Pokemon GO: How to Beat Cliff (July 2022)

Table of contents

Quick Links

How to Beat Cliff's First Pokemon

How to Beat Cliff's Second Pokemon

How to Beat Cliff's Third Pokemon

[Editors Note: This post has been updated to provide the correct Pokemon team for Cliff in July 2022 for Pokemon GO]

Pokemon GO's latest Season is in full swing, bringing a steady stream of new events, challenges, and changes to Niantic's genre-defining ARPG. The Season of GO is all about celebrating the game, and there's no better way to do that than taking on and defeating one of the Team GO Rocket Leaders, earning a chance to gain one of Pokemon GO's powerful Shadow Pokemon.

One of the toughest of the Team GO Rocket Leaders is Cliff, also known as the Big-Hearted Ruffian. In July 2022, Cliff's team is all about Grass, Poison, and Water Pokemon, with few shared weaknesses. However, players who bring the right team should be able to claim victory and earn a Shadow Pokemon as their reward.

How to Beat Cliff's First Pokemon

Pokemon Fan Designs Crystal Version of Bulbasaur

Like his boss Giovanni and the other Team GO Rocket Leaders, Cliff will always begin each battle with the same Pokemon. This month it's Bulbasaur, a Grass/Poison-type Pokemon. As a Grass/Poison-type, Bulbasaur is weak to Fire, Flying, Ice, and Psychic, and resistant to Grass, Electric, Fairy, Fighting, and Water.

Counters

Darmanitan - Incinerate/Overheat
Mewtwo - Confusion/Psystrike
Blaziken - Fire Spin/Blast Burn
Moltres - Fire Spin/Sky Attack
Espeon - Confusion/Psychic

How to Beat Cliff's Second Pokemon

Cliff's second Pokemon will either be Crobat, Venusaur, or Omastar. While Poison-types Crobat and Venusaur share a weakness to Psychic moves, players will also need to think about countering the wild-card Omastar.

Crobat

As a Poison/Flying-type, Crobat is weak to Electric, Ice, Psychic, and Rock. It's also resistant to Bug, Fighting, Grass, Fairy, Ground, and Poison.

Counters

Mewtwo - Confusion/Psystrike
Exeggutor - Extrasensory/Psychic
Glaceon - Ice Shard/Ice Blast
Zapdos - Thunder Shock/Thunder Bolt
Raikou - Thunder Shock/Wild Charge

Venusaur

Venusaur is another Grass/Poison-type, making it weak to Fire, Ice, Psychic, and Flying. It is also resistant to Grass, Electric, Fairy, Fighting, and Water. Venusaur is Bulbasaur's evolution, meaning that players can re-use whichever Pokemon they brought to counter Bulbasaur.

Counters

Darmanitan - Incinerate/Overheat
Mewtwo - Confusion/Psystrike
Blaziken - Fire Spin/Blast Burn
Moltres - Fire Spin/Sky Attack
Espeon - Confusion/Psychic

Omastar

Omastar is a Rock/Water-type Pokemon. This means it's weak to Ground, Electric, Fighting, and Grass. It's resistant to Fire, Flying, Ice, Normal, and Poison.

Counters

Zarude - Vine Whip/Power Whip
Sceptile - Bullet Seed/Leaf Blade
Rhyperior - Mud-Slap/Earthquake
Groudon - Mud Shot/Earthquake
Torterra - Razor Leaf/Frenzy Plant

How to Beat Cliff's Third Pokemon

Cliff's third and final Pokemon can either be Swampert, Charizard, or Tyranitar. Unfortunately, these three are all different types and therefore don't share a common weakness. Although this makes picking a counter harder, Pokemon GO players looking for tips should use their previous picks to help guide their final choice.

Swampert

As a Water/Ground-type, Swampert is only weak to Grass moves. It's also resistant to Poison, Rock, Steel, and Fire, and completely immune to Electric.

Counters

Zarude - Vine Whip/Power Whip
Tangrowth - Vine Whip/Power Whip
Bellossom Bullet Seed/Leaf Blade
Torterra - Razor Leaf/Frenzy Plant
Leafeon - Razor Leaf/Leaf Blade

Torterra

Torterra is a Grass/Ground-type, and therefore is weak to Ice, Bug, Fire, and Flying. It's resistant to Electric, Ground, and Rock.

Counters

Mamoswine - Powder Snow/Avalanche
Jynx - Frost Breath/Ice Punch
Glaceon Frost Breath/Icy Wind
Lapras - Frost Breath/Ice Beam
Mewtwo - Confusion/Ice Beam

Tyranitar

As a Rock/Dark-type Pokemon, Tyranitar has a ton of weaknesses including Bug, Fairy, Fighting, Grass, Ground, Steel, and Water. Unfortunately, it also has resistance to Normal, Flying, Poison, Ghost, Fire, and Dark, as well as complete immunity to Psychic.