I'm curious if creature cards that enter the battlefield and distribute +1 +1 counters on creatures will trigger a Heroic mechanic effect, if one of those gets the counters? And does Retreat to Kazandu trigger Heroic if you use the landfall trigger to put a counter on it?
The best way to tell if something will trigger heroic is to look for the word target, if the card you play says something like put a +1/+1 counter on target creature, then it would trigger heroic.
If it instead it says something like Put a +1/+1 counter on a creature you control, it would not.
Edit: Retreat to Kazandu won’t trigger heroic though cause it will be a permenant when it targets your creature and not a spell.
In general, an ability that says "Whenever you cast a spell that targets [this permanent]" will not trigger—
if an enters-the battlefield ability (or any other ability) targets that permanent (C.R. 113.9; compare C.R. 112.1 with C.R. 113.1c; see also C.R. 603.3),
if a player other than "you" casts a spell that targets that permanent, or
if the spell cast by "you" targets only a player or only a permanent other than the one where that ability appears (C.R. 603.2, 115.1a).
Note that the heroic ability word, like all ability words, has no game mechanics inherent to it (C.R. 207.2c).
EDIT (Mar. 23, 2019): Add rule citations; edited elsewhere.
EDIT (Jul. 29, 2020): Some rules were renumbered in the meantime.
A quick bit of clarification on this point: Retreat will not trigger Heroic because Heroic only triggers when a *Spell* targets the permanent with Heroic. Retreat's ability is not a spell; it is an ability.
Sorry, but I very much am flagging you. Being on mobile is not an excuse, because card tags can be typed, and this was already explained to you in private messages. You write [c] to the left and [/c] to the right of each card name. You just need to find the square brackets ([ ]) and the forward slash (/) on your device's keyboard. It may be a bit of a hassle at first, but they should be there. -MadMage
Please don't flag me for no tags, I'm on a mobile. Specifically I'm wondering about interactions between Vineshaper Mystic and Triton Fortune Hunter or Triton Cavalry
An ability that triggers when Vineshaper Mystic enters the battlefield is not a spell (C.R. 113.9; compare C.R. 112.1 with C.R. 113.1c; see also C.R. 603.3), so won't make the ability of Triton Fortune Hunter or that of Triton Cavalry trigger (C.R. 603.2). (Note that Vineshaper Mystic itself doesn't target anything; with limited exceptions, no permanent spell can have targets [C.R. 115.1a-b].) See also this thread and this thread.
EDIT: Correctness edit after comment 9 was posted.
EDIT (Oct. 4): One rule was renumbered with Guilds of Ravnica.
EDIT (Oct. 16, 2019): Edited, including because some rules were renumbered with Core Set 2020.
EDIT (Jul. 29, 2020): Edited to conform to rule changes with Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths.
Thank you for the clarification, I was wondering because it does read "up to two target merfolk" so pretty much spell means Instant or Sorcery, not creature, artifact, aura enchantment, am I understanding this correctly?
spell means Instant or Sorcery, not creature, artifact, aura enchantment, am I understanding this correctly?
A creature spell or an artifact spell is a spell. The spell just doesn't have any target. ("When Vineshaper Mystic enters the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on each of up to two target Merfolk you control." is an ability not a spell.)
114.1a An instant or sorcery spell is targeted if its spell ability identifies something it will affect by using the phrase “target [something],” where the “something” is a phrase that describes an object, player, or zone. The target(s) are chosen as the spell is cast; see rule 601.2c. (If an activated or triggered ability of an instant or sorcery uses the word target, that ability is targeted, but the spell is not.)
Example: A sorcery card has the ability “When you cycle this card, target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.” This triggered ability is targeted, but that doesn’t make the card it’s on targeted.
302. Creatures
302.1. A player who has priority may cast a creature card from his or her hand during a main phase of his or her turn when the stack is empty. Casting a creature as a spell uses the stack. (See rule 601, “Casting Spells.”)
301. Artifacts
301.1. A player who has priority may cast an artifact card from his or her hand during a main phase of his or her turn when the stack is empty. Casting an artifact as a spell uses the stack. (See rule 601, “Casting Spells.”)
Also, an Aura spell absolutely has a target.
114.1b Aura spells are always targeted. These are the only permanent spells with targets. An Aura’s target is specified by its enchant keyword ability (see rule 702.5, “Enchant”). The target(s) are chosen as the spell is cast; see rule 601.2c. An Aura permanent doesn’t target anything; only the spell is targeted. (An activated or triggered ability of an Aura permanent can also be targeted.)
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Why bother with mere rulings when so many answers can be found in the Rules?
Thank you for the clarification, I was wondering because it does read "up to two target merfolk" so pretty much spell means Instant or Sorcery, not creature, artifact, aura enchantment, am I understanding this correctly?
No. Spells are all those cards we take from our hands and play**; abilities are stuff written on cards.
If it instead it says something like Put a +1/+1 counter on a creature you control, it would not.
Edit: Retreat to Kazandu won’t trigger heroic though cause it will be a permenant when it targets your creature and not a spell.
Note that the heroic ability word, like all ability words, has no game mechanics inherent to it (C.R. 207.2c).
EDIT (Mar. 23, 2019): Add rule citations; edited elsewhere.
EDIT (Jul. 29, 2020): Some rules were renumbered in the meantime.
Sorry, but I very much am flagging you. Being on mobile is not an excuse, because card tags can be typed, and this was already explained to you in private messages. You write [c] to the left and [/c] to the right of each card name. You just need to find the square brackets ([ ]) and the forward slash (/) on your device's keyboard. It may be a bit of a hassle at first, but they should be there. -MadMage
EDIT: Correctness edit after comment 9 was posted.
EDIT (Oct. 4): One rule was renumbered with Guilds of Ravnica.
EDIT (Oct. 16, 2019): Edited, including because some rules were renumbered with Core Set 2020.
EDIT (Jul. 29, 2020): Edited to conform to rule changes with Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths.
Also, an Aura spell absolutely has a target.
**except Lands: lands are not spells.
RULES OF MAGIC :
http://magic.wizards.com/en/game-info/gameplay/rules-and-formats/rules