So I take it we are all comfortable with leaving the hobgoblin regulars as warrior2? I suppose they could spend their feat on martial study, which nets them the use of 1 maneuver 1/encounter. Steel wind would be useful.

What about the veterans?

Bladebearer invests in balance to trigger massed charge (teamwork benefit from PHB2). Like that idea very much.

Hellhounds are cr3, all the suggested alternatives are much higher in cr. Should we leave them as they are or replace them with more hobgoblin npcs?