April 2022 is bringing back the enemy faction to Pokemon GO, which means a new Team GO Rocket-themed event is here. Fans of the mobile AR game will be spending a fair chunk of this month's event calendar racing around their communities to defeat grunts and work their way towards battles with Team GO Rocket Leaders. Players can expect the three team leaders to be switching up their rosters again, so a bit of studying and prep work may be needed to defeat them.
The usual Pokemon GO enemies - Sierra, Cliff, and Arlo 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 on their way to a showdown with Giovanni. Trainers will want to keep in mind that each of the GO Rocket bosses in has their own strengths and weaknesses and players should be sure to optimize their counter rosters before heading into these battles.
This month's lineup for Sierra features some familiar face, but there are a few tweaks that players will need to take note of. Like a few times in the past, Sierra kicks off the fight with Drowzee. After that there will be a bit of a surprise as the second and third slots both include a handful of different options. Luckily players should have plenty of counters available once they figure out who they are actually up against. Due to the random nature of the second and third Pokemon, players may need to take a fall on the first attempt just to learn some information and tweak their roster.
Sierra's April 2022 Roster
- Drowzee
- Blaziken / Lapras / Sharpedo
- Houndoom / Nidoqueen / Shiftry
Drowzee Counters
Tyranitar - Bite or Fire Blast/Crunch
Giratina (Origin) - Shadow Claw/Ominous Wind
Hydreigon - Bite/Dragon Pulse
Blaziken Counters
Mewtwo -Confusion/Psystrike
Moltres - Wing Attack/Sky Attack
Latios - Zen Headbutt/Psychic
Kyogre - Waterfall/Surf
Lapras Counters
Dialga - Dragon Breath/Draco Meteor
Lucario - Counter Power Up/Punch
Melmetal - Thunder Shock/Rock Slide
Sharpedo Counters
Lucario - Counter/Super Power
Machamp - Counter/Close Combat
Raikou - Volt Switch/Wild Charge
Palkia - Dragon Tail/Draco Meteor
Houndoom Counters
Swampert - Mud Shot/Hydro Cannon
Poliwrath - Mud Shot/Power Up Punch
Machamp - Counter/Cross Chop
Nidoqueen Counters
Mewtwo - Psycho Cut/Psystrike
Hoopa - Confusion/Psychic
Landorus - Extrasensory/Earthquake
Shiftry Counters
Togekiss - Charm/Ancient Power
Ho-Oh - Hidden Power (Fire)/Brave Bird
Yanmega - Bug Bite/Ancient Power
Many of the best counters for this battle are relevant to the current Pokemon GO PvE and PvP metagame, so it's worth investing in them beyond this fight for most players. Use TMs and Rare Candy wisely if they are needed to take down this challenger. There are lots of alternatives that can work as substitutes for this ideal roster, but most players shouldn't have much trouble assembling the team recommended above.
Be sure to check back in the near future for more Pokemon GO strategy guides, news, and updates. Until then, good luck out there, trainers!
Pokemon GO is available now on mobile devices.
Source: Pokemon GO Hub