Skirmisher Tactics (2005)
by LordCalcius

Skirmishers are some of the most flexible units in any Warhammer army, with their 360 degree charge and shooting arc. Due to the fact they can move anywhere anytime without suffering movement penalties (even for difficult terrain) they can get where you want them to be quickly. They can also move at double speed if an enemy is within 8”, which can help if they need to escape from a nearby threat. In this article I will try to show you just a few of the methods that can be employed during a game with these crafty units.

Advantages of the skirmisher
· Hard to hit through shooting (additional -1 to hit them).
· They can move through difficult terrain without penalty.
· They can move in any direction.
· They can shoot in any direction.
· They can march even if the enemy is within 8”.
· Many skirmisher units also have the 'scouts' special rule.
· They do not block line of sight to members of their own unit, so everyone in the unit can always shoot if they are in range.
· They do block line of sight for enemy units that want to target a unit behind them.

Disadvantages of the skirmisher
· Usually wear little or no armour
· Often come in small numbers so only a few casualties from shooting or magic can cause a panic test.
· They cannot shoot if they move faster than their standard movement rate.
· They do not gain rank bonus in combat.
· They do not negate rank bonus if they flank or rear charge an enemy unit.

General skirmisher tactics
1. Missile screen
For this tactic you simply deploy the unit of skirmishers in front of the unit you want protected. Skirmishers are -1 to hit from shooting, so they can effectively shield your ranked units behind them from most missile fire and LoS magic spells. When the unit they are protecting gets near combat, if the skirmishers are still around they can simply use their great manoeuvrability to move out of the way so the main unit can get stuck in. However, if the skirmishing unit is more expensive than the unit it is shielding, this is perhaps not the best tacic to adopt..
2. War machine and mage hunting
This tactic is best acheived by skirmishers with the 'scouts' special rule, to deploy the unit as close as possible to the war machine or mage to be destroyed. You can choose to either shoot the war machine and/or charge it. This should quickly destroy or rout the crew and thus make the artillery piece unusable.
3. Harass and march-block
For this tactic you move your skirmishers within 8” of enemy units while remaining out of their LoS (line of sight). The easiest way to do this would be to flank the enemy units, and if you can get all the way to the rear of the enemy, go for it. By being within 8” of the enemy units, they'll be march-blocked (i.e. the enmy will have to move at their normal movement rate, no marching allowed). If your skirmishers are armed with missile weapons then all the better, as you can also take pot shots at the enemy while you dance around their units. If they turn and face you, simply move away or flee as a charge response, possibly even leading the chargers in a direction they don't want to go in.

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