Pokemon Go Arlo, Sierra, Cliff and Giovanni New Shadow Pokemon and Counters
Trainers, the Team Go Rocket Leaders are now live in the game and many players are wondering how to beat them, as they seem extremely strong, and what are the best Pokemon to use against them when in battle.
The three Team Go Rocket Leaders, Cliff, Sierra, and Arlo can be encountered only with a Rocket Radar. This item can be ‘built’ when defeating Grunts and collecting the Mysterious Component. We must collect six Mysterious Components and only then we can ‘built’ the Rocket Radar, an item that can be used to find Team Go Rocket Leaders on the map.
As mentioned above, there are three TGR Leaders and each Leader has its own Pokemon lineup which they use in a battle.
Now, let’s see which Pokemon they use and how can we beat them easily.
Arlo lineups and Best Counters
#1 Arlo lineup and counters
Beldum (can be shiny)
- Giratina with Shadow Claw and Shadow Sneak
- Giratina Origin with Shadow Claw and Ominous Wind
- Mega Gengar with Hex and Shadow Punch
- Gengar with Shadow Claw and Shadow Punch
- Excadrill with Mud Shot and Drill Run
#2 Arlo lineup and counters
Gardevoir
- Metagross with Bullet Punch and Meteor Mash
- Giratina Origin with Shadow Claw and Shadow Ball
- Shadow Metagross with Bullet Puncha dn meteor Mash
- Dialga with Metal Claw and Iron Head
- Mega Gengar with Lick and Shadow Punch
Infernape
- Mewtwo with Psycho Cut and Psystrike
- Shadow Mewtwo with Psycho Cut and Psystrike
- Mega Gengar with Shadow Claw and Psychic
- Armored Mewtwo with Confusion and Psystrike
- Moltres with Wing Attack and Sky Attack
Aggron
- Excadrill with Mud Shot and Drill Run
- Shadow Machamp with Counter and Cross Chop
- Hariyama with Counter and Superpower
- Machamp with Karate Chop and Close Combat
- Lucario with Counter and Close Combat
#3 Arlo lineup and counters
Armaldo
- Mega Gengar with Shadow Claw and Shadow Ball
- Dialga with Dragon Breath and Iron Head
- Empoleon with Waterfall and Hydro Cannon
- Cobalion with Metal Claw and Stone Edge
- Mega Blastoise with Water gun and Hydro Cannon
Scizor
- Ho-Oh with Incinerate and Brave Bird
- Heatran with Fire Spin and Stone Edge
- Mega Charizard Y with Ember and Dragon Claw
- Blaziken with Fire Spin and Blaze Kick
- Moltres with Fire Spin and Sky Attack
Salamence
- Shadow Tyranitar with Smack Down and Crunch
- Tyranitar with Smack Down and Crunch
- Mega Charizard y with Dragon Breath and Dragon Claw
- Terrakion with Smack Down and Rock Slide
- Mega Charizard X with Dragon Breath and Dragon Claw
Sierra lineups and Best Counters
#1 Sierra lineup and counters
Carvanha (can be shiny)
- Jellicent with Hex and Shadow Ball
- Metagross with Bullet Punch and Psychic
- Bouffalant with Zen Headbutt and Skull Bash
- Lickilicky with Zen HEadbutt and Shadow Ball
- Snorlax with Zen Headbutt and Skull Bash
#2 Sierra lineup and counters
Porygon-Z
- Snorlax with Zen Headbutt and Hyper Beam
- Chansey with Pound and Dazzling Gleam
- Lickilicky with Lick and Shadow Ball
- Stoutland with Lick and Play Rough
- Drapion with Ice Fang and Aqua Tail
Hippowdon
- Reshiram with Dragon Breath and Overheat
- Shadow Swampert with Mud Shot and Hydor Cannon
- Mega Venusaur with Vine Whip and Frenzy Plant
- Kyogre with Waterfall and Surf
- Mega Blastoise with Water Gun and Hydro Cannon
Mismagius
- Mega Gyarados with Bite and Dragon Pulse
- Tyranitar with Bite and Fire Balst
- Hydreigon with Bite and Dragon Pulse
- Shadow Tyranitar with Bite and Frustration
- Darkrai with Snadrl and Dark Pulse
#3 Sierra lineup and counters
Houndoom
- Shadow Machamp with Counter and Cross Chop
- Shadow Swampert with Mud Shot and Hydro Cannon
- Mega Blastoise with Water Gun and Hydro Cannon
- Hariyama with Counter and Superpower
- Kyogre with Waterfall and Surf
