I really like this deck, it seems so fun to play.  I think I'll toss it together and give it the old gambit test with my group.  I love Life from the Loam in every format, and it's great to see someone use it well in Vintage!  Grats!

I have to agree with most of the list, save perhaps Pithing Needle, though not in the respect that it gets played a ton and defines decks, but that it has ENORMOUS potential if people did actually maindeck them in decks that can sacrifice the slots for it.  The other thing to think about before you form an opinion of Vroman's list or perhaps your own, is that Vintage, when compared to the other formats, is a very slowly defined meta.  SCG is what, every three months?  Throw in Waterbury, and a handful of other major vintage tournaments Stateside yearly, and we have maybe 20 major tournaments with which to gauge the usefulness of various combos, decks, and new ideas.  Though the format changes somewhat rapidly from tourney to tourney, it would probably be much more varied if there were more major events, like PTQs and Grand Prixes (stupid language).  The meta could evolve more and change the major/minor/failed impact if there were more situations to test stuff.

The main problem I see with this deck is that it's a "Fish" build, which generally speaking means quick, efficient creatures to beat and disrupt.  This build just doesn't seem to have enough beats.  I would probably consider Rootwater Thief, Erayo, Ninja of the Deep Hours, or ANYTHING else to have more creatures - at least 16-20.  Otherwise you disrupt a little and play a sub-par creature to your opponent's house, especially against something like Oath, where 1 or 2 bad creatures on the board makes them smile, as opposed to 3-5 decent creatures that can match their swings.

What really makes 'Tog unplayable in this format, though?  Is it the prevelancy of Stax or is the game just that difficult against a Gifts-heavy meta?  I am interested in playing Tog, but these thoughts have come to mind many times and shrunk away the courage of bringing it to a SCG event.  I can see how Darkblast at least rids your opponent (in the Stax matchup, anyway) of a great deal the options available to it, and therefore opens up your own options a handful of turns down the line.  Keeping a hand of selective permission - thinking Force of Will mostly - and lands, and discarding out draw and such while you wait for your opponent's Stax lock to break their board up after a timely Darkblast could put you in a favorable position again within a few turns.  Am I correct in this line of thinking?  I realize Crucible of Worlds online means you are probably screwed anyway, but still...

All in all it seems like a pretty diverse field of play this time around.  It's quite pleasing that the format has so many options, especially in Chicago, with its notorious history of over-stocking Mishra's Workshop.

I agree with this. Even looking outside of Vintage, at PT LA for instance, shows that with Gifts Ungiven, you can get and abuse the Dredge mechanic with an irritating consistency.  Darkblast seems to be just better as far as killing Goblin Welder, Gorilla Shaman, or Kataki, War's Wage than Lava Dart.