T'vaoan

Looking for Skirmish, a gametype in Halo Wars?

"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^[1]

The Skirmisher is a human nickname for an unnamed subspecies of Kig-Yar.^[2]

Description

The Covenant uses Skirmishers as close-range combatants/light assault troops. They attack in packs and use flanking tactics (as opposed to Jackals, who are often used as defensive combatants and snipers). Physically, they seem to be similar to their Jackal cousins, though their heads have a more avian appearance than their cousins and their skin tone is much darker.^[1]

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. ^[2]

There appear to be at least three different Skirmisher ranks. The first, and probably lowest-ranked, wears minimal grey armor. The second wears more substantial green armor, and the third (and probably highest-ranked) wears red armor and a helmet. Additionally, the red armored variant sports a small shield gauntlet on each elbow.

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 or novels 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Skirmishers were wiped out during the Fall of Reach, or that perhaps that their numbers were so depleted that they were withdrawn to the Kig-Yar homeworld.^[3]