Pokemon Go Sierra counters May 2023: Best Pokemon to use & weaknesses

Sierra is one of three Team Go Rocket Leaders you can battle in Pokemon Go, but defeating her will take a lot of skill. To make things easier, we’ve put together details of her lineup, weaknesses, and the best counters to use in May 2023.
In Pokemon Go, Trainers can collect Mysterious Components by defeating Team Go Rocket Grunts at invaded Pokestops within the game. Once you have six of them, you’ll be able to form a Rocket Radar, which then leads you straight to the Team Go Rocket Leaders.
Unlike Grunts, who can be taken down fairly easily, Trainers will have a difficult fight ahead when it comes to Team Go Rocket’s Leaders. There are three in total: Cliff, Arlo, and Sierra – as well as their Boss Giovanni – and all of them have unique Pokemon to battle with.
This guide will focus on taking down Sierra, including her current lineup in May 2023, and the best counters to defeat her in no time at all.
Contents
- Sierra Pokemon Go lineup (May 2023)
- How to beat Sierra in Pokemon Go
- Phase 1
- Phase 2
- Phase 3
- Best team to defeat Sierra
- How to beat Team Rocket Leaders

Sierra Pokemon Go counters & lineup (May 2023)
Sierra has always been a difficult opponent to take down in Pokemon Go, and this remains the same in May, where she’ll send out Shadow Murkrow followed by two of six potential Pokemon.
Here is Sierra’s current lineup in Pokemon Go:
- Phase 1: Murkrow
- Phase 2: Staraptor / Steelix / Swampert
- Phase 3: Charizard / Houndoom / Dragonite
Sierra’s lineup changed to the above Pokemon on March 25, 2023, and it will likely change again at some point in the future. We’ll update this page when that happens.
How to beat Sierra in Pokemon Go
To defeat Sierra in Pokemon Go, you’ll need to utilize a variety of different types to counter her. We’ve featured a mix of stronger Legendaries and more common alternatives, so there should be something here to meet every Trainer’s needs, and all of them are solid choices.
Let’s take a look at the weaknesses of all the different Pokemon that Sierra could choose to send out during your battle, and which counters should be used to beat her.
Sierra Pokemon Go counters phase 1

Murkrow counters
Murkrow is a dual Dark/Flying-type Pokemon, which means it’s weak to Electric, Fairy, Ice, and Rock-type attacks. It’s resistant to Dark, Ghost, Grass, Ground, and Psychic-type attacks
Here are some of the best counters to defeat Murkrow:
Murkrow Counters | ||
![]() |
Xurkitree | Spark (Fast Move) & Thunder (Charge Move) |
![]() |
Zekrom | Charge Beam (Fast Move) & Fusion Bolt (Charge Move) |
![]() |
Rampardos | Smack Down (Fast Move) & Rock Slide (Charge Move) |
![]() |
Rhyperior | Smack Down (Fast Move) & Rock Wrecker (Charge Move) |
![]() |
Jolteon | Thunder Shock (Fast Move) & Zap Cannon (Charge Move) |
![]() |
Gardevoir | Charm (Fast Move) & Dazzling Gleam (Charge Move) |
Sierra Pokemon Go phase 2

Staraptor counters
Staraptor is a dual Flying/Normal-type Pokemon, which means it’s weak against Electric, Ice, and Rock-type attacks and resistant to Bug, Ghost, Grass, and Ground-type attacks.
Here are some of the best Staraptor counters you can use:
Staraptor Counters | ||
![]() |
Xurkitree | Spark (Fast Move) & Thunder (Charge Move) |
![]() |
Zekrom | Charge Beam (Fast Move) & Fusion Bolt (Charge Move) |
![]() |
Rampardos | Smack Down (Fast Move) & Rock Slide (Charge Move) |
![]() |
Rhyperior | Smack Down (Fast Move) & Rock Wrecker (Charge Move) |
![]() |
Glaceon | Frost Breath (Fast Move) & Avalanche (Charge Move) |
![]() |
Galarian Darmanitan | Ice Fang (Fast Move) & Avalanche (Charge Move) |
Steelix counters
Steelix is a Ground/Steel-type Pokemon, which means it’s weak to Fighting, Fire, Ground, and Water-type attacks and resistant to pretty much everything else.
Here are some of the best Steelix counters you can use:
Steelix Counters | ||
![]() |
Terrakion | Double Kick (Fast Move) & Sacred Sword (Charge Move) |
![]() |
Reshiram | Fire Fang (Fast Move) & Fusion Flare (Charge Move) |
![]() |
Blaziken | Fire Spin (Fast Move) & Overheat (Charge Move) |
![]() |
Lucario | Counter (Fast Move) & Aura Sphere (Charge Move) |
![]() |
Conkeldurr | Counter (Fast Move) & Dynamic Punch (Charge Move) |
![]() |
Garchomp | Mud Shot (Fast Move) & Earth Power (Charge Move) |
Swampert counters
Swampert is a Ground/Water-type Pokemon, which means its only weakness is Grass-type attacks and it’s resistant to Electric, Fire, Poison, Rock, and Steel-type attacks.
Here are some great counters to defeat Swampert:
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
Swampert Counters | ||
![]() |
Kartana | Razor Leaf (Fast Move) & Leaf Blade (Charge Move) |
![]() |
Tapu Bulu | Bullet Seed (Fast Move) & Solar Beam (Charge Move) |
![]() |
Exeggutor | Bullet Seed (Fast Move) & Solar Beam (Charge Move) |
![]() |
Roserade | Bullet Seed (Fast Move) & Solar Beam (Charge Move) |
![]() |
Venusaur | Vine Whip (Fast Move) & Solar Beam (Charge Move) |
![]() |
Breloom | Bullet Seed (Fast Move) & Grass Knot (Charge Move) |
Sierra Pokemon Go phase 3

