Need to know the best Pokemon GO Sierra counters? The best can be hard to come by, but there are always alternatives for those with less complete collections. Fighting the others? Check out our Pokémon GO Cliff counters, Pokémon GO Arlo counters, or our complete list of the Team GO Rocket leader teams for November 2022.
At the back end of 2022, Sierra's team has finally changed again. It's a long overdue change, with the Rocket Takeover event switching up the other leaders as well. They're packing some powerful Shadow Pokemon you can swindle at the end. It's worth a shot.
Alongside Sierra's new team, Giovanni has reappeared with yet another enthralled shadow legendary. Shadow Mewtwo - one of the most powerful and versatile creatures in the game - is his thrall, meaning it could be yours as well if you beat Sierra.
Sierra Pokémon teams and counters for November 2022
| First Pokémon | Second Pokémon | Third Pokémon |
|---|---|---|
| Sabelye | Cacturn, Flygon, Honchrow | Snorlax, Houndoom, Cradily |
Sierra now uses Squirtle as her first Pokémon. Sierra’s second Pokemon will either be Blaziken, Lapras, or Blastoise. Finally, for Sierra's third Pokémon, expect her trusty Houndoom, or she may switch it up and use either Drapion or Nidoqueen.
Now that you know which Pokémon she'll use, you just need to know how to beat them. The best way to do that is to use the Pokémon GO Sierra counters suggested below.
First Sierra Pokémon counters
Sabelye Counters
| Pokémon | Fast Move | Charged Move |
|---|---|---|
| Torterra | Razor Leaf | Solar Beam |
| Xurkitree | Thunder Shock | Discharge |
| Zarude | Vine Whip | Power Whip |
| Roserade | Razor Leaf | Grass Knot |
Sabelye actually doesn't have any weaknesses. Just bring Pokemon that generally resist its moves while keeping the rest of Sierra's possible follow-up Pokemon in mind.
Second Sierra Pokémon counters
Cacturne
Similar to her old Shiftry, Cacturne can't stand up against Fighting or Fairy-type Pokemon too well. Fire and Flying will deal great damage as well, so Machamp and Charizard can work well in your team.
Flygon
Flygon melts in the face of any Ice-type moves, but Dragon and Fairy work just as well. Mamoswine and Glaceon can work wonders against any of Sierra's second slot Pokemon, so bring them along.
Honchkrow
Honchkrow will quickly fall to most of the popular Rock-type attackers out there. Rhyperior and Golem will work wonders, and Rampardos will do just fine to resist most of its advances.
Third Sierra Pokémon counters
Houndoom Counters
| Pokémon | Fast Move | Charged Move |
|---|---|---|
| Machamp | Counter | Cross Chop, Rock Slide |
| Conkeldurr | Counter | Dynamic Punch, Smack Down |
| Rhyperior | Smack Down | Surf, Rock Wrecker |
| Kyogre | Waterfall | Surf |
Houndoom is weak to Fighting, Ground, Rock and Water-type Pokémon. Here's a list of Pokémon and their moves that counter Houndoom.
Houndoom is also weak to Ground-types, so we'd probably just use our Ampharos counter here. That being said, if you led with a Fighting-type to quickly reduce Sierra's shields, it will prove equally effective against Houndoom.
Snorlax
| Pokemon | Fast Attack | Charged Attack |
|---|---|---|
| Mewtwo | Psycho Cut | Psystrike |
| Hoopa | Confusion | Psychic |
| Landorus (Therian) | Extrasensory | Earthquake |
| Excadrill | Mud-slap | Earthquake |
| Kyogre | Waterfall | Hydro Pump |
Snorlax is only weak to Fighting-type moves, so bring heavy attack types like Lucario, Blaziken, Machamp, and Hariyama.
Cradily
Cradily is weak to Fighting, Bug, Steel, and Ice. Its own Rock-type attacks mean Ho-Oh and Moltres aren't great picks, and its Grass-type attacks can cause trouble for popular Rock/Ground attackers as well. Aim for resistences.
How do I find Sierra in Pokémon GO?
To receive the honour of battling Sierra, you'll first need to defeat six Team Rocket Grunts. Each one will grant you a Mysterious Component. Combine these to build a Rocket Radar and you'll be able to use it to find the location of a Rocket Leader.
However, battling a Rocket Leader is a different story from taking on their lowly Grunts. Leaders use strong, high-level monsters. Sierra counters are necessary to get the win, and they shift when her team changes, making it a constant struggle.
- Get Goodies: Pokémon GO promo codes
Her monsters are also high CP, likely much higher than any of your Pokémon. Using super-effective moves is a great strategy to best her, but bringing bulky Pokémon can often be an even better idea.
Defeating Sierra can not only offer an encounter with a shiny Nidoran (F), but also grants you one of the Strange 12km Eggs and helps you complete the A Seven-Colored Shadow research quest.
For more mobile game goodness, check out what we already know about Peridot - Niantic's next creature collecting game. We even have a Peridot pre-order page up in case you're confused by it, and a guide on how to walk in Peridot if you're not sure how the whole AR game system works.
An earlier version of this guide was written by James Wright.