It is my opinion that SI and QSI should NOT be in the conversation at all. We are talking about Combo lists that are potentially decks to beat, not simply established lists.

I think where FT is outstanding compared to TES is against a meta with high graveyard hate. Doomsday has it.

Also, it's my opinion that most of you FT players don't realize something about this deck: The build you use is dependent on your meta. You don't have to mirror Emidln's build. That's the whole point of this list--versatility. Fetchland Tendrils is just what it implies: Fetchlands and tendrils. That's (mostly) what makes this different than TES. The manabase. Obviously they do some things different, but the general idea is the same. You accelerate, protect, and win.

Some metagames may indeed call for EtW. Others can simply use 2x Tendrils. Others may need to go for Brain Freeze.

The debatable slots in this build are exactly what they seem like: Interchangeable.

If you insist on a faster build for a heavier aggro meta, then go the 2x IGG route if you need/want. Doomsday is in my opinion a permanent replacement. If you want a tad more versatility in answering situations game 1, go ahead and use Death Wish. A more controllish metagame may call for a Draw-4 in the SB. Krosan Grip may be an acceptable option for you in the maindeck for a heavy Thresh environment, and some may still feel like it's ok to play Street Wraith for a more aggressive playing field, and also 4 petals for more explosiveness.

This isn't like other decks. This has essentially become the legacy Keeper varient like the old t1 lists way back in the day. It's especially formatted to do what it needs to when it needs to. Not go in and wipe clean an entire unknown metagame without a problem. The point of it is to have at least a chance against any deck it meets, and I feel that some of you aren't really understanding this. That's why I'm taking 2 decks with me to the GP Denver legacy side-event. If I don't feel like I'm aware enough of their metagame, I'll probably not play it. If I can scout to my liking, then I'll tweak it accordingly.

In my opinion, the only reason why TES does better against Thresh/CB is because of Shusher and REB/P-Blast. If you want to get technical, Shusher could absolutely be an option for FT if you wanted to screw around with the manabase. It's not like it's a big deal who's list is better, it's how you pilot it, the matchups you encounter, how many play errors you and your opponent make, and lets not forget: luck. Your draws matter. Your opening hand matters. This is not news, no matter how hard you want to forget it.

Pce,

--DC