As I said, the experience of playing Bloodbraid Elf in Modern is exactly what you remember. If you enjoyed it back when, you’ll like it now. If like me you didn’t, you still won’t. Nothing has qualitatively changed.

I agree with you Ben, and would personally welcome Elf back into Modern with open arms at this point. Here’s a card that handsomely rewards careful deckbuilding, and far from slots into any deck in its colors. I think Elf would push Jund a bit but not past even the delirium Shadow decks, let alone Grixis. There may even remain ways to build BGx without Elf (such as with Souls and Rhino).

Oopsie! We’ll have this fixed by the end of the day. Sorry for the wait.

I played during those times and my experience was different. I played against and with the elf and remember it fondly. Distinctly, what I remember from the time is a sense that bloodbraid elf was the synergistic centrepiece of a bunch of carefully crafted decks. In a very comparative way it’s like the RG snapcaster mage. It wasn’t overpowered like the Titans, or even baneslayer angel (cards from back around a similar time), it was merely an efficient cog in a machine.

And that’s why I feel (for modern at least) it’s totally fine. Modern is a haven for ‘cog’ type cards, especially when they don’t play into or cater towards an insular, aggressive mechanic like storm or infect. Bloodbraid is just generic ‘value’ at the pretty high cost of four mana. In the right deck and in the right situation it’s a powerful way to turn a corner and 2-for-1 the opponent, and that’s completely fine.

I could be wrong I suppose. I look at the environment and card pool of modern and just don’t see any issue with the elf and what it does, from the perspective of ban-worthiness.