Low-Level Monsters (Orc, Hobgoblin and Grimlock replacement)

While I've gained a renewed interest in making use of orcs, goblins and pals for some people they've certainly become cliche. Here's a few replacements ranging from mild-re imaginings to completely new monsters filling a similar stat niche. Primarily I'm going off Basic Fantasy and D&D 5e for this list. Some of these descriptions imply a setting, others can be dropped in anywhere.

Shout to The Level 1 Creature Generator and the Castle Oldskull books.

Woodwose

Sometimes called the 'wild men', the Woodwose is in many way the primal reflection of man without civilization, law, order and (theologian says) the gods. Bestial, gnarled, hirsute and vicious they are a belligerent race unable to develop any kind of society beyond the basic family structure. Some even display hints of vegetal or mineral traits. Woodwose tend to be strong-looking, muscular, with skin full of clumped hair, mold and even some plant growth. Their skin tone tend toward earthly or bark-like brown, stone grey or pine green. They speak no language (and cannot learn any without losing many of their Woodwose traits) but innately understand their family unite.

• Basic Fantasy: Orc 
• D&D 5e: I'd say Orcs too but with added Survival skills.
• Potential Powers: Small resistance to metal or the tools and trappings of civilization, maybe?
• Primary Tactics and Purpose: Woodwose, while vicious and fearless in battle, are more akin to extremely cunning and vicious animals than marauding bands or invading armies and will use wolf-like pack tactics in combat and use the environment to their advantage, even going as far as to use terrain as natural-made traps. They fiercely defend their territory more than they invade. Any weapons and armors they have are looted from dead humans. They should be encountered in smaller numbers than orcs but fight in a much more cunning fashion.

Antithesis

If the Woodwose is compared to a primal counterpart (or even ancestor) to men, the creatures known as Antithesis are truly a literal dark reflection of people. Antithesis are not born like ordinary folks, at least not the first generation of a tribe/nation of them. They are born when dark forces converge over an area, especially those which tend to be peaceful and relatively civilized at the time. At that point, a dark inversion of the location manifest itself in the Plane of Shadows (or something similar). Peaceful nations begat violence conquerors. Beautiful people begat ugly reflections and good men and women spawn vicious villains. Meanwhile, horrible individuals spawn heroes, which unfortunately are slain by their kin due to an instinctive sense of their nature.

• Basic Fantasy: Hobgoblin
• D&D 5e: Hobgoblin or Githyanki for higher-level individuals.
• Potential Powers: As part of their ethereal and supernatural nature, they can cast spell-like abilities as a mean of warping reality around them.
• Primary Tactics and Purpose: These beings are the evil 'mirror universe' counterpart of good (or at least decently okay) folks. They exist as a dark reversal of them trying to creep into our universe, filled with a foul desire to erase their counterparts. Their very existence is the result of some creepy cosmic phenomena.

Sankati Monks

In ages past, a group of monks pondered the meaning of existence, suffering and beauty. Unable to look at how wicked and foul the world truly was once they had achieved enlightenment the monks decided that the world needed to be burned and cleansed. They mutilated themselves through magical means, dulling their senses. Centuries later they still exist, preaching enlightenment through suffering, self-mutilation, holy destruction and rejection of all things. They will cleanse this reality and hasten it's demise at any cost. 

• Basic Fantasy: Grimlock
• D&D 5e: Grimlock but remove the Stone Camouflage and jack up mental stats.
• Potential Powers: Heightened pain resistance and the ability to become eventually unaffected by mental effects.
• Primary Tactics and Purpose: Crazy Buddhist monks-meet-Hellraiser's Cenobites! They exist to convert all beings to their messed up way in order to improve mortal life and through their actions they seek to destroy the whole of reality. Their tactics are likely incredibly varied and as complex as they need to be. They can also operate in secrets as an evil cult.