Section 3 Update 12/15/2015 news - WINTER CONTINGENCY mod for Call to Arms

Attention Troopers! Miss us lately?

The Office of Naval Intelligence has authorized us to share our intel on some of the Covenant forces you will likely encounter during the WINTER CONTINGENCY.

Before we begin with today’s intelligence brief. Apone and I would like to clarify our position regarding how WC will be distributed. As some of you may know, AS1 does not feature workshop support by default.

However, we still intend to use the workshop to distribute. When WC drops (still tbd) we plan post a dropbox/megaupload/mediafire link, embedded in a page we will create on the Workshop. This will allow us to have the benefits of the Steam Workshop, and circumvent the limitations placed on Workshop file sizes (spoiler alert, WC is a big mod).

With that said, today’s briefing will look into the Covenant’s premier scouts and light-shock troops, the Skirmishers!

Skirmishers are a subspecies of the ubiquitous Jackal race. Skirmishers are easily distinguished by their saurian features, avian like feathers, and most notably, their vastly superior agility and speed.



Skirmishers are capable of sprinting faster than any vehicle, jumping insurmountable obstacles, and posses excellent senses of sight, sound, and smell. As such, they are among the Covenant’s most valuable scouts.

Skirmishers may not be much stronger than their Jackal cousins, but they more than make up for it with their superior agility and more notably, combat prowess. All skirmishers are excellent marksmen, and have a natural talent for guerilla warfare.

Skirmishers are fiercely independent of their Covenant allies. Evidently, their maverick nature is enough that the Covenant allow skirmishers to use their own ranking system, and even command their own units. This means that there are several unique types of skirmisher units, often lead by a skirmisher commander, rather than an elite.



Basic skirmisher ranks include minors and majors (distinguished by plumes of red feathers). These infantry form the bulk of most skirmisher units, and are made up of the species least experienced members. While these posses all the skills of the skirmisher infantry, they are typically lightly armored, and poorly armed. Concentrated fire will decimate their ranks. But their speed and numbers can quickly overrun your positions if ignored.



Skirmisher specialists are more dangerous than their basic compatriots. These soldiers are tough, armored, and better equipped.

Skirmisher Murmillos wear orange battle armor, and a pair of energy bracers, similar to jackal’s gauntlet shields. Though not as protective as the Jackal shield, the Murmillo’s bracers give it an edge in combat; they are already very hard to hit- the protection makes it even more difficult to neutralize them.

Skirmisher Commandos wear green armor and helmets, and are exclusively snipers- often wielding the deadly Focus Rifle. Using their speed, commandos can quickly take the high ground and pick off our forces and pin down positions in advance of assaults.

The highest ranking Skirmishers are known as Champions (yellow armor), a high level command specialty. Skirmisher Champions are allowed the unique privaledge of leading skirmishers and lower ranking covenant forces independently from Elite leadership. This means that you may encounter enemy strike forces lead by these enemies. Champions are tough, almost as strong and well protected as an Elite Minor. They also without fail carry Needle Rifles, and are exceptional marksmen..



When deployed against the UNSC, Skirmishers will often use their speed to flank human positions, and then strike unprepared defenders from behind their own lines, often with devastating results. These tactics make skirmishers a uniquely dangerous threat to UNSC forces. When facing skirmishers on the field.

The best way to counter skirmishers is to position your forces carefully. Make sure that there are no gaps in your defensive lines. Position your fireteams so that each squad can provide cover to the other, should one be flanked. If all else fails, skirmishers (or any covenant for that matter) have little defense against heavy weapons.

This concludes your intelligence briefing for 12/15. Both Apone and I are likely to be busy over the next month or so. Progress may seem slow at times, but rest assured the project is not stopping, so chill the f- out!

Next update, we will take a look at UNSC forces again.