Fight

Fight
Keyword Action
Introduced	Innistrad
Last used	Evergreen
Reminder Text	No official reminder text
Statistics	8 cards 38% 25% Land 25% 12%
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keyword:"Fight"

Fight is a keyword action introduced in Innistrad. The word appears in a phrase like "[Cardname] and target creature fight." and it means that both creatures deal damage equal to their Power to each other.

Description

• The damage is dealt simultaneously, and it is dealt by the creatures themselves, so abilities like deathtouch, lifelink, and infect will work as normal.
• Damage dealt while fighting is not combat damage, so abilities like first strike won't have any effect.
• Fighting doesn't cause the creatures to become tapped.
• Only creatures can fight.
• No more than two creatures can fight.
• If a creature somehow fights itself, it will deal damage to itself equal to its power twice simultaneously.

Fight is similar to the mechanic originally introduced with the Land Arena, though slightly altered. A few old cards with the same functionality received updated Oracle wording using the new terminology. Cards with similar, but not identical, functionality do not use the word "fight."

Rules

From the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)

• 701.12. Fight
  • 701.12a A spell or ability may instruct a creature to fight another creature or it may instruct two creatures to fight each other. Each of those creatures deals damage equal to its power to the other creature.
  • 701.12b If one or both creatures instructed to fight are no longer on the battlefield or are no longer creatures, neither of them fights or deals damage. If one or both creatures are illegal targets for a resolving spell or ability that instructs them to fight, neither of them fights or deals damage.
  • 701.12c If a creature fights itself, it deals damage to itself equal to twice its power.
  • 701.12d The damage dealt when a creature fights isn’t combat damage.

Fighting cards before the keyword action

• Arena from a special book promotion and Time Spiral
• Triangle of War from Visions
• Contested Cliffs from Onslaught
• Magus of the Arena from Planar Chaos
• Rivals' Duel from Morningtide