If an attacking formation has enough movement to reach the enemy formation in the movement phase then is the skirmish phase by-passed and goes straight to close combat?
-Yahoo Group, 4/20/17
No. Skirmishing will still be performed in this case, then after the Artillery & Skirmishing Phase, the Combat Phase will occur and combat will be resolved for Units in physical contact.
The footprint of a base is assumed to be about 112 yards deep, the location of the Unit within that base is not exactly known at any given time because the base is the area controlled, not occupied, by the Unit. So two opposing bases being in contact indicates the ground between them is contested, it doesn't mean they are in mêlée, etc… thus, there can still be skirmishers out in front of them.
-David
