the only way i can think of is to make it a human and cast moonmist. it has to be a card that says "transform". it cannot be turned face-down by manifest or ixidron, because double faced cards do not have a "face down". there are no other effects that flip it over.
you could secure the wastes for 5 at the end of your opponent's turn and then sacrifice the tokens =/
The only cards that can force other cards to transform are Moonmist and Vildin-Pack Alpha. In both cases, you'll need something to animate Westvale Abbey and another card, like Conspiracy, to give it the appropriate creature type.
You'd be better off just getting the 5 mana and 5 creatures with ramp and token producers.
You can also turn the Abbey into a copy of some other DFC and use that other cards transform ability, but since most such copy effects only work on creatures, you'd have to animate the Abbey first. Those copy effects mostly only last for a turn, so most werewolf transform triggers cannot be used for this ("at the beginning of the next upkeep upkeep"). That way, you can use the Origins flipwalkers' transformation abilities (losing the original flipwalker due to the legend rule if your goal is to transform the Abbey), or something like Avacynian Missionaries, though in the later case, the Abbey will still remain a copy of the card and the side of the original until the cleanup step.
I agree, that just getting 5 ceatures for the Abbey's own transform ability is probably the easiest way.
Sengir Autocrat. Turn one, Swamp, 1/1 drop (I favor Festering Goblin). Turn two, Westvale Abbey, Dark Ritual, Autocrat. Turn three, if you can ***** the mana for it (double Ritual lucksack?), have fun shooting for a god hand. PS pack four Serum Powders.
Conqueror's Pledge is possibly the most efficient way to get the number of creatures you need in one shot. Curves into using Westvale the next turn, though if you play Westvale on any turn before the one where you have the mana to flip it your opponents will see this coming from a mile away.
Honestly, the best use for Westvale is as a utility land in a deck that's already doing a token theme. Worst case, it's a utility land/mana sink that can get you tokens for a cost that's not much less efficient than similar alternatives and best case, you occasionally get to just flip it and win.
Thanks.
you could secure the wastes for 5 at the end of your opponent's turn and then sacrifice the tokens =/
You'd be better off just getting the 5 mana and 5 creatures with ramp and token producers.
I agree, that just getting 5 ceatures for the Abbey's own transform ability is probably the easiest way.
Former Rules Advisor
"Everything's better with pirates." - Lodge
(The Gamers: Dorkness Rising)
"Any sufficiently analyzed magic is indistinguishable from science."
(Girl Genius - Fairy Tale Theater Break - Cinderella, end of volume 8)
If you use Cryptolith Rite all you need is way to get tokens/creatures onto the field.
Standard - RIP Cat
Modern - Death & Taxes
Commander - Mazirek, Trostani, Angry Omnath
Honestly, the best use for Westvale is as a utility land in a deck that's already doing a token theme. Worst case, it's a utility land/mana sink that can get you tokens for a cost that's not much less efficient than similar alternatives and best case, you occasionally get to just flip it and win.
Modern:
Turn one: Breeding Pool>Llanowar Elves
Turn Two: Westvale Abbey>Amoeboid Changeling
Turn Three: Any land>Elemental Uprising+Moonmist
Alternately if Legacy:
Turn one: Tropical Island>Llanowar Elves
Turn Two: Westvale Abbey>Amoeboid Changeling
Turn Three: Any land>Animate Land+Moonmist
~Funk Pirate