A skirmish is an encounter between small groups fighting in a 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 a wood or occupy buildings.

In a battle only specified troops are allowed to skirmish as indicated in the Warhammer Armies book army lists. However, any units can adopt a skirmish formation in order to enter buildings as described in the Buildings section.