basculegion is niche pretty much because it mostly exist on rain. i admit that it is quite insane on rain though, but with sun/sand/hail all being viable this generation rain can no longer dominate weather games like it used to. tbh it probably has a niche outside of rain as a scarf cleaner, not sure whether it or houndstone would be better at that role.
palafin's maximum power is stronger than kartana's outside of the one-shot zmove. kartana's attack stat is higher, sure, but it lacked a powerful stab move. palafin packs a mean 120 bp wave crash as well as close combat as coverage. then there's palafin's 100/160/97/106/87/100 statline - a bit slower than kart, the raw atk is weaker, but it has great bulk for an offensive mon. water is and has always been among of the best typings one can have thanks to its neutral coverage, certainly better than grass/steel. not to mention flip turn as pivoting and jet punch as insane priority - literally a 60 bp aqua jet clone. it packs ice punch or even mixed ice beam to hit grass-types with, as well as zen headbutt for toxapex if it wants to. and palafin can successfully run banded sets thanks to its good bulk - kartana can too, but its far inferior bulk makes it rather easier outdamage and force out.
let me put it this way: if you have something with a 100/160/97/106/87/100, water-type, a 120 bp stab attack, as well as a stab 60 bp pivoting move and a stab 60 bp priority, and all the coverage it really needs, would you think its balanced? even without a functional ability?
yes, yes it is. you might be missing that, instead of boots or smth, it can run booster energy and get a free +1 to atk for existing. ddance roaring moon is a fucking menace, and those three moves you listed already beat fairies and steels for it. imagine if you can run a choice band while actually being able to switch moves. thats what booster energy does for it, and ddance pumps that power to insane levels.
brute bonnet is bulky, packs spore, and has good firepower. sucker punch help patch up its low speed, and synthesis for reliable healing. booster energy lets it hit hard or tank hard depends on what it invests in. it will be a decent tank specialized at beating certain things while doing good damage to others, although it is for sure not a top mon.
as far as the tauros formes go, they hit hard and have decent speed while having neat offensive typings. fire forme is a rather unique attacker that can hit hard against pretty much everything (eq breaks pex and skeledirge, wild charge breaks other fat waters that resist cc), and water forme can do the same if sd watershifu gets the hammer. normal is probably not ou, but i cant tell the difference between the tauros forms so thats what it looks like on the graphic lol.
please be balanced cyborg delibird *prays*
ursaluna ngl can just be a guts slugger outside of tr. it does have the power to let it work, and unlike other slow breakers we had in the past like crawdawnt it has some pretty beefy bulk.
