Pokémon Go Leader counters: Arlo, Cliff, Sierra counters and strategies in Pokémon Go
How to defeat the three Team Go Rocket Leaders during the Rocket takeover event.
The Team GO Rocket takeover event is back, which means the Team Go Rocket Leaders Arlo, Cliff and Sierra are invading PokéStops in Pokémon Go with a whole new line-up of Shadow Pokémon.
It's up to you to hunt down Arlo, Cliff and Sierra by collecting Mysterious Components and a Rocket Radar in Pokémon Go, which will also help as part of the October 2024 update for the Galar Calling quest.
Defeating each of these leaders will give you the chance to encounter a rare Shadow Pokémon! As of October 2024, Sierra has Ralts, Arlo has Beldum and Cliff has Galarian Zigzagoon. All three of these can be shiny, meaning you can get your hands on an ultra-rare shiny Shadow Pokémon!
Facing all three is also the route to a battle against the formidable Giovanni himself - and his even more formidable Shadow Heatran - if you take them down as part of the Team GO Rocket quest.
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Team Go Rocket Leaders and strategies explained in Pokémon Go
With each Team GO Rocket takeover event comes a quest that gives you a chance to take down Giovanni and catch a legendary Shadow Pokémon. As of October 2024, the latest chance to defeat Giovanni is included within the Galar Calling special research quest, which earns you a Super Rocket Radar, which is effectively your ticket to take on the head of Team GO Rocket, Giovanni. But, to do that, you first need to defeat his three Team GO Rocket leaders, as part of the aforementioned quest.
This requires you collect six Mysterious Components from Grunts, which you combine into a Rocket Radar that reveals the location of a Team GO Rocket Leader. The choice given to you is random, so if you are after a specific Leader, keep checking until the one you need appears.
These will be tough battles, so a brute force strategy will not always work. Instead, consider the following strategies:
- Since you need to lean on countering with types, it's best to go in with a prepared team with strong counters.
- A Leader's line-up will be somewhat unique for that encounter - it's made of a small selection of creatures, so you can't exactly be sure which Pokémon you'll be facing. You might have to face them once to learn their line-up, then change yours to counter it.
- Leaders will always use their two shields for your first two Charged moves, which will be followed by a two-second delay before they can attack. This same delay occurs when you switch Pokémon. Ideally, this means your lead Pokémon must be strong enough to survive long enough to deliver two Charged moves, and do so as fast as possible, so you can then dealing out damage properly. For example, Melmetal is a good candidate for this.
- You can face a Leader as many times as you like, so don't worry if you lose the first time!
Ultimately, victory depends on your ability to create a team that takes advantage of as many of the Team GO Rocket Leader's team's weaknesses as possible, so having a wide roster of Pokémon available will help you form flexible teams.
Below the video, you'll find the current possible lineups for each Team Go Rocket Leader during the Team GO Rocket takeover event.
Arlo counters and line-up in Pokémon Go
Below you'll find the current line up for Arlo in Pokémon Go, as of October 2024.
Remember - the first Pokémon is always the same, and is the one you'll be given the chance to catch if you win. The rest are randomly selected from a pool of three:
| First Pokémon | Second Pokémon | Third Pokémon |
|---|---|---|
| Beldum | Gyarados | Metagross |
| Hypno | Scizor | |
| Charizard | Snorlax |
Unlike the previous lineups Arlo has had over the past year, this one will require some scouting (unless you're lucky) and this is all down to his final Pokémon choice. Unless Arlo decides to use Metagross, you'll need to ensure you're using a very specific Pokémon as both Snorlax and Scizor only have one weakness. Helpfully, his other choice, Metagross, shares the same weakness as his starter Pokémon. This means, depending on his second Pokémon choice, you could technically win this battle by using either two Fire-type Pokémon and one Electric or two Ghost / Dark-types and one Electric-type. But, again, you'll have to be lucky.
Beldum is weak to Dark, Fire, Ghost and Ground-type Pokémon. We recommend choosing a Ghost or Dark-type Pokémon for your counter here, because, if Arlo chooses Hypno as his second Pokémon, your choice here will have an advantage against it. For Ghost-types we recommend Origin Giratina, Chandelure and, if you have it, Confined Hoopa. A strong Dark-type, however, might be easier to come by and good recommendations include Tyranitar, Hydreigon and, again if you have it, Unbound Hoopa.
Though you may also want to consider using a Fire-type Pokémon in case Arlo chooses either Scizor or Metagross as his third Pokémon. To truly know this, however, you will have to scout ahead and possibly lose to Arlo, so you can adapt your team. Possible Fire-types you should consider include Reshiram, Heatran, Volcarona and Moltres. If you go this route, you may also want to include a second Fire-type in your team to ensure you have a backup.
When it comes to Arlo's second Pokémon, we recommend having an Electric-type Pokémon on hand. This is because the only type overlap which doesn't cause you to use a Pokémon Arlo might have an advantage against is the shared Electric-type weakness between Charizard and Gyarados. (Being a Water-type Gyarados, of course, has an advantage over Rock-type Pokémon despite it's dual Flying-type nature.) When choosing your Electric-type, consider Xurkitree, Zekrom, Therian Forme Thundurus or Raikou.
