A skirmish is an encounter between small groups fighting in loose or dispersed formation rather than formal ranks and files. Such an encounter might take place over a broad area of woodland or a group of buildings, where skirmishers can spread out to infiltrate the wood or occupy buildings. In a battle, only specified troops are allowed to skirmish, as indicated in their Army book. However, any units can adopt a skirmish formation in order to enter buildings, as described in the Buildings section.

A unit which can skirmish never moves in a rigid formation of ranks and files. Instead, it moves as a loose group or rough line. This enables skirmishers to move more quickly and to take advantage of minor folds in the ground, scrub, and other small features to shelter from shooting. The Warhammer Army books indicate which units are able to skirmish.

Skirmishers are deployed on the battlefield in a formation consisting of a loose group. Models in a skirmishing unit are positioned up to 1" apart so that they are not touching each other.

A skirmishing unit does not have a specific facing and can see all round (ie, it has an are of sight of 360"). Skirmishers can declare charges or shoot in any direction.

Troops in skirmish formation move in a loose group with models up to 1" apart. Should the group be split as a result of casualties, or should individuals become divided from it for some reason, the player must rectify this in his next Movement phase.

Skirmishing models are moved in the same way as individual character models. The unit does not turn or wheel and instead each model is moved in any direction without penalty. Once movement is complete, the entire unit must form a loose group or line with models no more than 1" apart.

Skirmishers move around obstacles or over rough ground more easily than troops in formation. They suffer no movement penalties for crossing obstacles or for moving over difficult or very difficult ground.

Because they are not restrained by a close formation, skirmishers can move up to double their normal pace despite the proximity of enemy troops within 8". So, a skirmishing unit with a Movement characteristic of 4" moves up to 8" rather than 4".

Skirmishers do not double their 'doubled' move to charge or march. They simply move up to double their Movement rate all the time. Their standard move value is still used to work out pursuit and fleeing distances.

Skirmishers moving faster than their standard Movement characteristic value are assumed to be concentrating on moving and are unable to shoot that turn. They are running too fast and do not have time to stop and shoot at their enemy.

Skirmishers can shoot in any direction, though individuals models can be pivoted on the spot so that the unit looks more realistic (this does not count as movement).

Thanks to their special training and loose formation, skirmishers do not block the line of sight of other members of their own unit (including characters that have joined the unit).

Note that units of skirmishers block the line of sight direction to other units (see diagram). It is not possible to see through the gaps between skirmishing models.

An enemy shooting at a skirmishing target suffers a -1 to hit penalty in the same way as if they were shooting at a single man-sized model. See the Shooting section for to hit modifiers.

If a character is fighting as part of a skirmishing unit of troops the -1 to hit penalty is applied only once, not twice.

A unit of skirmishers may charge an enemy that is visible to at least one of its models when charges are declared. To decide which side of the enemy is charged, follow the normal rules: the skirmishers will charge the enemy in the are where most of the skirmishers are when the charge is declared. All models within charge reach are moved individually towards their foe and arranged into a fighting line.

When the maximum number of models has been brought into base-to-base contact with the side charged (including models fighting corner-to-corner), remaining skirmishers will begin to form up in ranks behind the first line of models in base contact with the enemy.

Any models unable to reach the enemy (because they don't have enough movement or because there is no space left in the fighting line) are placed in the rear ranks so that the unit forms up in what looks like a regular formation behind the models that have formed the fighting line (see diagram).

If the skirmishers are charged, the enemy is brought into base contact with the closest skirmisher and then the enemy unit is halted. The skirmishers immediately form up following the rules explained above and then the enemy will proceed with further charges. The charging enemy models attack first in the ensuing Close Combat phase as normal.

Skirmishers will remain in this formation as long as the combat continues, and adopt the loose formation as soon as combat ends.

Skirmishers fight in a normal formation of ranks and files but, due to their nature as extremely light troops, they lose most of the normal bonuses that apply to units who fight in ranks.

Skirmishers receive no combat bonus for additional ranks in their formation.

Skirmishers do not negate the rank bonus of other units if they charge them in the flank or rear.

A character on foot can join a skirmishing unit and fight with it. No other characters (mounted, riding in chariots, etc) can join skirmishing units.