I'll usually buff them by giving them some innate fighter abilities like an action surge or combat maneuvers

I made a vairant: https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/1672336-hobgoblin-soldier like it?

probably because there elite

Hobgoblins as a playable race (statwise) are weird, since +int and +con often don't go together. If there was a war strategist class, this would be the go to race (a class that uses int as a weapon bonus). Sadly there isn't, and this class is played as spell casters more often than what the lore suggest they maybe, Fighters and Barbarians.

Yeah either we buff these guys or make soldiers weaker...just saying

but don't artificers use intelligence as a weapon bonus-

I appreciate this comment. They consider themselves move evolved and powerful than their more primitive "half cousins."

Regarding the longbow, I believe the point is to give them a true long range weapon; a javelin's normal range is short enough that the average martial PC will almost certainly be able to close with them in a turn. The longbow, in contrast, is good for both trying to pick off a melee character as they try to close the distance and making the classic "arrow storm" mass shot as two armies just start to get moving. Much more appropriate for a rank and file soldier, in my opinion.

Quote from The_Ace_of_Rogues >>

Regarding the longbow, I believe the point is to give them a true long range weapon; a javelin's normal range is short enough that the average martial PC will almost certainly be able to close with them in a turn. The longbow, in contrast, is good for both trying to pick off a melee character as they try to close the distance and making the classic "arrow storm" mass shot as two armies just start to get moving. Much more appropriate for a rank and file soldier, in my opinion.

 

 

Beyond 20

 

 

 

 

 

 Agreed, besides the bow is really good at triggering martial advantage on people that are tied up with goblins or worgs. Also I always considered this as being two or three statblocks in one. The sword and shield hob, the bow and sword hob, and I suppose also the just the sword two-hander hob but that's just a downgrade of the sword and bow hob.

Eldritch Knights and Wizards. Wizards need Con to have any health and it helps with concentration saves. 

Question can it use the once per thing on its reaction after using it on its turn 

would you happen to know its behaviors

Had a campaign once where our battlerager dwarf barbarian threw herself into a tribe of hobgoblins and slaughtered nearly all of them.  What she didn't know was, one of them actually wound up surviving its wounds ... and was so awed by the dwarf's prowess that he wound up being a sort of a cross between a nuisance puppydog and stalker for her,. always turning up in the middle of the most unexpected adventures and trying to win her admiration by absurd attempts at feats of prowess that generally wound up hilariously backfiring and putting the hobgoblin AND the party AND whatever foe they were actually currently trying to deal with in at ,east surrealistically absurd and chaotic (if not all those things plus hilariously dangerous) situations.  I think he cherished the delusional hope that she would become his mentor and saw her as the equivalent of the martial arts trope of the difficult and crusty sensei who can only to be won over to teach their secrets by leechlike persistence, if I'm remembering right

thanks

Super helpful <3

That's true. A small fighting force of these can do more than most players give them credit for.

Another Hobgoblin "trademark" is using goblins as the "Drudge legions". Look at the goblin huckers in the Goldenfields attack section in Storm kings thunder. 

Just another point. Hobgoblin cavalry in melee should always trigger martial advantage. Also, everyone seems to think these guys suck. My suggestion for dms is actually run these guys a time or two. They can be brutal, especially using flanking rules. They should be out damaging the fighter (before Xtra attack) on as long as they are hitting and can probably match his ac. Just saying. 

please put this in the default character maker

totally not me using this as a excuse to play a goblin and making him green.