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.
Here are some of the best Charizard counters you can use:
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) |
![]() |
Lycanroc | Rock Throw (Fast Move) & Stone Edge (Charge Move) |
![]() |
Golem | Rock Throw (Fast Move) & Stone Edge (Charge Move) |
![]() |
Aerodactyl | Rock Throw (Fast Move) & Rock Slide (Charge Move) |
Houndoom counters
Houndoom is a dual Dark/Fire-type which means it’s weak against Fighting, Ground, Rock, and Water-type Pokemon. It’s resistant to Dark, Fire, Ghost, Grass, Ice, Psychic, and Steel-type attacks.
These are some of the top counters for Houndoom:
Houndoom Counters | ||
![]() |
Terrakion | Double Kick (Fast Move) & Sacred Sword (Charge Move) |
![]() |
Rampardos | Smack Down (Fast Move) & Rock Slide (Charge Move) |
![]() |
Rhyperior | Smack Down (Fast Move) & Rock Wrecker (Charge Move) |
![]() |
Conkeldurr | Counter (Fast Move) & Dynamic Punch (Charge Move) |
![]() |
Lucario | Counter (Fast Move) & Aura Sphere (Charge Move) |
![]() |
Machamp | Counter (Fast Move) & Dynamic Punch (Charge Move) |
Dragonite counters
Dragonite is a dual Dragon/Flying-type Pokemon, which means its biggest weakness is Ice-type attacks, but it’s also weak against Dragon, Fairy, and Rock-type attacks.
Here are some of the best counters to defeat Dragonite:
Dragonite Counters | ||
![]() |
Galarian Darmanitan | Ice Fang (Fast Move) & Avalanche (Charge Move) |
![]() |
Mamoswine | Powder Snow (Fast Move) & Avalanche (Charge Move) |
![]() |
Glaceon | Frost Breath (Fast Move) & Avalanche (Charge Move) |
![]() |
Weavile | Ice Shard (Fast Move) & Avalanche (Charge Move) |
![]() |
Rampardos | Smack Down (Fast Move) & Rock Slide (Charge Move) |
![]() |
Rhyperior | Smack Down (Fast Move) & Rock Wrecker (Charge Move) |
Best team to defeat Sierra in Pokemon Go

One of the best teams to defeat Sierra in Pokemon Go would be Rampardos, Tapu Bulu, and Conkeldurr.
The most important thing you can have on your team is a strong Rock-type Pokemon like Rampardos, as this will be able to take down Sierra’s guaranteed first Pokemon, Murkrow, as well as three other potential Pokemon in her lineup: Staraptor, Charizard, and Dragonite.
You’ll also want to make sure you have a Grass-type Pokemon like Tapu Bulu, as one of Sierra’s potential phase two Pokemon is Swampert, which is only weak against Grass-type attacks. If it turns out she doesn’t have Swampert, you can switch this for another Rock-type.
Your final choice should be a powerful Fighting-type Pokemon like Conkeldurr, which will be able to take down both Houndoom and Steelix. This is especially important for Steelix, as it has so many resistances that you’ll struggle to defeat it without a solid counter.
Remember that you can rematch Sierra as many times as it takes to defeat her, so once you know her lineup you can switch your team up a bit to target the weaknesses of the Pokemon she does send out.
How to beat Team Leaders in Pokemon Go
As well as Sierra, you’ll need to go head to head with the other Team Go Rocket Leaders, so check out our guides to beat Arlo, defeat Cliff, and finally, take down Giovanni.
So, there you have it. All you need to know about beating Leader Sierra in Pokemon Go in May 2023, and the best counters you need to use.
For more tips and tricks to become the very best, make sure you check out our other guides:
Pokemon Go Spotlight Hour schedule | Current Pokemon Go Raid Bosses | Best Pokemon in Pokemon Go | Arlo counters guide | How to defeat Cliff | Giovanni counters | How to get Remote Raid Passes | How to catch Ditto | Pokemon Go Shop: Items list, prices, box changes | Pokemon Go promo codes | Rocket Grunt counters