Slaughter the Strong
Oracle Text
Each player chooses any number of creatures they control with total power 4 or less, then sacrifices all other creatures they control.
Card Rulings
1/19/2018 Slaughter the Strong has each player choose any number of creatures and then checks that the total power of creatures each player chose this way is 4 or less. For example, you could save two 2/2 creatures, or a 1/1 and a 3/3 creature, but not all four of those creatures.
1/19/2018 If a creature’s power is somehow less than 0, it subtracts from the total power of the other creatures its controller chooses. This can cause creatures with power 5 or greater to survive.
1/19/2018 Starting with the player whose turn it is, each player in turn order chooses the appropriate number of creatures. Then the remaining creatures are sacrificed simultaneously. Players will know choices made by earlier players when making their choices.
I like this for standard, it does a lot for the W control decks.
Instead of acting like another Retribution of the Meek, this card leaves each player with no more than 4 power on the board. It hurts opponents who go big AND those who go wide while letting you keep you a few specific pieces.
Doran will absolutely love this card in EDH. In this set, though, it does let you keep out Zetalpa...
It's a CMC 3 wrath that kills Hazoret.
White has also had some of the best board sweepers in MTG history: End Hostilities, Supreme Verdict, Armageddon, Wrath of God
White is the best at what, well wraiths, and enchantment removal. That is it. Green is its match at creature pump, and token creation.
Every color has plenty of quality weenies now days. Whits's targeted creature removal is costly, restrictive, provides upside for your opponents and/or slow. Enchantment removal is sideboard restricted in standard for the most part. Protections spells don't see much play outside of limited unless it is on a creature, and blue is just as good at it better if you count counters.
White needs to be best at wraiths. Or really being second or third best at lots of stuff, leaves the color lacking. It needs that slice of the pie for balance. Every color needs something it is best at and enchantment removal just doesn't cut it. White has wraith yes because it started with it, but more importantly it needs it. Effects have color shifted many of times, like fight type effects used to be red, now they are green.
I guess white is also best at supporting weenies by not killing them. It is a major theme of white. Wait that is exactly what this card does, doesn't it? It spares a few small low power creatures yet kills the high power ones. Black loves killing the weak the very opposite of the card in question.
Wraths that are about indiscriminately killing should be black. Black is the color of death. Garbage that Fumigate wasn't black or black/green as it is a poison spreading, and that fits in to black/bg way better than the white of dwarves and artificers.