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Looking for Skirmish, the Halo Wars gametype?

"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 subspecies of Kig-Yar.

Description

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.

The Jackal and Skirmisher are of the same species, with the larger, more heavily muscled specimens comprising grenadier-type units (Skirmishers) and the smaller, more lightly built specimens seeing deployment as dedicated ranger or sniper units (Jackals). This is a significant change from engagements prior to 2530 when mixed units were more common.

Trivia

• The new Skirmisher will make its first appearance in the the game Halo: Reach.
• Physically, they appear even more bird-like than the Jackal, due to the beak and feathers.
• Because Skirmishers were created for Halo: Reach, they have never been witnessed or mentioned in the games which take place after the events of Reach. It is thus possible that most if not all of the warrior Skirmishers were wiped out during the Fall of Reach.
• Another reason they weren't seen in other Halo media is that Skirmishers are a lot rarer than their Jackal kin. They could have been an earlier species from which the modern Kig-Yar evolved from. Their rare numbers could have put them on the brink of extinction after the Battle of Reach, so they may have been taken out of the Covenant militia to focus on breeding.

Gallery

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  A close-up of a Skirmisher's face.

• ReachConcept Skirmisher.png

  Concept art of a Skirmisher.

• ReachConcept SkirmisherVariant.jpg

  A Skirmisher study.

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  A lance of Skirmishers in battle during the Fall of Reach.