1. ...e6 repertoire?

Thanks for all the advice guys.  I will definitely look into the options you suggested.  Since multiple people are recommending Tarrasch, I definitely have to look into why c5 hasn't been working well for me at times!!

Good points @ Jengaias.

But I will say that at "his level" he won't have to worry about getting open/tactical experience. At his level he will have a lot of games that don't even go into the French play but turn into some weird randomness that could easily open up and be tactical. And the exchange variation is more likely at that level too. Not to mention as we know, no matter what opening you are playing, there is always tactics and strategy. But certainly I have had pleanty of French games open up and turn more tactical. Sometimes with crazy mating attacks.

At our level any opening is going to bring us good experience. I think the French is fine for beginners.

I agree, and I do prefer to think strategically rather than tactically.  I mean we can all get better at tactics and I'll continue to do so.  That game I posted obviously got a little hairy which was fun, but it was with 3-4 piece combinations, not 7 piece combos with everything on the board like some really open openings.  And yes stalkingwolf, plenty of games at my level get somewhat random with plenty of ways to screw up :-)

Antonio Ag is an obvious troll.Just ignore the guy.

I would have played the French because of the bad bishop but they were saying it's not 'refuted' yet and it's one of the two openings preferred by the engine. Sorry.

Nimzo-Indian

Sicilian Defence : Drazic Variation

Some random non-theoretical line of the Horwitz Defence

This is what I've been playing against Lario recently

I would love to play the French if they didn't play the exchange, it's a trauma for me to play against these people.