Worg

A worg ally is a goblin tribe's tribute to the party, a fey pact creature bound to a warlock who chose Archfey, or a captured juvenile the party raised on meat and respect. The worg is Neutral Evil and speaks; it is not loyal in the dog sense. It is loyal in the way a mercenary is loyal, which is for as long as the food is good and the violence is regular. If the party becomes boring or the orders become humiliating, the worg leaves.

In combat, point the worg at the closest priority target. The Bite at +5 for 7 piercing is mediocre damage on its own, but the Advantage-on-next-attack rider is a setup tool the party can build a turn around. Have the worg open the round on the enemy spellcaster, then let the rogue follow up with Sneak Attack at Advantage. Walk speed 50 ft. means the worg gets there first regardless of party formation. Pack the worg with a Wolf or another Beast Companion and the trick repeats: two pets stacking Advantage on the same target is a real damage spike for a level 3 to 5 party.

The worg will not coordinate verbally beyond simple requests. It understands "go for the wizard" and "stay with the cleric" and "kill that one." It does not understand "save your action for the boss" or "keep him alive for questioning." If the party wants a prisoner, give the worg the order before initiative or accept that the prisoner becomes lunch.

Have the worg argue with the party in Common with a clipped accent. The novelty of a wolf with opinions sells the ally better than any combat line.

A worg is the fast, mean, talking wolf that runs with goblins and hates everything that walks upright. It is not a beast (the SRD lists it as Fey, and it speaks Goblin and Worg), so play it as a thinking predator rather than an animal. It coordinates, it picks targets, and it will laugh at a PC who falls before biting them. Pack the worg with goblin riders or other worgs, because the action economy of a single CR 1/2 creature is not the encounter.

Lead with movement. Walk speed 50 ft. is faster than every PC in heavy armor, and Darkvision 60 ft. plus Perception +4 means worgs hunt at night, in fog, in any condition that disadvantages the party. Open the encounter with worgs already in melee with the back-line caster, having outrun the front line by 10 to 20 ft. on the approach. The Bite at +5 for 7 piercing is unremarkable on its own, but the rider on the back of the trait is the thing: every Bite hit gives the next attack against the target Advantage until the start of the worg's next turn. That sets up the goblin rider's shortbow, the hobgoblin's longsword, the second worg in the pack.

Run worgs in pairs minimum. Two worgs both biting the same wizard means the second worg's Bite has Advantage from the first worg's hit, and the rogue who arrives one round later has Advantage too. The trait is a buff for the team, and the team is the encounter.

Worgs do not fight to the death unless cornered. Bloodied (13 HP) and outnumbered, a worg breaks off, sprints 50 ft., and disappears into terrain. It comes back later with friends. Smart parties learn to chase one and lose, or to commit to killing the whole pack in one engagement.

Give the lead worg a name in Goblin and have it use it. A worg that says "I am Skarrak. I will eat the small one first." in broken Common is a different encounter from a worg that growls.