If you're facing Hypno though, you should find that your choice for battling Beldum will come in handy as it shares the Ghost and Dark-type weakness. Just make sure you select a Pokémon who can use moves of these types or else you won't be causing much damage at all.
You will most likely have to scout ahead to find the right counter for Arlo's third Pokémon as two only have one weakness. Like we mentioned above, Scizor can be defeated by a powerful Fire-type Pokémon. Meanwhile, Snorlax's only weakness is Fighting-type Pokémon where your ideal counters include Terrakion, Lucario, Conkeldurr and Machamp.
Thankfully Metagross has actual options and, since it's the final evolution of Beldum, its weaknesses are the same as the Pokémon you had to consider for your starting slot. Due to this, you may find that you can toss that Pokémon back into the fight if it hasn't fainted yet. Still this doesn't mean you can count on this Pokémon doing all the work so, if Metagross is your foe, make sure you use either a Fire, Ground, Ghost or Dark-type counter.
As you can see defeating Arlo this time round does involve a bit of scouting if you're not lucky on his Pokémon draw. In a way, it's a little easier than the last line up - thanks to the shared Electric-type weakness for two of his second choices and Metagross sharing the same weaknesses as Beldum - but Scizor and Snorlax both being final options can really cause a problem thanks to their one-weakness-only nature.
Cliff counters and line-up in Pokémon Go
Below you'll find the current line up for Cliff in Pokémon Go, as of October 2024.
Remember - the first Pokémon is always the same, and is the one you'll be given the chance to catch if you win. The rest are randomly selected from a pool of three:
| First Pokémon | Second Pokémon | Third Pokémon |
|---|---|---|
| Galarian Zigzagoon | Marowak | Tyranitar |
| Venusaur | Obstagoon | |
| Aerodactyl | Crobat |
Well, this is awfully similar to a number of Cliff's previous line ups isn't it? (I wrote that for the last line up and, once again, we barely see any change.)
Cliff's current lineup means there's a good chance creating a team of two Fairy-types and an Ice-type or one Fairy and two Ice can lead you to victory. We recommend focusing on these types along as they're the shared weaknesses running throughout Cliff's lineup with each of the possibly Pokémon being weak at least one if not both. The overall type you focus upon - be it Ice or Fairy - depends on the exact Pokémon you find yourself facing.
When it comes to poweful Ice-type Pokémon in Pokémon Go, you'll want to consider Kyurem, Baxcalibur, Mamoswine, Glaceon and Cetitan. For Shadow Pokémon, you should consider Shadow Mamoswine, Shadow Weavile or Shadow Articuno. Finally, our Ice-type Mega Evolution recommendations are either Mega Glalie or Mega Abomasnow.
For Fairy-type, however, you'll want to consider using Tapu Lele, Zacian, Tapu Bulu, Tapu Koko, Incarnate Forme Enamorus or Xerneas. Your Mega Evolution choices for this type comes down to Mega Gardevoir or Diancie. For Shadow Pokémon, meanwhile, only have two main choices - Shadow Gardevoir or Shadow Granbull - but you can easily get away with not thinking about them at all.
You'll want to start with a Fairy-type as this is the one out of the two Galarian Zigzagoon is weak against. You may also want to consider using a Fighting or Bug-type Pokémon as it's also weak to these types, but this choice will only become useful again if Cliff picks either Tyranitar or Obstagoon for his final Pokémon. (Though both of these Pokémon are also weak to Fairy-types.)
Looking at Cliff's second choice, all three - Marowak, Aerodactyl and Venusaur - are weak to Ice-type Pokémon. This makes your own second Pokémon very easy to choose since, as long as its an Ice-type, you'll have an advantage over these Pokémon. Just be careful if you decide to use Mamoswine, because, being part Grass, Venusaur will have an advantage over its Ground-typing. It's important to note that Marowak and Aerodactyl also share a weakness to Water-type Pokémon, so you might want to consider Charged Moves from that type when making your selection.
Things get a little tricky when it comes to Cliff's third Pokémon as, depending on his choice, you'll need either a Fairy or Ice-type. Fairy covers you for both Tyranitar and Obstagoon (who, as its final evolution, shares the same weaknesses as Galarian Zigzagoon), but Crobat is weak to Ice as well as Electric, Psychic or Rock-type Pokémon. You may need to do some scouting around to make sure you have the type matchups perfect, but, if you've focused on the types we've recommended, you've still got a good chance of winning first time round.
Cliff's lineup this time round does mean there's a very good chance you'll be able to defeat him first time round. If your Pokémon are strong enough of course.
Sierra counters and line-up in Pokémon Go
Below you'll find the current line up for Sierra in Pokémon Go, as of October 2024.
