bastlyo, what are some of the budget-conscious substitutions you have made?

Woooah. My comment may take a little while, I'm reading through your primer and it's longer than I thought. Never fear though, the comment's on its way!

Phwew. So. Got through it.

I like the primer. It's a beast to read through, but for someone looking to build their own version, it explains what you've got going on. I might look into some alternate cards choices that you could talk about in the primer, so that someone looking to build their own Arjun deck might be able to build one that isn't a carbon copy of yours, but is styled off it - I find the Maybeboard is a great place to put those cards.

As far as the deck goes, you say it's lacking defense - I'd try adding more AEtherize effects, and take out some of the too-slow sorcery version. Cut things like Sleep and Wash Out for being too slow, and try AEtherspouts or Mirror Match, instead. Maybe Dominate/Cackling Counterpart/Domineering Will? All are good for surprise blocks. Clone Legion isn't an instant, but it'll still give some good defense against someone who's planning an alpha strike.

Some Buyback spells like Capsize or Forbid could do wonders, since they'll return to your hand AFTER Arjun does his thing (increased consistency).

Other than that, though, the deck looks good! I don't generally play Caged Sun in two-colored decks though.

You definitely get my +1, because it looks like a fun deck :)

Sphinx's Tutelage

vincilios: What about Sphinx's Tutelage? Do you agree or disagree with its inclusion?

Is a great card to put in your deck, because have synergy with Arjun, the Shifting Flame. What do you think?

I wholeheartedly agree. So much so that it has been in the deck since before day one. Once upon a time I had more of a milling theme in here which also included Jace's Erasure and Memory Erosion. However, people don't like being milled and so the milling drew too much aggression to me. I have since shifted away from milling but Sphinx's Tutelage is just too potent to take out in my opinion.

I have learned that playing Tutelage too soon in a game draws unwanted attention. However, it really makes for a great mid to late game play if I'm going to make it to the final two or three players. At that point the milling can be justifiably focused on a single player and actually threatens to kill.

A Teferi, Temporal Archmage wouldn't be bad considering it can mana ramp and add extra draw power. Also I think a Freed from the Real would be good for those cards like Arcanis the Omnipotent, Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind, and Jace's Archivist

I'm thinking of removing Sleep for Fateful Showdown and removing Mind's Desire or Turnabout for Obstinate Familiar.

I would love to have thoughts and opinions on these. Fateful Showdown can threaten a one-hit kill with a large enough hand. Obstinate Familiar can help as a fail-safe against decking myself which has happened a few times.

With the release of Amonkhet, I am also eyeing up Pull from Tomorrow. I'm not sure if I should replace Stroke of Genius or if I should try to find a different spot for it (at the cost of increasing my X-spell count again).

Keep Stroke of Genius because if someone is running nekusar, you can do some major damage. I love the primer. I really enjoy wheel decks and Mindmoil! Im curious how with Arjun and the wand he is able to swing for lethal?

Thanks for the advice, KeelHaul10. Pull from Tomorrow caught my eye since it gets the same number of card draw triggers but for one less mana. I did notice that it doesn't have the versatility of being targeted draw. So you think the one mana is worth the ability to target?

Forgive me if I misunderstand your question, but I'll explain why Arjun is deadly with the Diviner's Wand. Arjun naturally generates a lot of card draw which is the trigger for the wand and gives him +1/+1 for every card drawn. It is not very difficult to cast two or three or four spells and see his power rise to 21 or more. At that point he can deliver a one-hit kill via commander damage. If his flying isn't sufficient evasion there is also Rogue's Passage.

RicketyEng ah I understand now, I misread Diviner's Wand. I now like this deck even more :-D

AEther Tide might be useful to return a few key blockers (flyers). But with a full hand, you could ways bring back Advanced Stitchwing who would maybe fly under the radar of threats

I recently acquired Vedalken Orrery and I'm trying to find the right place for it. I am considering replacing Eye of the Storm as that would lower the mana curve a bit. It is unfortunate for the Eye that its mana cost coupled with its tendency to draw hate have started to outweigh the advantage from extra cast triggers or the "fun" of dealing with crazy stacks. I would love to see any alternate suggestions.

I would also like to re-evaluate my card draw spells. Are there any draw spells that could fill similar roles as those which I already have but also draw for my opponents?

The problem with Psychosis Crawler is that when you have 0 cards in hand, it dies: and you empty your hand every time you cast a spell. Yes you refill it instantly afterwards, but it still resolves (I had to remove a crawler from my Windfall deck for exactly the same reason.)

You may also want to throw in a pair of Lightning Greaves and a Clout of the Dominus to protect your commander. Incidentally, some more cards you should consider include Spellbook and Venser's Journal, but since you're looting so much you're practically tutoring, you probably won't need more than Thought Vessel and Reliquary Tower. But its something to think about.

Something else you need to consider is mana rocks/dorks. Your commander is six mana, which is a lot. If you want to get him out fast, increase your mana base. Remember, you aren't 'semi-tutoring' until you get you commander, so you can't just cycle until you get all your rocks.

Thanks for the vote and the comment!

The Psychosis Crawler is actually fine with wheels and Mindmoil. State based actions are not performed or checked for during the resolution of an effect. It is true that you momentarily have zero cards in hand, but by the time the game state gets checked you have cards again so the crawler lives. It is the same reason that Master of Waves works when he gets blinked.

What are your thoughts on Preordain fro this? nice way to hit that draw and to plan your next move.

Really like the deck though, looks like it could be a terror.

Preordain was in an early draft of the deck before it was culled down to 100 cards. I have the feeling that I cut it in favour of one of the draw spells which also drew my opponents cards. That may sound strange, but when milling was still one of my main goals group draw effects played into that. Recently I have actually been thinking of adjusting some of my draw spells toward unilateral draw. My knowledge of draw spells isn't amazing so thanks for pointing this one out for me!

It is important to me that whatever draw spells I include be card draw that triggers the payoff cards. For example, Fact or Fiction may provide extra cards, but doesn't actually draw them.

To me, this deck could benefit from Scroll Rack. I mean, if you have a card in hand that you wish to keep that'd be a great option.

Soon, depending on availability and price, I plan to switch Keranos, God of Storms out for The Locust God. It will provide yet another draw trigger and this god will probably outperform Keranos in combat. I am looking forward to the change in deities.

So I made the gods switch and now there is a bump at cmc 6 on the mana curve so I would like to smooth that out a little. Looking at the cards there I see Well of Ideas and Charmbreaker Devils which could be possible candidates for removal. At six mana I just don't find myself casting Well of Ideas very often and I think I would like to get some extra card draw for less mana. I'm thinking Preordain will be the right move. As for Charmbreaker Devils, I like what it does and I don't have an immediate replacement in mind for it so I will just keep it in mind for now.

I really like the deck, it's a cool concept! One thing I've noticed is that you do have some combos that make you able to draw nearly your entire deck, yet also won't end the game for sure that turn. So it might be worthwhile to consider adding a card or two to avert such a crisis as an opponent playing Wheel of Fate when you have your entire deck in your hand. Perhaps an eldrazi like Kozilek, Butcher of Truth or the like, you might also like Day's Undoing (or Timetwister if you're rich :)) to be able to save yourself from drawing to death.

Unfortunately I don't have much input to give on the card draw like you requested, but I hope this at least gives you something to consider!