Goblin 8
Goblin 8 — The Encounter
Shield-and-spear skirmisher of the warren-camp · a boss your table can run with almost no prep. SRD 5.1-compatible.
Who Is Goblin 8
Where one goblin marches, eight more crouch behind it. The camp-bred spear-carrier is not the sneak-thief of road and culvert but a creature drilled to a crude order: shields locked rim to rim, spears bristling outward like the spines of a cornered beast. Folk who have raided a goblin warren speak of how the little wretches melt away the instant a blade swings true, only to reform a heartbeat later three paces back, jeering. The spear they favor is barbed so the wound tears worse on the draw, and its haft is wrapped in hide for a surer grip when slick with rain or blood. Alone, such a goblin is a coward's bargain, quick to flee and quicker to lie. Massed beneath a louder, crueler chieftain, the same goblin becomes one tooth in a closing jaw, holding fast just long enough for the warband's spears to find your flanks.
Run Goblin 8 in Sixty Seconds
- It throws, it runs. Every turn: one thrown spear, then Nimble Escape to Disengage and back off. Don't let it stand still and trade.
- Brace is the trap. When a PC charges in, the reaction Spear hits before they swing. Make players think twice about closing.
- Kill-priority: thin the wall first. Shield-Wall Drill gives paired goblins +1 AC and Dex-save advantage. Break them apart and the bonus collapses.
- Three ways to run it: (1) skirmish line that kites and volleys; (2) shield-wall choke holding a doorway with Brace; (3) flanking screen for a bigger boss while it pins the party's sides.
- When bloodied, a lone goblin flees outright via Nimble Escape; in a warband it locks shields tighter and holds for the chieftain's order.
Goblin 8
Small humanoid (goblinoid), neutral evil
CR 2 · 450 XP · GUIDELINENimble Escape. The goblin can take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of its turns.
Shield-Wall Drill. While the goblin is within 5 ft. of at least one ally that is also wielding a shield, both gain a +1 bonus to AC (already factored into allies similarly equipped). The goblin has advantage on Dexterity saving throws against effects it can see, such as a dragon's breath or a fireball, while braced behind its shield.
Actions
Multiattack. The goblin makes two attacks, only one of which may be a thrown Spear.
Spear. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) piercing damage, or 7 (1d8+3) piercing damage if used in two hands to make a melee attack.
Shield Bash. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4+3) bludgeoning damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 12 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Bonus Actions & Reactions
Brace (Reaction). When a creature the goblin can see moves within 5 ft. of it, the goblin can make one melee Spear attack against that creature, setting the haft against the ground.
A wiry goblin braces a wood-and-iron round shield across its body and cocks a crude barbed spear back over one shoulder, ready to hurl or to hold the line.
Goblin 8, Bound
Companion · acts on your initiative
Bound · GUIDELINEPack Tactics (signature). Goblin 8 has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of Goblin 8's allies is within 5 ft. of the creature and that ally isn't incapacitated.
Actions
Spear. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) piercing damage.
Reactions
Scamper. When an enemy ends its turn within 5 ft. of Goblin 8, Goblin 8 can move up to half its speed without provoking opportunity attacks from that enemy.
A smaller cousin who shadows the party's flank, hurling spears and ducking behind cover the instant anyone looks its way.
Guideline numbers — formula-tuned and read from the miniature's design, not yet table-proven. Tell us how it ran in the comments.
How It Fights — by Tier
Same creature, scaled threat. The traits never change; only the numbers move.
Open with thrown spears from 30+ ft., then fall back behind shields and use Nimble Escape to Disengage every round. If the party clusters, line the goblins shoulder-to-shoulder so Shield-Wall Drill turns them into a wall and Brace punishes anyone who charges in. Pair them with a bigger threat (an ogre, a hobgoblin captain) and let the goblins pin flanks while the heavy hits the front.
Run these as an elite warren-guard: open with a volley, then Brace the choke point so melee attackers eat a spear before they close. Keep them paired in twos for Shield-Wall Drill and kite anyone who breaks formation. As an add-on to a chieftain or beast, the goblins hold the line while the big threat does the killing.
At this tier the spear-goblin is a veteran bodyguard, never alone. Stack them around a lair entrance or a warlord and let Brace and the shield line wreck the first charge. Focus thrown spears on spellcasters, and use Nimble Escape to keep repositioning between the lair's bigger threats so the party can never pin them down.
Put Goblin 8 on the table
Download the presupported STL and run the fight tonight — the model, and the encounter that comes with it.
Get the STL on MyMiniFactory →Clay Cyanide Companion Rules v1
How a bound creature acts
- A companion acts on its owner's initiative, immediately after the owner.
- It uses the Companion block above — roughly ×0.6 HP and damage, no recharge abilities, and at most one reaction trait.
- It moves freely; it takes its Action only while its owner is conscious.
- At 0 HP a companion is broken, not dead — restored on a long rest unless your table rules otherwise.
Original Clay Cyanide material © Clay Cyanide LLC — explicitly not the non-SRD official sidekick rules.
Questions, Asked at the Table
What CR is Goblin 8?
Its home tier is CR 2 (Tier 1, levels 1-4): AC 14, 39 HP, +4 to hit, save DC 12. The block also scales to a CR 6-equivalent Tier 2 build and a CR 11-equivalent Tier 3 build using the same traits with bigger numbers.
Can Goblin 8 be a companion or ally?
Yes. Snik, Bound is the scaled-down companion sheet (AC 13, 23 HP) with Pack Tactics, a thrown Spear, and the Scamper reaction so a player or friendly NPC can field it as a darting flank skirmisher.
Is this goblin a solo boss?
No. It is an add-on skirmisher with native-tier numbers and no legendary actions. Run it in numbers or as a screen for a flagship threat like a goblin chieftain, ogre, or beast; a four-PC party will out-act a single one easily.
Tell Us How It Ran
This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 ("SRD 5.1") by Wizards of the Coast LLC and available at dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document. The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available at creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.
Clay Cyanide Miniatures is not affiliated with, endorsed, sponsored, or specifically approved by Wizards of the Coast LLC. This content is compatible with the fifth edition of the world's most popular fantasy roleplaying game. Companion rules, lore, names, and original mechanics © Clay Cyanide LLC.
Technical Specifications
32mm, 75mm
STL, Pre-supported STL
Standard or ABS-like resin, 0.05mm layer height
Yes — ready to print, optimized supports included
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