Remember - the first Pokémon is always the same, and is the one you'll be given the chance to catch if you win. The rest are randomly selected from a pool of three:
| First Pokémon | Second Pokémon | Third Pokémon |
|---|---|---|
| Ralts | Milotic | Houndoom |
| Sableye | Nidoqueen | |
| Steelix | Gardevoir |
When Sierra's last lineup rolled around I wrote about how, despite often finding her the hardest Rocket Leader to defeat, she actually had some type overlaps to take advantage of this. This fact remains somewhat true as, like the other Leaders, we haven't actually seen much change in her possible Pokémon, but Sierra still isn't going to a simple win.
This time round you might find that a combination of Poison, Water and Ground or Fighting-type Pokémon may lead you to victory, but, as always, Sierra is a battle you may find can only be won by scouting. Sierra still has that Sableye and its one-type weakness after all. She certainly likes picking a diverse range of Pokémon...
Ralts, Sierra's first Pokémon is weak to Poison, Ghost and Steel-type Pokémon. None of these weaknesses reappear in your fight unless she chooses Gardevoir to be her final Pokémon. Due to this, we recommend picking your strongest Pokémon from these three types to really start this battle off with a bang. Hopefully this Pokémon can take care of Ralts quickly, so, if she does choose Gardevoir, you can bring it back for round two.
Our recommendations for Poison-types include Overqwil, Nihilego, Venusaur, Crobat, Roserade and Gengar for a nice Ghost-type overlap. On the topic of Ghosts, you might want to consider using either form of Giratina, Lunala, Blacephalon, Chanedlure and, if you have it, Dawn Wings Necrozma. Finally, strong Steel-type choices include Dialga, Melmetal, Excadrill, Metagross and, again if you have them, either Dusk Mane Necrozma or Origin Forme Dialga.
When it comes to Sierra's second Pokémon, you'll have to select one which is dedicated to targetting their specific types, because there's no overlap. (Yay...) Thankfully, both Sableye and Milotic make a return so, if you've fought them before, you'll know who to use. If you haven't, however, it's important to note that Sableye is only weak to Fairy-type Pokémon, so we recommend using either Gardevior, Sylveon, Togekiss or Granbull.
For Milotic you'll need either an Electric or Grass-type Pokémon, but nothing else will do the job. When it comes to Electric-types consider using Pokémon like Xurkitree, Zekrom, Therian Forme Thunderus or Raikou. Strong Grass-type counters include Meowscarada, Decidueye, Kartana, Venusaur and Tapu Bulu.
Her final choice is Steelix who is weak to Fire, Fighting, Ground and Water-type Pokémon. If you find yourself facing this metal worm, we recommend using a Ground-type Pokémon because it will come in handy if she decides to use either Houndoom or Nidoqueen in her final slot. (I did say there was some type overlap.) Therian Forme Landorus, Groudon, Ursaluna and Garchomp can all fill this slot quite easily and, if you have the spare Primal Energy, you may even want to bring out Primal Groudon if you've scouted ahead to know a Ground-type will serve you well in the final round.
Sierra's third Pokémon is a little easier to plan for, because both Nidoqueen and Houndoom are weak to Ground-type Pokémon. This means, if you faced Steelix, you can simply continue using that Ground-type or switch to another like Terrakion. Though Swampert, thanks to its Water and Ground-typing, makes it a good counter for Houndoom.
If you're battling Gardevoir, however, then you'll need to choose either a Steel, Ghost or Poison-type Pokémon. Since Gardevoir is the final evolution of Ralts, you may be able to bring out the Pokémon you used to defeat that again. If not, you'll need a Pokémon from one of these three types to defeat Gardevoir. Personally, I'd focus on using a Poison-type but that's just because I have a weak spot for that type.
As you can see, Sierra does take a bit of planning especially she decides to be cruel with her selections. Still, this is a battle you can win with the right counter selections. It might just take you a couple of goes...
The Dual Destiny Season is here! It brings the Holiday Part 1 event with it. You can now catch Dynamax Pokémon through Max Battles. First, however, you need to visit Power Spots to collect Max Particles and complete the To the Max! quest. Don't forget to try out Routes, Gift Exchange and Party Play while you're hunting down rare Pokémon, fighting in the Go Battle League or competing in PokéStop Showcases.
Team Go Rocket Leader rewards in Pokémon Go
Defeating a Team Go Rocket Leader will grant you 1,000 Stardust, a red 'strange' 12km egg (if you have an open space in your Egg inventory) and one of the following items:
- Max Revive
- Revive
- Max Potion
- Unova Stone
- Sinnoh Stone
Thank you to skewtr from reddit with the help with this information.
You will also have the opportunity to catch one of the Team GO Rocket Leader's Shadow Pokémon. Beat Sierra to catch Sableye, Arlo for Bellsprout and Cliff for Dratini.
Best of all, there's a chance that these Shadow Pokémon could be shiny!
To catch these Shadow Pokémon, you'll receive a base number of 5 Premier Balls. Bonus Pokéballs will be rewarded depending on several factors, including:
- How many of your Pokémon survive the Trainer Battle
- Your Purify Pokémon (Purifier) medal rank
- Your Defeat Team Rocket (Hero) medal rank
Good luck hunting down those evil Team GO Rocket leaders!