Westvale Abbey

Buret0

How come there is nothing on the card text saying it cannot block?

Unlike wall of ice, there is nothing in the text saying it cannot block and when it gains vigilance, it isn't red, but it cannot block.

Anyone have any decent strategies on how to get it to transform? Getting humans in play only to kill them one at time, five times, in order to transform this thing isn't working. The battle is long over before I've ever been close to transforming it. And, unlike wall of ice, it has to be below ten health at the start of your turn, so it doesn't transform on instant death.

For 15 mana, to get a card that can't block, sometimes drops weak humans, and never (in the fifteen+ games I've tried) transforms? Kind of a terrible card imo.

Buret0

I can try some Sorin black/white strategies... maybe something that sacrifices your own creatures... but the mana cost of the spells and the creatures just to get a creature with a bit more starting power than Oliva?

blacklotus

I believe this card not able to block is correct and is also for balance.

otherwise, you will get an OP 35hp blocker for 10 mana, which will transform into a 15/13 attacker/blocker once its westvale abbey side hp drops to 10.

it's a rare card, not a mythic. if it can block, even mythic status is understating its OP status.

Rogan_Josh

Red has the best options for triggering Westvale. Lightning axe and Devour in flames in particular are cheap enough to cast while still maintaining moderate board control. Add to that the approx 2 humans that will spawn and die then it's quite fast.

Just don't cast a second one before the first is transformed like I did once

Cragger

Bugs Forum
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Rogan_Josh

Cragger wrote:

Bugs Forum
viewforum.php?f=32

I don't think we're discussing a bug, more card strategy.

shteev

Rogan Josh wrote:

Just don't cast a second one before the first is transformed like I did once

This is why I don't play Thing in the Ice and Day's Undoing in the same deck any more

Theros

I tried the card with sharkan. I use devour in flame, lightning axe and the second of sharkan ability to sacrifice cheap humans. The process is not worth it. The game is already over before I get to activate Westvake Abbey. 35 is huge

Lil_Guard_Dog

Then don't kill off humans to transform it, deal damage directly to it instead, thus expediting the transform. Especially in a red deck, it can transform within a few turns with the proper cheap mana/high damage spells like:

>Processor Assault ~ 1 mana cost + process 1 = 5 damage
>Lightning Axe ~ 3 mana cost + discard last card = 6 damage
>Fiery Impulse ~ 4 mana cost = 2 damage (or 3 if there are more than 8 red gems)

From here the ratio of mana cost to damage is a little more even, or verging on more mana then damage however they're still useful.

>Outnumber ~ 8 mana cost = 2-8 damage depending on how many creatures you control on the battlefield when the spell is cast (normally 2-6, however if you have used something like Malevolent Whispers or anything else to temporarily steal one of your opponents creatures, bringing you to 4 controlled creatures, it does successfully ramp up the damage caused)
> Stonefury ~ 10 mana cost = 5 damage

I'm positive that there are many more out there, some that could cost less, as well as some from other colors, however I'm just going off of what I currently have available.

I've long since abandoned trying to getting it to transform by killing the creatures created by it, and instead deal damage directly to it, or (when it was working correctly) throwing a spell on it such as Haunted Cloak (Colorless spell with a 1 mana cost, that gives Vigilance, Haste and Trample to target creature) thus making it defend against any/all of the opponent's creatures, which ensures a very rapid drop in that 35 defense.

Unfortunately one of the recent updates has made it become disabled until it transforms for any attack/defend abilities, thus that last option is now useless, however there is no mention of it supposed to not be able to defend/attack, and has been reported as a bug with the card by quite a few people, thus that may return. Before the bug hit it, with simply the Haunted Cloak on it, I could usually get it to transform within 2-3 turns depending on how many creatures the enemy brings out/how many direct damage spells/abilities I could throw at it.

I *HAVE* been able to get it to transform the same turn I cast it ONCE, however I had a bunch of direct damage cards saved up specifically to transform it ASAP.