Looking to take down Team GO Rocket Leader Cliff in Pokémon GO this July? You’ve come to the right place. In this updated guide, we break down Cliff’s July 2025 Pokémon lineup, the best counters to use, and the rewards you can earn for defeating him.
Whether you’re grinding Shadow Shards, chasing shiny Shadow Pokémon, or working on your Rocket research, here’s everything you need to know to beat Cliff this month.
🧢 Who Is Cliff in Pokémon GO?
Cliff is one of the three Team GO Rocket Leaders you can encounter in Pokémon GO, alongside Arlo and Sierra. These bosses rotate their Shadow Pokémon lineups regularly, offering new challenges (and rewards) every month. For July 2025, Cliff’s battle team includes powerful and tricky Shadow Pokémon, including Shadow Gible, Shadow Skarmory, and Shadow Tyranitar.
📅 Cliff’s July 2025 Pokémon Lineup
When battling Cliff, you’ll face a team of three Shadow Pokémon. His first Pokémon is always the same, while the second and third are randomly selected from a pool.
Here’s Cliff’s full lineup for July 2025:
| Battle Slot | Possible Pokémon |
|---|---|
| First | Shadow Gible |
| Second | Shadow Skarmory, Shadow Honchkrow, Shadow Annihilape |
| Third | Shadow Tyranitar, Shadow Machamp, Shadow Luxray |
🥊 Best Counters to Defeat Cliff (July 2025)
🔻 General Strategy
Cliff’s team combines Flying, Steel, Fighting, Electric, and Dragon-type Pokémon. You’ll want to bring a mix of Ice, Ground, Fairy, Fighting, Psychic, and Electric attackers.
To beat Cliff:
- Open strong with a fast-charging Pokémon to burn his shields.
- Prepare flexible counters that can cover more than one of his Pokémon.
- Don’t forget resistances—some Pokémon can tank key hits while still dealing decent damage.
Let’s dive into counters for each possible Pokémon Cliff uses.
🐉 Shadow Gible (Dragon/Ground)
Weak to: Ice (2×), Fairy, Dragon
Recommended counters:
- Mamoswine – Powder Snow / Icicle Spear
- Baxcalibur – Ice Fang / Dragon Claw
- Glaceon – Ice Shard / Avalanche
- Weavile – Ice Shard / Triple Axel
- Mega Garchomp – Dragon Tail / Sand Tomb
Pro tip: Start with a fast Ice-type to break shields and remove Gible quickly.
🛡️ Shadow Skarmory (Steel/Flying)
Weak to: Electric, Fire
Top counters:
- Reshiram – Fire Fang / Fusion Flare
- Magnezone – Volt Switch / Wild Charge
- Heatran – Fire Spin / Magma Storm
- Electivire – Thunder Shock / Wild Charge
- Therian Thundurus – Volt Switch / Wildbolt Storm
Pro tip: Fire-types shred Skarmory’s defenses—Reshiram is especially effective.
🦍 Shadow Annihilape (Fighting/Ghost)
Weak to: Fairy, Flying, Ghost, Psychic
Recommended counters:
- Mega Rayquaza – Air Slash / Dragon Ascent
- Shadow Mewtwo – Psycho Cut / Psystrike
- Primarina – Charm / Disarming Voice
- Mega Gengar – Lick / Shadow Ball
- Mega Alakazam – Confusion / Psychic
Pro tip: Annihilape hits hard. Use Fairy or Psychic-types with decent bulk to outlast it.
🦅 Shadow Honchkrow (Dark/Flying)
Weak to: Electric, Fairy, Ice, Rock
Best counters:
- Mamoswine – Powder Snow / Icicle Spear
- Primarina – Charm / Disarming Voice
- Therian Thundurus – Volt Switch / Wildbolt Storm
- Terrakion – Smack Down / Rock Slide
- Gardevoir – Charm / Triple Axel
Pro tip: Gardevoir’s Charm can melt through Honchkrow quickly.
💪 Shadow Machamp (Fighting)
Weak to: Fairy, Psychic, Flying
Top counters:
- Mega Rayquaza – Air Slash / Dragon Ascent
- Shadow Mewtwo – Psycho Cut / Psystrike
- Gardevoir – Confusion / Psychic
- Mega Gallade – Confusion / Psychic
- Mega Latios – Zen Headbutt / Psychic
Pro tip: Fairy-types are especially valuable if you also encounter Annihilape.
🦖 Shadow Tyranitar (Rock/Dark)
Weak to: Fighting, Fairy, Ground, Bug, Steel, Grass, Water
Recommended counters:
- Mega Lucario – Counter / Aura Sphere
- Conkeldurr – Counter / Dynamic Punch
- Terrakion – Double Kick / Sacred Sword
- Primal Kyogre – Waterfall / Origin Pulse
- Shadow Machamp – Counter / Dynamic Punch
Pro tip: Fighting-types are best, especially if they can handle Luxray too.
⚡ Shadow Luxray (Electric)
Weak to: Ground
Best counters:
- Primal Groudon – Mud Shot / Precipice Blades
- Shadow Garchomp – Mud Shot / Earth Power
- Excadrill – Mud-Slap / Drill Run
- Swampert – Mud Shot / Earthquake
- Rhyperior – Mud-Slap / Earthquake
Pro tip: Ground-types double as good leads for Shadow Gible and late-game sweepers.
🚀 How to Find and Battle Cliff
To battle Cliff, follow these steps:
- Defeat 6 Team GO Rocket Grunts to collect 6 Mysterious Components.
- Combine them to create a Rocket Radar.
- Equip the Rocket Radar and find a Rocket Leader.
- There’s a 1 in 3 chance it will be Cliff (could also be Arlo or Sierra).
- Battle and defeat Cliff to earn rewards.
If you lose, you can try again. If you win, your Rocket Radar is consumed.
🎁 Rewards for Defeating Cliff
Successfully defeating Cliff grants you several rewards, including the chance to catch a Shadow Gible, his lead Pokémon.
Here’s what you get:
| Reward Type | Details |
|---|---|
| Guaranteed | 1,000 Stardust |
| Pokémon Catch | Shadow Gible (shiny chance: 1 in 64 if available) |
| Two Item Bundles | Randomly selected from: |
- 4× Revive
- 2× Max Revive
- 4× Hyper Potion
- 2× Max Potion
- 1× Unova Stone
- 1× Strange Egg (if egg slot available) |
Important: You must have an open egg slot to receive the 12 km Strange Egg.
🧠 Cliff Battle Tips
- Use charged attacks quickly to burn Cliff’s shields early.
- Consider using shields strategically, especially against Annihilape or Machamp.
- Use Pokémon with versatile typings that can handle multiple threats in Cliff’s team.
- Switch Pokémon mid-battle if needed—this can change the outcome significantly.
🌟 Final Thoughts: Cliff Isn’t Easy, But He’s Beatable
Cliff can be one of the more difficult Team GO Rocket Leaders in Pokémon GO, especially with his high-CP Shadow Pokémon and shield usage. But with the right counters and some strategy, he’s absolutely beatable—even for solo players.
Take advantage of his predictable first Pokémon (Shadow Gible), and build a team that’s ready for anything in the second and third slots. And don’t forget—defeating Cliff isn’t just for fun. It’s your ticket to shiny Shadow Pokémon, Strange Eggs, and tons of Stardust.
Read Also:
- Pokémon GO Arlo Guide
- Pokémon GO Eevee Evolution Guide
- How to Defeat Giovanni in Pokémon GO
- How to Get Kingambit in Pokémon Go
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