Defeating Pokemon Go’s Team Rocket Leader Arlo can be difficult, so we’ve got the best counters for his weaknesses that will lead you straight to victory. From Mawile to Scizor, Salamence, and Dragonite, here’s how to beat his lineup in December 2022.
One of the most exciting features of Pokemon Go is the battles you can enter against Team Go Rocket. The nefarious villains invade PokeStops within the game and use their aggressive Shadow Pokemon to battle against anyone who interacts with them.
If you win the battle, you’ll get the chance to capture one of their Shadow Pokemon, which can either be ‘purified’ for a CP boost or left as a Shadow with higher attack stats if you’re competitive-minded or looking to master Raid battles.
In this guide, you’ll find Arlo’s current lineup of Pokemon as well as the best counters you can use to defeat them.
Contents
- Arlo Pokemon Go counters (December 2022)
- How to beat Arlo in Pokemon Go
- Phase 1
- Phase 2
- Phase 3
- Best team to defeat Arlo
- How to beat Team Rocket Leaders
Arlo Pokemon Go counters (December 2022)
Arlo has always been a difficult opponent to take down in Pokemon Go, and that’s no different in December – especially after his lineup changed during the Team Go Rocket Takeover event.
At the start of every match, Team Go Rocket Leader Arlo will always send out Mawile, followed by two of six other potential encounters. Here’s Arlo’s current lineup of Pokemon:
- Phase 1: Mawile
- Phase 2: Salamence / Staraptor / Charizard
- Phase 3: Scizor / Granbull / Dragonite
We’ll keep you updated on any further changes to Arlo’s lineup if and when they happen in the future.
How to beat Arlo in Pokemon Go
If you defeat enough Team Go Rocket Grunts at PokeStops, you’ll be able to piece together a Rocket Radar, which will allow you to locate and battle either Arlo, Cliff, or Sierra at random.
Let’s take a look at the weaknesses of all the Pokemon that Arlo can send out into battle, and the best counters you can use to defeat each one.
Arlo Pokemon Go counters phase 1
Mawile counters
Mawile is a Steel/Fairy-type Pokemon, which means it’s weak against Ground and Fire-type attacks. It’s resistant to Poison, Normal, Flying, Rock, Grass, Psychic, Ice, Dark, Fairy, Bug, and Dragon-type attacks.
| Mawile Counters | ||
| Moltres |
Fire Spin (Fast Move) & Overheat (Charge Move) |
|
| Entei |
Fire Fang (Fast Move) & Overheat (Charge Move) |
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| Garchomp |
Mud Shot (Fast Move) & Earth Power (Charge Move) |
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| Houndoom |
Fire Fang (Fast Move) & Fire Blast (Charge Move) |
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| Chandelure |
Fire Spin (Fast Move) & Overheat (Charge Move) |
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| Darmanitan |
Incinerate (Fast Move) & Overheat (Charge Move) |
|
Arlo Pokemon Go counters phase 2
Salamence counters
Salamence is a Dragon/Flying-type Pokemon, so its major weakness is Ice-type moves, although it’s also vulnerable to Dragon, Fairy, and Rock-type attacks.
| Salamence Counters | ||
| Mamoswine |
Powder Snow (Fast Move) & Avalanche (Charge Move) |
|
| Galarian Darmanitan |
Ice Fang (Fast Move) & Avalanche (Charge Move) |
|
| Glaceon |
Frost Breath (Fast Move) & Avalanche (Charge Move) |
|
| Weavile |
Ice Shard (Fast Move) & Avalanche (Charge Move) |
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| Palkia |
Dragon Breath (Fast Move) & Draco Meteor (Charge Move) |
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| Rayquaza |
Dragon Tail (Fast Move) & Outrage (Charge Move) |
|
Staraptor counters
Staraptor is a Normal/Flying-type Pokemon, which means it’s weak against Electric, Ice, and Rock-type attacks. It’s resistant to Bug, Ghost, Grass, and Ground-type attacks.
| Staraptor Counters | ||
| Rampardos |
Smack Down (Fast Move) & Rock Slide (Charge Move) |
|
| Tyranitar |
Smack Down (Fast Move) & Stone Edge (Charge Move) |
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| Rhyperior |
Smack Down (Fast Move) & Rock Wrecker (Charge Move) |
|
| Glaceon |
Frost Breath (Fast Move) & Avalanche (Charge Move) |
|
| Mamoswine |
Powder Snow (Fast Move) & Avalanche (Charge Move) |
|
| Galarian Darmanitan |
Ice Fang (Fast Move) & Avalanche (Charge Move) |
|
Charizard counters
Charizard is a Fire/Flying-type Pokemon, so its major weakness is Rock-type moves, although it’s also vulnerable against Water and Electric-type attacks.
