Skirmisher

Skirmishers are infantry or cavalry soldiers stationed ahead or alongside a larger body of friendly troops. They are usually placed in a skirmish line to harass the enemy.

History

Pre-modern

In ancient and medieval warfare, skirmishers typically carried bows, javelins, slings, and sometimes light shields. Acting as light infantry with their light arms and minimal armour, they could run ahead of the main battle line, release a volley of arrows, slingshots or javelins, and retreat behind their main battle line before the clash of the opposing main forces. The aims of skirmishing were to disrupt enemy formations by causing casualties before the main battle, and to tempt the opposing infantry into attacking prematurely, throwing their organization into disarray. Skirmishers could also be effectively used to surround opposing soldiers in the absence of friendly cavalry.

Once preliminary skirmishing was over, skirmishers participated in the main battle by shooting into the enemy formation, or joined in melée combat with daggers or short swords. Alternatively, they could act as ammunition bearers or stretcher-bearers. Due to their mobility, skirmishers were also valuable for reconnaissance, especially in wooded or urban areas.

XCOM 2

XCOM 2 is a turn-based tactics video game developed by Firaxis Games and published by 2K Games for Microsoft Windows, OS X, and Linux. It was released February 5, 2016. XCOM 2 is the sequel to 2012's reboot of the series, XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Taking place 20 years after the events of Enemy Unknown, it follows the continuity that XCOM, a military organization trying to fight off an alien invasion, has lost the war, and is now a resistance force against their occupation of Earth.

Gameplay

As with previous games in the series, XCOM 2 casts the player as the commander of the eponymous military organization, now a resistance force opposing the ongoing alien occupation of the planet. Players take control of the Avenger, the new mobile base for XCOM. Players are tasked to give commands to squad members in battles against aliens during missions, while commanding the engineering and research department of the base between missions to create and research improved and new gadgets, weapons and technologies to assist players in battle. Soldiers can be recruited, with each soldier class having their own skill trees and abilities. For example, the Grenadier class can gain access to explosives and grenade launchers, while the Ranger is equipped with melee weapons like swords. Armor and weaponry can also be researched and upgraded by the player in the Avenger base. Each mission's environment is influenced by the world's state, while maps are procedurally-generated to create a wide variety of levels, in which every map features different terrain and buildings in each play-through.Mods are also supported. Campaign, class and enemy types can be created by users and can be shared through Steam Workshop. A one-versus-one multiplayer mode also returns from Enemy Unknown. New enemies are also featured, such as units from the new faction, ADVENT, and more alien types like the Viper.

Age of Empires

Age of Empires is a series of personal computer games developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft Studios. The first title of the series was Age of Empires, released in 1997. Since then, seven titles and three spin-offs have been released. The titles are historical real-time strategy games, and their gameplay revolves around two main game modes: Single player and campaign. They competed with another popular strategy series, Civilization, and are set amidst historical events.

Age of Empires focused on events in Europe, Africa and Asia, spanning from the Stone Age to the Iron Age; the expansion game explored the formation and expansion of the Roman Empire. The sequel, Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings, was set in the Middle Ages, while its expansion focused partially on the Spanish conquest of Mexico. The subsequent three games of Age of Empires III explored the early modern period, when Europe was colonizing the Americas and several Asian nations were on the decline. The newest installment, Age of Empires Online, takes a different approach as a free-to-play online game utilizing Games for Windows Live. A spin-off game, Age of Mythology, was set in the same period as the original Age of Empires, but focused on mythological elements of Greek, Egyptian, and Norse mythology.