An engagement between small parties. A skirmish-level scenario or set of rules is one designed for small-scale battles, with each figure representing individual combatants or very small groups. The opposite of skirmish-level is epic-level.
Brief confrontation between opposing military forces, often preceding a major battle.
a violent but brief battle, or gun fight
1. A fight between small bodies of troops. 2. Any brisk conflict or encounter.
Unplanned fight between two small groups of people
Of the various terms applied to Civil War military actions, "skirmish" denoted a clash of the smallest scope. In general, a skirmish was a limited combat, involving troops other than those of the main body; when the latter participated, the fight was known as an engagement, affair, or battle, depending on its scale. More specifically, a skirmish denoted an encounter between opposing skirmish lines, composed of troops assigned to protect the head and/or flanks of an army in motion.
