I've really enjoyed pitting my PCs against a gang of Mousanthropes.  They're the grunts for a pack of were-rats that run the county landfill, which is the base of operations for the chupacabra that followed the RCVs up from Latin America during the escalation of the RCV/White Council war.

While I don't have their stats handy, the emphasis is on stealth (Cloak of Shadows and pack ambushes) and Inhuman Speed, though they can chew their way through obstacles pretty well with a dash of Inhuman Strength.  As a special trapping via Echoes of the Beast, they can essentially attempt to Hide in Plain Sight wherever there is sufficient cover to scurry behind.  All of the supernatural badness is restricted by Human Form (darkness only)--catch them with the lights on and you can swat them with a broom (enchanted or not)!

Along the same lines, I think it's safe to say that the major NPCs are going to be benefitting more through the greater variety and strength of skills than the mooks (Survival, Alertness, Investigation, Lore, etc.)

This is where my confusion comes in regarding Declarations.  Do the RAW say that Declarations don't require any time to perform, that they are more of an instantaneous observation of something that is already in place but that the GM hasn't pointed out (or thought of)?

Some of the above examples like Totally Focused or The High Ground seem like they would require an action to establish--most likely a manuever.  The example of My Buddy Herbert seems like it could go either way: pay a Fate Point to Declare that Herbert fortuitously arrives; or perform an action to make a free Contacts roll to see if you can get a hold of Herbert and have him come help you.

Am I missing something?  I'd hate to think that I was making my players work too hard spending actions on things that could be instantly managed via Declaration.

Wyrdrune, VERY excellent idea!  I'd compel the heck out of that though every time the player got whacked upside the head...

Did soldier x serve in the 1st Earth Battalion under Lt. Colonel Jim Channon? He could have started his evoking career on goats.

If I've read correctly, Inhuman Strength/Toughness/etc. are not REQUIRED but rather are an option for a Were-Form by way of YS82-83:
Musts:"At least two refresh points’ worth of abilities from the options list below."
"Options: The character may take up to two of these abilities—Inhuman Recovery [–2] (page 185), Inhuman Speed [–2] (page 178), Inhuman Strength [–2] (page 183), or Inhuman Toughness [–2] (page 185)—so long as those abilities are in sync with the animal form he assumes.  Similarly, abilities may be taken from the Creature Feature category (page 162) or the Minor Ability category (page 169) if they can be shown to be a part of the creature’s natural advantages." 

So, at least 2 Refresh need to be spent on some combination of Inhuman ___, Creature Feature, and/or Minor Ability powers.  If the were-form doesn't change mass automatically, then it is presumed to not automatically benefit from any of the "powers" that a naturally occuring animal would have like toughness.  In our games, the player has to spend Refresh to purchase Wings, Claws, Toughness, Speed, or anything else that their animal form ought to benefit from; if they don't, then it is played as though--even if visually present--the shape shifter does not have sufficient training/control to properly utilize them.

Keep in mind that the skill shuffle still permits for some pretty amazing shifts in power.  A weakling with Average Endurance, Might and Fists shifts into a bear with Superb Endurance, Might, and Fists...that's three +4 gains in combat effectiveness without buying any powers!  IMO, this represents the "natural" improvement in toughness: a low-Endurance PC can shuffle their skills to get more tough, whereas a high-Endurance PC is already a bear of a man!