lineup for September 2025:

Phase	Pokemon	Weaknesses
Phase 1	Shadow Larvitar	Fighting, Ground, Ice, and Steel
Phase 2	Shadow Annihilape	Fairy, Flying, Ghost, and Psychic
	Shadow Honchkrow	Electric, Fairy, Ice, and Rock
	Shadow Skarmory	Electric and Fire
Phase 3	Shadow Tyranitar	Fighting, Bug, Fairy, Grass, Ground, Steel, and Water
	Shadow Machamp	Fairy, Flying, and Psychic
	Shadow Luxray	Ground

My experience: If you don’t have access to enough counters or resources, using a location changer like LocaChange lets you teleport to high-activity areas with more Rocket Grunts and PokeStops. This way, you can farm Rocket Radar pieces faster and stock up on revives and TMs before facing Cliff.

Best Cliff Counters in Pokemon GO [September 2025]

To beat Cliff, you’ll need strong Pokemon that directly target his lineup’s weaknesses. Here are the best Cliff counters with their ideal movesets.

Note: The following Pokemon are based on my personal experience and are likely to defeat Cliff, rather than dealing the most damage.

Enemy Pokemon	Best Counters	Recommended Moves
Shadow Larvitar	Primal Kyogre	Waterfall + Origin Pulse
	Mega Sceptile	Bullet Seed + Frenzy Plant
Shadow Annihilape	Eternatus	Dragon Tail + Dynamax Cannon
	Lunala	Shadow Claw + Shadow Ball
Shadow Honchkrow	White Kyurem	Ice Fang + Ice Burn
	Mega Diancie	Rock Throw + Rock Slide
Shadow Skarmory	Mega Charizard	Fire Spin + Blast Burn
	Mega Blaziken	Fire Spin + Blast Burn
Shadow Tyranitar	Mega Lucario	Force Palm + Aura Sphere
	Terrakion	Double Kick + Sacred Sword
Shadow Machamp	Eternatus	Dragon Tail + Cross Poison
	Lunala	Confusion + Psychic
Shadow Luxray	Primal Groundon	Mud Shot + Precipice Blades
	Mega Garchomp	Mud Shot + Earth Power

[Best Strategy] How to Beat Cliff in Pokemon GO?

Beating Cliff in Pokemon GO is never easy - his Shadow Pokemon hit hard and his lineups change regularly. If you want to consistently win, you need more than just type advantage and you need a full game plan.

Tip 1 Build a Team with Mixed Type Coverage

Cliff doesn’t always start with Shadow Larvitar, and his Phase 2/3 Pokemon can vary a lot. That’s why relying on just one counter type will often backfire.

Here’s a balanced team example based on the latest September 2025 counters:

Mega Lucario (Force Palm + Aura Sphere) - Strong against Shadow Tyranitar & Shadow Larvitar

White Kyurem (Ice Fang + Ice Burn) - Shreds Shadow Honchkrow & Skarmory

Lunala (Shadow Claw + Shadow Ball) - Excellent against Shadow Annihilape & Machamp

This setup covers Fairy, Ice, Fighting, and Ghost DPS, ensuring you're prepared no matter which lineup Cliff brings.

Tip 2 Smart Shield Management

From my own tests and community reports, burning both shields in Phase 1 is a common mistake.

Phase 1: Usually safe to tank hits from Shadow Larvitar or Annihilape. Use no more than 1 shield.

Phase 2: Save shields for heavy hitters like Honchkrow (Sky Attack, Dark Pulse) or Skarmory (Sky Attack).

Phase 3: Always keep 1 shield for Shadow Tyranitar’s Crunch/Stone Edge or Shadow Luxray’s Wild Charge, which can one-shot glassy attackers.

Use shield baiting with moves like Lucario’s Power-Up Punch to force Cliff to waste his shields early.

Tip 3 Control Fast and Charged Move Timing

Timing can decide battles:

Fast Moves: Use high-energy moves like Counter or Bullet Seed to quickly reach Charged Moves.

Charged Moves: Don’t fire instantly - wait until Cliff has burned shields or you land super-effective damage.

Energy Watching: Learn the animation and timing of Shadow Pokemon’s charge cycle - dodging a Wild Charge or Sky Attack can save your best attacker.

Tip 4 Use Durable and High-DPS Pokemon

Shadow Pokemon hit 20% harder, so survivability matters.

Tanks: Togekiss, Snorlax, or Mega Diancie to soak damage.

DPS closers: Machamp, Mega Lucario, Eternatus to quickly finish Cliff’s last Pokemon.

Tip 5 Practice More with LocaChange

Cliff doesn’t appear everywhere, and some players rarely encounter his lineups. If you struggle to find the right counters or want more Rocket Radars, using a location changer like LocaChange can help.

By teleporting to hotspots with more PokeStops and Rocket encounters, you can stock up on revives, potions, and TMs much faster - giving you the edge needed to beat Cliff consistently.

Is Cliff Harder Than Other Leaders?

Compared to Sierra and Arlo, many trainers feel that Cliff is often the toughest Team GO Rocket Leader. The main reason is his lineup balance: his Shadow Pokemon usually hit harder and have unpredictable move coverage.

Difficulty Ratings (2025 Player Reports):

Cliff: 8.5/10 - Heavy-hitting Pokemon like Shadow Tyranitar make his battles punishing.

Sierra: 7.0/10 - Still tough, but her lineups are usually easier to counter with standard meta picks.

Arlo: 7.5/10 - Has tricky coverage moves, but less consistent in overall difficulty.

As the chart shows, Cliff ranks highest in average difficulty, making him the leader that requires the most planning and preparation.

From my experience, Cliff isn’t impossible, but you can’t just bring random counters. You need well-powered Fighting-types, a smart shield strategy, and backups ready to adapt.

FAQs About Cliff in Pokemon GO

1. Which Pokemon does Cliff use in Pokemon GO 2025?

In September 2025, Cliff's current team starts with Shadow Larvitar and includes options such as Shadow Annihilape, Honchkrow and Skarmory. It ends with tough choices like Shadow Tyranitar, Machamp and Luxray. His team changes over time, so always check for updates before battling.

2. Can I find Cliff more than once per day in Pokemon GO?

Yes, as long as you collect enough Rocket Radars by defeating Grunts, you can encounter and battle Cliff multiple times in a day.

3. How do I get more Rocket Radars to fight Cliff?

You can earn Rocket Radar pieces by defeating Team GO Rocket Grunts. Alternatively, you can use a location spoofer like LocaChange to teleport to areas with lots of Rocket activity and collect pieces much faster.

Conclusion

Cliff is without a doubt one of the most challenging Team GO Rocket Leaders in Pokemon GO. His unpredictable lineups and powerful Shadow Pokemon make him harder than Arlo or Sierra. To beat Cliff in Pokemon GO, you’ll need the best counters, smart shield usage, and consistent preparation.

If you ever struggle to find enough Rocket encounters or resources, a location changer like LocaChange can help you teleport to PokeStop hotspots, gather more items, and face Cliff with a stronger team. With the right strategy, patience, and tools, beating Cliff becomes much easier - and far more rewarding.

Try It Free See Pricing

Philip Williams

• Pokémon GO
• GPS Spoofing
• AR Gaming

• AR gaming and GPS spoofing specialist with over a decade of software experience. He is a trusted writer on Pokémon GO tips and safe location-changing strategies, helping over 2 million users worldwide. As an Apple enthusiast and expert in location-changing technology, he brings both technical depth and gaming insight to every guide.

Share