T'vaoan

"A new species joins the familiar antagonists: a cousin of the Jackals called the Skirmishers, who are deadly and cunning enemies who attack in packs and flank secured positions."

- Game Informer, February 2010

The Skirmisher is a species related to the Kig-Yar.

The Covenant uses them as close-range combatants, attacking in packs and using flanking tactics (as opposed to Jackals, which are often used as defensive and long range combatants). Physically, they seem to be similar to the normal Jackals, but their heads and skin color are very different from their cousins. They may be closely related but Kig-Yar and Skirmishers are very competitive for ranks in the Covenant Empire. It has been hinted by Bungie that the Skirmisher race was annihilated by the end of the Battle of Reach.