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| Charizard Counters | ||
| Rhyperior |
Smack Down (Fast Move) & Rock Wrecker (Charge Move) |
|
| Rampardos |
Smack Down (Fast Move) & Rock Slide (Charge Move) |
|
| Tyranitar |
Smack Down (Fast Move) & Stone Edge (Charge Move) |
|
| Golem |
Rock Throw (Fast Move) & Stone Edge (Charge Move) |
|
| Terrakion |
Smack Down (Fast Move) & Rock Slide (Charge Move) |
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| Aerodactyl |
Rock Throw (Fast Move) & Ancient Power (Charge Move) |
|
Arlo Pokemon Go counters phase 3
Scizor counters
Scizor is a dual Bug/Steel-type Pokemon, which means its only weakness is Fire-type moves. It has loads of resistances, in particular Grass and Poison, so avoid those.
| Scizor Counters | ||
| Blaziken |
Fire Spin (Fast Move) & Blast Burn (Charge Move) |
|
| Charizard |
Fire Spin (Fast Move) & Blast Burn (Charge Move) |
|
| Darmanitan |
Fire Fang (Fast Move) & Overheat (Charge Move) |
|
| Entei |
Fire Spin (Fast Move) & Overheat (Charge Move) |
|
| Heatran |
Fire Spin (Fast Move) & Fire Blast (Charge Move) |
|
| Reshiram |
Fire Fang (Fast Move) & Overheat (Charge Move) |
|
Granbull counters
Granbull is a pure Fairy-type Pokemon, which means it’s weak to Poison and Steel-type attacks. It also has resistances to Bug, Dark, Dragon, and Fighting-type moves.
| Granbull Counters | ||
| Metagross |
Bullet Punch (Fast Move) & Meteor Mash (Charge Move) |
|
| Dialga |
Metal Claw (Fast Move) & Iron Head (Charge Move) |
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| Roserade |
Poison Jab (Fast Move) & Sludge Bomb (Charge Move) |
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| Excadrill |
Metal Claw (Fast Move) & Iron Head (Charge Move) |
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| Toxicroak |
Poison Jab (Fast Move) & Sludge Bomb (Charge Move) |
|
| Lucario |
Bullet Punch (Fast Move) & Flash Cannon (Charge Move) |
|
Dragonite counters
Dragonite is a Dragon/Flying-type Pokemon, which means it’s weak against Dragon, Fairy, Ice, and Rock-type attacks. It’s resistant to Bug, Fighting, Fire, Grass, Ground, and Water-type attacks.
| Dragonite Counters | ||
| Mamoswine |
Powder Snow (Fast Move) & Avalanche (Charge Move) |
|
| Galarian Darmanitan |
Hex (Fast Move) & Shadow Ball (Charge Move) |
|
| Glaceon |
Lick (Fast Move) & Sludge Bomb (Charge Move) |
|
| Weavile |
Ice Shard (Fast Move) & Avalanche (Charge Move) |
|
| Sylveon |
Charm (Fast Move) & Moonblast (Charge Move) |
|
| Rampardos |
Smack Down (Fast Move) & Rock Slide (Charge Move) |
|
Best team to beat Arlo in Pokemon Go
One of the best teams you can take into battle against Arlo in Pokemon Go is Darmanitan, Mamoswine, and Rampardos.
Darmanitan is a solid opener for defeating Mawile and it can also defeat Scizor if Arlo sends it out in Phase 2. Next, go with an Ice-type like Mamoswine as it can easily take down three of Arlo’s potential Pokemon: Salamence, Staraptor, and Dragonite.
Your final Pokemon should either be a Steel-type like Metagross for defeating Granbull or a Rock-type like Rampardos for defeating Charizard. You can switch this one up once you’ve figured out which lineup Arlo is using in your specific encounter.
Remember, Arlo’s lineup changes often in the game, so check back here next time you fight them to make sure your favorite counters will still be effective.
How to beat Team Rocket Leaders in Pokemon Go
Alongside Arlo, you’ll also be able to go head to head with a few other Team Go Rocket Leaders, so check out our guides to defeat Cliff and Sierra. Their boss Giovanni is also still around for December 2022.
So, there you have it. All you need to know about defeating Arlo in Pokemon Go, and the best counters to use along the way!
For more tips and tricks to become the very best, make sure to check out our other guides:
Spotlight Hour schedule | Current Raid Bosses | Best Pokemon in Pokemon Go | Cliff counters guide | Giovanni counters | How to get Remote Raid Passes | Sierra counters guide | How to catch Ditto | Pokemon Go shop| Best Shiny Pokemon in Go | Rocket Grunt counters guide