Flygon
- Alolan Muk with Poison Jab and Dark Pulse
- Mega Ampharos with Volt Switch and Zap Cannon
- Drapion with Bite and Aqua Tail
- Ampharos with Volt Switch and Focus Blast
- Mega Charizard X with Wing Attack and Dragon Claw
Walrein
- Dialga with Dragon Breath and Draco Meteor
- Shadow Raikou with Volt Switch and Thunderbolt
- Mewtwo with Psycho Cut and Focus Blast
- Reshiram with Dragon Breath and Stone Edge
- Palkia with Dragon Breath and Draco Meteor
Cliff lineups and Best Counters
#1 Cliff lineup and counters
Aerodactyl (can be shiny)
- Magnezone with Spark and Wild Charge
- Melmetal with Thunder Shock and Flash Cannon
- Raikou with Volt Switch and Wild Charge
- Shadow Raikou with Thunder Shock and Wild Charge
- Shadow Magnezone with Spark and Wild Charge
#2 Cliff lineup and counters
Gallade
- Ho-Oh with Incinerate and Brave Bird
- Giratina Origin with Shadow Claw and Shadow Ball
- Mega Gengar with Shadow Claw and Sludge Bomb
- Mega Charizard Y with Wing Attack and Blast Burn
- Lugia with Etrasensory and Sky Attack
Slowking
- Zekrom with Dragon Breath and Wild Charge
- Mega Ampharos with Volt Switch and Thunder
- Darkrai with Feint Attack and Dark Pulse
- Shadow Raikou with Volt Switch and Wild Charge
- Giratina Origin with Shadow Claw and Shadow Ball
Cradily
- Lucario with Counter and Close Combat
- Heracross with COunter and Close Combat
- Shadow Machamp with Karate Chop and CLose Combat
- Machamp with Counter and Close Combat
- SirFetchd with Counter and Close Combat
#3 Cliff lineup and counters
Dusknoir
- Hydreigon with Dragon Breath and Dark Pulse
- Obstagoon with lick and Night Stash
- Tyranitar with Smack down and Crunch
- Shadow Tyranitar with Smack Down and Crunch
- Darkrai with Snarl and Shadow Ball
Tyranitar
- Hariyama with Counter and Superpower
- Shadow Machamp with Counter and Cross Chop
- Conkeldurr with Counter and Dynamic Punch
- Heracross with Counter and Close Combat
- Sirfetch’d with Fury Cutter and Close Combat
Mamoswine
- Mega Ampharos with Volt Switch and Zap Cannon
- Alolan Muk with Snarl and Gunk Shot
- Drapion with Ice Fang and Crunch
- Hippowdon with Thunder Fang and Earth Power
- Ampharos with Charge Beam and Dragon Pulse
Giovanni lineups and Best Counters
#1 Giovanni lineup and counters
Persian
- Tyranitar with Smack Down and Crunch
- Machamp with Counter and Cross Chop
- Lucario with Counter and Power-Up Punch
- Conkeldurr with Counter and Dynamic Punch
- Shadow Machamp with Counter and Cross Chop
#2 Giovanni lineup and counters
Kangaskhan
- Heracross with Counter and Close Combat
- Machamp with Counter and Close Combat
- Conkeldurr with Counter and Dynamic Punch
- Dragonite with Dragon Breath and Hurricane
- Shadow Dragonite with Dragon Breath and Outrage
Garchomp
- Mamoswine with powder Snow and Avalanche
- Regice with lock-On and Blizzard
- Shadow Articuno with Ice Shard and Icy Wind
- Articuno with Ice Shard and Ice Beam
- Togekiss with Charm and aerial Ace
Nidoking
- Empoleon with Waterfall and Hydro Cannon
- Mewtwo with Psycho Cut and Psystrike
- Mega Blastoise with Water Gun and Hydro Cannon
- Swampert with Water Gun and Hydro Cannon
- Kyogre with Waterfall and Surf
#3 Giovanni lineup and counters
Shadow Moltres
- Rhyperior with Smack Down and Surf
- Golem with Mud Shot and Stone Edge
- Shadow Raikou with Volt Switch and Wild Charge
- Zekrom with Dragon Breath and Wild Charge
- Alolan Golem with Rock Throw and Rock Blast
Shadow Ho-Oh
- Reshiram with Dragon Breath and Stone Edge
- Mega Ampharos with Volt Switch and Power Gem
- Landorus with Rock Throw and Rock Slide
- Shadow Zapdos with Thunder Shock and Zap Cannon
- Shadow Tyranitar with Smack Down and Crunch
Please have in mind that Shadow Ho-Oh will be available starting from June 17, 2021, to September 1, 2021.
