1850 1st CSM attempt (shooty bitz)

HQ:
Sorcerer w/Lash

Troops:
Plague Marines x7 w/ 2 MGs & Rhino w/ ExA
Plague Marines x7 w/ 2 MGs & Rhino w/ ExA
1k Sons x10 w/ Wind of Chaos & Rhino w/ ExA
1k Sons x10 w/ Wind of Chaos & Rhino w/ ExA

Heavy:
Havocs x9 w/ MG x4 MoNurgle & Rhino w/ExA
Havocs x7 w/ AC x4
Havocs x7 w/ AC x4

My interpretation of current/future warfare involves much more shooting than the game of 40k really suggests (with dedicated CC units & all). Intention is for small Havoc sqds to take position on high ground and/or cover and focus fire on a unit at a time...while the rest of the army comes at you...either a 3 tank main attk w/ 2 flankers, stand and fire reaction force...or an all out rush...w/ stops for objs...sorcerer just catches a ride up front and uses lash to pull opponents out of cover/simply into a better location to fire upon. Obviously main worries are the big heavy monsters/walkers/CC crazies...but I'd like to think I understand target priority pretty well...

Questions, comments, & suggestions welcome...feel free to light this list up if need be...I don't want to buy, build, & paint just for S&Gs...

PC

Why go with a single Lash prince?
First, you don't have the right weaponry to support that kind of power. You should have templates (oblit plasma spam/defilers/vindies...maybe vindies, I like em but they're meh in this context) to utilize for Lash...OR khorne zerkers to swarm something you can pull into range.
Too many counters to Lash to run with only 1.
Dump that, give it warptime and go smush something.

Thousand sons = blech. Great concept, but meh delivery. If you are fixated on em for fluff, go to town, but it will be uphill the whole way.
If you REALLY want a close range firefight unit, go Emperor's Chilluns...blastmasters and blasters, oh MY!

PM's are good holding/defensive units...but meh offensive. I hope your goal with them is to park objectives. And remember that going defensive by nature yields the enemy the intiative.

Replace the 9 man havoc squad with a unit of chosen with 2x melta/2x flamers and a fist. Outflank in a rhino if need be, sacrifice fly em into someone's face if need be, but don't tie yourself down to the havocs when you can infiltrate/outflank.

Havocs...hrm....where do I start.
ugh.
Oblits or Predators, far better. Even defilers are better here. Havocs suffer dismounted devastator syndrome without the ATSKNF backup. If they fall back, they're gone for the next shooting phase AND they're exposed so they WILL fall back when you really don't need it to happen.

MOUNT EVERYTHING!
If mounting it makes it less efficient, reconsider the choice of unit!

Hope this helps, and still keeps you in line with your concepts. :)

Just to be sure...you see he's not a prince...just a measly sorcerer...wouldn't take any HQ if I didn't have to (bad memories from being a 3rd, 4th, & 5th ed SW player...usually w/ at least 3 mandatory HQs). I don't have much CC so also didn't want a Prince to be running around by himself. (same goes for the Lord...don't have an assaulty unit for him to join).

As far as the lash goes, I'm just tired of armies w/ underwhelming saves getting better saves b/c of cover...the intention here is to move em out of it...or using it to buy myself more time against CC crushers. He wouldn't be too bad as a fighter so I may actually use Warp Time instead...(this can change w/ zero monetary cost/modeling). Out of curiosity...what will stop this ability?...obviously Librarians and Eldar but I don't see the latter...ever...and the former is all up to the dice rolls.

The T-Sons and Death Guard are indeed my favored of Chaos...fluff wise. Kharn has been worn out over my decade+ of playing and I absolutely abhor the Slanesh. I plan on using both T-son squads in concert and concentrating fire on individual infantry units to wipe em, while 9x Havocs w/ 4 MGs support the T-sons and hopefully trash vehicles (and use the +1T to hold objectives further up nearer to the enemy). The P-Mars are kind of the same as these Havocs but will hold back on OBJs if they don't seem needed.

Last but not least...the Heavies...while I absolutely agree that Dakka Preds are great...w/ a 4+ cover save almost anywhere you go (I got 2 of em in all my loyalist armies) I'm tired of the one hit wonders...not to mention all the MGs everywhere (eg, 1 lucky shot kills, disables, or shakes the thing every turn making it next to pointless)...it happens a lot. w/ the Havocs I have 6 ablative wounds before I lose heavy weapons...but before then i get 16 AC shots (or get 8 MLs instead) and the only worry I can forsee is losing enough wounds to make me run. I forgot about the Blits...as I said before (and I'm sure you've noticed) there is now a high proliferation of LCs and especially MGs (I've got 8 in the 1st Chaos try) both of which deny the 2+ save and will also insta kill...that combined w/ the low model count + high points really doesn't seem like an ideal choice anymore.

That was good info though...keep this going and counter my arguements...I'm thinking of what changes to make due to your suggestions...might drop T-Sons or PMs to make room for outflanking chosen...(they are cheaper point wise)

Thanks again mate,
PC