Strategies to Defeat Cliff in Pokémon GO (January 2025)

In the dynamic world of Pokémon GO, Cliff stands as one of the formidable Team Rocket leaders ready to be challenged this January 2025. As players prepare to take on this cunning opponent, understanding his lineup and strategies can significantly enhance their chances of victory. With the new year upon us, players can leverage improved counter tactics against Cliff’s potent Pokémon to emerge victorious more conveniently.

To confront Cliff, alongside Sierra and Arlo, you must first craft the Rocket Radar, a unique item formed by vanquishing Team Rocket Grunts. This Radar comprises six Mysterious Components collected from Grunts, guiding you to a Team Leader once completed. However, because the encounter is randomly generated, you have only a 33% probability of challenging Cliff each time you engage a Leader.

Cliff’s Lineup & Counters (January 2025)

Finding Effective Counter Strategies

The battle against Cliff is structured in three distinct phases, often referred to as “waves.”The initial wave features a consistent Pokémon choice from Cliff’s team, while the second and third waves can vary, presenting three possible Pokémon. This variability complicates preparations, as you may encounter unexpected Pokémon during the fight.

Although Cliff tends to utilize Dark-type Pokémon, his tactics are versatile, presenting considerable challenges. Specifically, he employs Shadow variants of his Pokémon, which possess heightened health and more potent attacks compared to their regular counterparts.

The table below summarizes Cliff’s potential Pokémon lineup and the best strategies for countering each one:

Wave	Pokémon	Type(s)	Weaknesses	Best Counters
1	(Shadow) Galarian Zigzagoon	Dark/Normal	Fighting, Bug, Fairy	Lucario Machamp Gardevoir Heracross Terrakion
2	(Shadow) Venusaur	Grass/Poison	Fire, Flying, Ice, Psychic	Charizard Salamence Heatran Metagross Blaziken
2	(Shadow) Marowak	Ground	Grass, Ice, Water	skeptical Swampert Blastoise Mamoswine Torterra
2	(Shadow) Aerodactyl	Rock/Flying	Electric, Ice, Rock, Steel, Water	Dusk Mane Necrozma Rhyperior Metagross Swampert Empoleon
3	(Shadow) Crobat	Poison/Flying	Electric, Ice, Psychic, Rock	Electivire Metagross Magnezon Tyranitar Rhyperior
3	(Shadow) Tyranitar	Rock/Dark	Fighting, Bug, Fairy, Grass, Ground, Steel, Water	Lucario Heracross Polyurethane Torterra Gardevoir
3	(Shadow) Obstagoon	Dark/Normal	Fighting, Bug, Fairy	Lucario Machamp Gardevoir Heracross Terrakion

Assembling a team consisting of:

Heracross
Torterra
Metagross

is highly effective when countering Cliff. Each of these Pokémon provides a tactical advantage against his team, delivering super-effective damage that can help dismantle them rapidly. Notably, Heracross excels against Cliff’s Shadow Tyranitar and Obstagoon, while Torterra presents resilience against both Marowak and Tyranitar, enhancing your lineup’s durability.

Metagross, with its Steel-type defense, effectively withstands Crobat’s attacks while handing out effective damage against Aerodactyl and Venusaur. Even though randomness governs the selection of Cliff’s Pokémon for his latter phases, this carefully selected team equips you to handle whatever challenges arise.

Rewards for Defeating Cliff (January 2025)

Opportunities to Capture Shadow Pokémon

Rewards for Beating Cliff — Custom image by Ben Williams

Conquering Cliff yields 1,000 Stardust as an immediate reward, providing you with essential resources for future battles. In addition, you will receive two item bundles from a total of six possible sets, increasing your inventory for upcoming encounters. Some possible rewards include:

4x Revives
2x Max Revives
4x Hyper Potions
2x Max Potions
1x You Become Stone
1x 12km Strange Egg

The Strange Egg stands out as a noteworthy prize, promising the chance to hatch a Pokémon that may prove advantageous in your battles ahead.

Additionally, by defeating Cliff, you gain the opportunity to capture his Shadow Galarian Zigzagoon. After the encounter, you may find yourself facing this Shadow Pokémon, which offers a 1 in 64 chance of being a rare Shiny variant. Engaging with Cliff repeatedly is a fantastic strategy to boost your odds of obtaining a Shiny Pokémon. However, even the standard Shadow variant will enhance your collection significantly.

Moreover, defeating Cliff contributes to your progression in Special Rocket Research, nudging you closer to your ultimate showdown against Giovanni. Players aiming to conquer Cliff in Pokémon GO this January should leverage the rewards gained from their battles in the forthcoming events, Raids, or Max battles slated for the new year.

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