Please have in mind that the list is subject to change at any moment. So as soon as we have new info, we would make sure to update it.
You are all set now, so good luck, and let’s catch ’em all!
This list is just bad, as they don’t work
Please take it down.
Thank you for your comment. We know that TGR Leaders are very hard to beat, but please be persistent and trust us, you’ll beat them.
I think the comment was referring to what actually happens is not what you put up.
eg. Sierra from balloon just now had 2 lapras (both exactly the same over 10,000 cp) and houndoom
My best machamps could not survive
I managed to take her Lapras/Lapras/Houndoom down by starting with Swampert – Can use surf or hydro cannon to quickly take the first Lapras’ shields away, then a 98% (2494 CP) Hariyama and a 98% Machamp (2830 CP) (Both w/Counter/Dynamic Punch).
I blew a ton of revives and potions to figure this out, and ended up with a garbage Lapras to instantly transfer away. 🙁
My 3400cp tyranitar with crunch works VERY GOOD against lapras, he took it down very easily.
The counters are fine, the problem is that they have insane CP and the really good counters are really rare.
Not bad at all. I’ve used this list to beat all three, just finished Arlo with Heatran ( Mawhile), a quick swap out with Zapdos (Charizard), and finished up with Blaziken (Scizor) with a depleted Heatran still in reserve. But high CP is mandatory with these.
Thank you for using the ‘guide,’ Trainer! And well played! 🙂
This is BS. How can we take down Pokemon cp 13000??? What a waste of revives… it’s like a raid only you’re on your own. Ridiculous!!! I give up on them . I don’t even bother anymore. So disappointing. I’ve been playing since the start and right now it’s making me lose interest. Can niantic work on being able to swipe through friends like we are able to do with Pokemon. That would be helpful.
i tried them it works sometimes it just take2-3 tries to beat them but nevertheless it works well with the order.
Dude my highest CP is 2239 and I could take out a 20000 raid easily and only lost 2 pokemon
You know what would be really good in these articles. not just saying what Pokemon to use but also what move set to use. Because every time I go to use the suggested Pokemon it gets its butt kicked. Mainly because it doesn’t have the specific move set necessary. It’s all well and good to say what type of Pokemon but maybe add in what move set to use as well. Otherwise these articles are kinda useless
Agreed. I just tried these recommendations for Cliff and Moltres barely touched Pinser! The closest I got to beating Clif was a random selection that ended with Gyrados. I gave up. I’m truly tired of the Leader quest. It is a waste of time and revives!!!!
I would be curious to know moves as well as CP/HP. My legendaries we’re all found in research breakthrough and they are very low CP with minimal candies available to level up.
I used a maxed out Dragonite with Dragon Breath/Dragon Claw and burned through Cliff’s Pinsir and the Marowak after him. I really don’t understand why guides like this seem to fixate on using legendaries and such for fights that don’t need it.
Just for fun I grabbed three strong Hariyamas after following every tip trick and guide. Beat Arlo, sierra why not… yeap. Okay Cliff time to face my Insane Clown Posse. Down he goes. Surely this won’t work on Giovanni. Guess what first try. Hariyamas for the win! No logic or planning. Everyone hates clowns, except me now.
