When a creature “fights” another creature, that means each of those creatures deals damage equal to its power to the other creature. It’s important to know that fighting isn’t considered combat damage and won’t trigger any abilities that look for combat damage being dealt. However, the creatures are still dealing the damage directly, so fighting will take into consideration whether a creature has an ability that affects the results of damage (e.g., lifelink, deathtouch, infect), as those abilities apply any time the creature deals damage (not just combat damage).

For example, Adam casts Prey Upon, targeting his Typhoid Rats and Nancy’s Drogskol Reaver. They are instructed to fight, so the Rats will deal 1 damage to the Reaver at the same time the Reaver deals 3 damage to the Rats. Double strike and flying don’t matter here, because we aren’t in combat. Nancy will gain 3 life (thanks to lifelink), and both creatures will be destroyed (the 1 damage from the Rats was from a source with deathtouch, so it’s enough to destroy the Reaver). The Reaver’s ability triggered from the life gain before it was destroyed, so Nancy will get to draw a card after the creatures hit the graveyard.

Today’s Rules Tip written by
Ronny Alvarado, Level 1 judge from Houston, TX