u/Fit_Awareness_3452

If a player can do an immense amount of damage with a bite attack, why would they ever use their claws? Except in the very rare case where biting might cause them to ingest something or hurt themselves, why wouldn't a player use a bite attack?

I would understand this if another form gave them a bonus to their claws, but Glabro doesn't have any inherent claws, and only Crinos is dealing superficial claw damage. If a player has chosen to go into Crinos, what would be the point in dealing superficial damage?

I'm a little new to W5 (and running werewolf in general) and want some help explaining gifts to my players. How involved are young Garou in the claiming of native gifts? Are these bargains with crafty jagglings or easy side quests from animalistic gafflings? Can garou without mentors earn gifts from spirits without passing into the Umbra? Do Patron spirits help Garou get in contact with other spirits to learn gifts?
Overall, I have a hard time figuring out how Garou go about even finding spirits to petition. With no theurge in the pack, I'm worried they're underprepared for spirits in general, especially if they want stronger gifts in the future.

Tl;Dr: How do young Garou go about obtaining their first native gifts? Do Garou typically need to hop into the umbra to petition spirits, or do they more commonly get approached by ones that hear of their renown?