A new Team GO Rocket-themed event is here, which means that Pokemon GO players around the world are defeating grunts and working their way towards the big showdowns with Team GO Rocket Leaders once again. As usual, all of the leaders are changing things up just a bit and throwing some new challenges at trainers this October.
Sierra, Cliff, Arlo, and even Giovanni are all back this month and players will want to defeat every one of the bosses to earn some exciting Shadow Pokemon encounters and other rewards. Each of the GO Rocket bosses in Pokemon GO has their own strengths and weaknesses and players should be sure to completely optimize their counter rosters before heading into the big fights.
When it comes to Sierra's lineup this month, there is actually only a subtle change. This time around she is leading with a guaranteed Drowzee encounter. That's a great place to start and many trainers will likely want to bring in a Tyranitar with the correct move set to get the fight started somewhat easily. From there, players will need to see which of the possible Pokemon Sierra throws out for the second and third spot.
Always remember that there's a very good chance players may need to take a fall on the first attempt just to learn some information about which Pokemon Sierra is bringing to the fight. Get as far as possible to learn which counters need to be brought in and then jump right back in for a rematch.
Sierra's October Roster
Drowzee
Exeggutor / Lapras / Sharpedo
Shiftry /Houndoom / Alakazam
Drowzee Counters
Tyranitar - Bite or Fire Blast/Crunch
Giratina (Origin) - Shadow Claw/Ominous Wind
Hydreigon - Bite/Dragon Pulse
Lapras Counters
Dialga - Dragon Breath/Draco Meteor
Lucario - Counter Power Up/Punch
Melmetal - Thunder Shock/Rock Slide
Exeggutor Counters
Volcarona - Bug Bute/Bug Buzz
Scizor - Fury Cutter/X-Scissor
Pinsir - Bug Bite/X-Scissor
Sharpedo Counters
Lucario - Counter/Super Power
Machamp - Counter/Close Combat
Raikou - Volt Switch/Wild Charge
Shiftry Counters
Togekiss - Charm/Ancient Power
Ho-Oh - Hidden Power (Fire)/Brave Bird
Yanmega - Bug Bite/Ancient Power
Houndoom Counters
Swampert - Mud Shot/Hydro Cannon
Poliwrath - Mud Shot/Power Up Punch
Machamp - Counter/Cross Chop
Alakazam Counters
Darkrai - Snarl/Dark Pulse
Hydreigon - Dragon Breath/Dark Pulse
Tyranitar - Bite/Crunch
With that lineup of Pokemon, players should have little difficulty countering any configuration of challengers that Sierra shows up to the fight with. There are obviously lots of other Pokemon that can work as substitutes for this ideal roster, but most players shouldn't have much trouble assembling the team recommended above.
All of those Pokemon are very relevant to the current Pokemon GO PvE and PvP metagame, so it's worth investing in them beyond this fight anyway. Use TMs and Rare Candy wisely if they are needed to take down this challenger.
For now, Pokemon GO trainers should be able to head out into the world (or play from home) and continue catching the best Unova Pokemon in the game and getting closer to that complete Pokedex. Check back for more Pokemon GO updates closer to the event. Until then, good luck out there, trainers!
Pokemon GO is available now in select regions on Android and iOS devices.
Source: Pokemon GO Hub