Aye, I sprinted past the Drone encounter as well. And in my co-op Legendary run, we did the same for the Hunters, but on this run I wanted to man up and see if I could take them out. Turned out with some planning, it worked very well.
I love the Skirmishers, but I see them as a replacement for the Drones. That's what they are in Firefight, a fast-moving enemy that can scale over the normal routes of transit the rest of the Covenant use (scaling large walls, getting behind you if you blink, etc.). They're more fun to fight because you can still predict the routes and plan accordingly, and their hyper speed can still be countered with good reflexes. They keep me on my toes and as has been mentioned, are a delight to headshot.
Which is why I was a bit bummed to see Drones in the Campaign again; their three encounters or so aren't fun. Imagine if Reflection got flooded with Skirmishers when you hit the button - I'd have actually stuck around and mowed through speedy little bastards.
Speaking of which, on the co-op Legendary run, I made the decision to run like hell while my partner was gearing up for the fight. He gets into position and I sprint past him yelling, "I'm getting the hell out of here!" I make it to the elevator and hit the button, then turn around and see him rushing for the door, getting pounded by Drones, just as the doors close in front of him. :lol
Ah, teamwork.