That Sharpedo is insane. It killsmy Pokémon in 2 seconds. Everything from Blissey to Mewtwo. I have used ALL my Pokémon trying to beat it so now I have no living pokes left cus Pokestops do not provide revives anymore. No joy is this stupid game anymore cus now it has become a game where you feel like a loser since you cant beat a damn shark. Now I must wait weeks untill I have 3 full strong Pokémon again visiting 500 pokestops in that period of time getting like 2 revives and 4 20 hp potions.
These are NOT March 2020 lineups. This is recycled February info. Please delete this until it is authentically updated.
Thanks for your comment. If these are not the lineups for March, can you please let us know what are this month’s lineups?
Hi, the list for Arlo’s Pokemon isn’t accurate as of today. 03/07/2020. His first Pokémon is shadow Bagon. Not Mawhile. Please update this for others.
In my battle his 2nd Pokémon was Shadow Steelix.
His third Pokémon was shadow Scizor.
Easy to beat with Rhyperior w Rock/ Ground Moves, and Ice Pokemon like Mamoswine or Weavile.
Thanks!
I want to know why in the challenges i have battle team leaders 3x
Well i have battle arlo. Cliff and sierra all three several times and i haven’t got credit on my challenges. It’s kinda aggravating when you have to use revive and potions on all the pokemon after battles which you only do for challenges and you do not even get credit for it.
I just finished this task.
What I realized is that you dont battle team rocket leaders.
You do the training battles, I found this out after beating cliff on multiple occasions.
Hope this helps
This is bulls***. My Pokémon bar can be green and theirs red and my Pokémon still loses. I’ve follow the guidelines and still lost. I’ve used my strongest and still lost. This game is really becoming a waste of time and bored. From team rocket battles to the research giving out the same Pokémon.
Yeah I’m not gunna bother fighting these leaders no longer as It’s too difficult for me especially when only 1 certain move set beats them, all there pokemon seem to be super quick when it comes to attacking and even fighting something that my abilities are super effective against they still crush me. The game has become unfun to play at this point
The list is incorrect though it says updated on the 7th July. I battled against Arlo and had Pineco as my first challenge. Then I battled Cliff and it was Muk. Both today, on the 10th July. I also found the counters suggested above ineffective, and went via the advice given when I failed the battle.
I also experienced a glitch in battling Arlo via the balloon – once the battle was complete, the screen just went back to normal and I was not able to catch the shadow pokemon. Has this occurred for anyone else?
Thanks for your comment. Some players are still seeing the list of Pokemon mentioned in the article. We do know that Shadow Entei will swap with Shadow Suicune soon. We just need more reports to make sure that they’ve changed.
In addition, the lineups will change when the Battle Challenge event goes live. So the event is not live for everyone and that was the reason why we didn’t change anything.
The list of pokemon for fighting Sierra’s Lapras doesn’t work for Ludicolo or fighting types. I have 100% and they get wiped out ASAP.
Including a move set for each counter or just “use rock/fire moves.” Because having the right mon but wrong moves makes a Hell of a difference.
After 7 or so attempts I finally got Cliff who used Grimer, machamp and Tyranitar with a team of Metagross – Bullet punch/meteor mash. Dragonite – dragonbreath/hyperbeam (highest cp I had) and Hariyama – counter/close combat. I’m not a top-end PVEer so no access to top end raid mons or anything. Just high cp CM mons.
Cliff for me is the hardest fight. Even Giovani was easier once I got Persian out the way.
What did you use to beat Persianp
I wish you add what moveset my counter should use, like the giovanni list have it feels really helpful.
I finally took out Cliff with 2 Vaporeon and a Lucardio. I have had no luck whatsoever with Sierra’s 2 Lapras.
Don’t know what dimension the writer lives in but clearly it isn’t reality. Every other website has Dialga as #1 Lapras counter. With the Pokémon suggested here you won’t get close to half the healthbar of Lapras, even more so the Pokémon suggested here are WEAK to Lapras. The other options aren’t very hard so doesn’t really matter just use PvP toppers like Melmetal, Giratina, Swampert etc
my highest is 2117 and its an Arcanine with wild charge
Arlo’s other 3rd encounter is scizor for the new feb 2021 update