Pokémon GO Cliff counters August 2022 - best Pokémon and all rewards

You'll need to know the best Pokémon GO Cliff counters for August 2022 if you're to have any chance of bagging this big man's new Shadow Pokémon. Lucky for you, we've updated our trusty guide with some of the best and most commonly used Pokémon that will see you through the fight

Following on from the Power Plant event that changed his lineup the last time around, an event coinciding with this year's Pokémon GO Fest has switched up the Team Rocket plan of action yet again.

Looking for more Pokémon GO guides? We have Sierra counters as well as Arlo counters if you need to fight the other two Team GO Rocket Leaders. Likewise, we have Giovanni counters if he's still around. And if you just need to flesh out your team, check out our Pokémon GO Legendary Pokémon list for the lowdown on which of those are available right now.

Pokémon GO Cliff Counters and team for August 2022

This time around, Cliff is rocking a team with plenty of starter Pokémon. He always kicks things off with a Bulbasaur in place of his retired Cubone.

After that, you'll find two new Pokémon in his second slot, making it a toss-up between Crobat, Venusaur, and returning Omastar.

Lastly, you'll go up against either Tyranitar, Torterra, or Swampert in the final bout. He just can't let his dinos go.

First Cliff Pokémon counters

Bulbasaur Counters

You're free to use any powerful Fire-type Pokémon here that'll carry you through Venusaur and Torterra as well if you're so luck, but going for Ice or Psychic-Type Pokémon instead will makes more sense. With them, you'll be able to hit the weakness of the Grass/Poison starters, Crobot if it arrives, and Tyranitar as well - if you opt for Ice, anyway.

Second Cliff Pokémon counters

Crobat Counters

For Crobot, you just need to watch out for its speed. So long as you have a charged attack ready from key Bulbasaur counters like Alakazam or Mewtwo, you should have an easy time with this one. Likewise, Ice-type Pokémon will pitch in just fine, freezing its wings.

Venusaur

Given it evolves from Bulbasaur, the Venusaur counters for the Cliff fight are largely the same. Ice and Psychic-type Pokémon rule the roost here for the sake of fighitng the character's other Pokémon, but a strong Fire-type like Magmortar will work just fine as well.

Omastar

Though Omastar used to be a solid raid counter back in the day, it's now a bit of a pushover.

Torterra is a strong choice for this fight. Omastar has three moves it can choose from, and Torterra can handle all of them like a pro. However, don't worry if you choose another. Grass-type Pokémon are fairly easy to come by. Don't overthink it.

Third Cliff Pokémon counters

Tyranitar Counters

Shadow Tyranitar is weak to Fighting, Fairy, Ground, Bug, Steel, Water and Grass-type moves. Here's a list of Pokémon and their moves that counter Tyranitar.

Tyranitar is especially weak to Fighting-type Pokémon, making a bunch of classic raid bosses perfect Pokémon GO Cliff counters. Lucario stands out as a way to burn Cliff's shields. Despite being shielded, Power-up Punches will buff your Counter and shred through Tyranitar's defences in no time. Tyranitar has a lot of other weaknesses, but we'd target Fighting-types for the added damage boost.

Swampert Counters

Swampert is a difficult Pokémon to counter, but if you've had any experience with PvP in Pokémon Go, then you should do okay. Swampert is double weak to Grass, making Torterra another exceptional choice to go with. Especially since they are a good PvP choice too, and for this fight, having a strong Grass attacker that you use regularly in PvP is the way to go.

Torterra Counters

Torterra replaces Charizard in this version of the fight, making another strong case for Ice-types. Torterra can crush them if you're not careful, but with proper prep work and shield bating, it should fall with two strong Charged Attacks from a prime counter.

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How do I battle Cliff in Pokémon GO?

To encounter any Team Rocket Leader, you have to defeat six Rocket Grunts. Grunts can be found by interacting with black PokéStops or hot air balloons floating above you on the map.

Defeat six of them to earn Mysterious Components, then combine them into a Rocket Radar. The radar will lead you to one of the elusive Rocket Leaders.

What are the Pokémon GO Cliff rewards?

For every Team Go Rocket Leader you defeat, you will earn plenty of rewards in return. You'll get 1,000 Stardust and two of the following items after defeating Cliff:

• 1 Strange 12km egg (if you don't have inventory space, it will be sent to the extra egg storage)
• 1 Max Revive
• 1 Revive
• 1 Max Potion
• 1 Unova Stone
• 1 Sinnoh Stone

Defeating Cliff won't be easy for the vast majority of players, but the rewards are generally worth the effort. With the latest Pokémon GO Cliff counters, you should stand a decent chance with proper timing, strategy, and enough luck.

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And if you don't manage it the first time, you can always revive or rejig your team and try again. The fights are easily repeatable, so don't worry about wasting your chance.

For more mobile gaming goodness, check out what we know about Peridot - Niantic's upcoming creature game. We have a dedicated Peridot pre-order page if you're wondering what you'll get, and a guide on how to walk in Peridot as well.

An earlier version of this guide was written by James Wright.