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So, when I get back into the states, I was thinking about putting together an army with deployment money. I'm still up in the air about what I want to do, but one of the things I was thinking about was a tyranid drop pod assault army, basically flooding the board in gaunts, fexes, and Raveners.

I figure it'll take a turn of getting shot to gak, but I'm hoping to make the best use of the rage rules with everything out of synpase range to give myself a nice, heavy hit for that first turn, along with immobile MCs all over the place to give my opponent some serious speedbumps to deal with.

Is a list like this at all viable? I mean, I don't mind so much if a tourney army rolls me, but I'm just curious on how your average list would do against it.

I've had a fair amount of success with my Slanneshi army, which is all deep strike. The new rules for deep striking allow me to get a LOT of the army on the board before turn 3, so I don't suffer the problem of things trickling in.

Give it a whirl!

I've been very successful with a Tyranid list full of reserves.

in 1850 I had a Trygon, the Doom of Malantai in a spore pod, a Carnifex (screamer killer) in a spore pod, and a unit of Genestealers outflanking.
Combine with that a Hive Tyrant with Hive Commander (+1 on reserve rolls) and you give your opponent quite a challenge.

The first turn was my ground army advancing as fast as possible toward the weakest part of the enemy army (the weakest flank). This would often encourage the opponent to move much of his army to engage mine. Then, on the second turn, my 4 "surprise" units would show up (with a 2+ reserve roll). And don't forget that sporepods are monstrous creatures, can shoot, and can attack in melee.

Thus in one turn I have added 4 monstrous creatures, 13 genestealers, and the fricking Doom of Malantai to their backfield. If they ignore this, they lose. If they turn to deal with these, then the rest of my army moves forward unimpeded.

They are "caught in the pincers". It is by no means and auto-win, but many players have problems dealing with the tactic. It's similar to the Space Wolves drop pod assault army, just done with Terrifying Bioengineered Space Bugs.

Good luck!!

I've been developing a Tyranid list along these lines. There's a lot that can be done in this regard.

Once I build my Raveners, I might give them Rending Claws and ranged weapons so they can killing something the turn they arrive, and if they survive the next shooting phase will become lightning-fast marine/light armor killers. Is Rending Claws + Devourer or +Spinefist a good build for them? Should they also be given toxin sacs/adrenal glands, or would that be too many points?

Carnifexes in spore pods have given me good results so far, as has the Doom in a spore. I had really bad rolling with Zoanthropes, next time I pod in Zoanthropes I might make them all support casters and take biomancy on all three. I also need to try Devilgants, I know its theoretically good but it's an anti-infantry infantry unit, something Tyranids have no shortage of.

Ymgarl Genestealers work wonders. They can tarpit, wreck infantry units, or rend vehicles to death, all on the turn they come in.

I have actually played a list like this and had success. Obviously you need units on the ground or you're going to lose automatically, but the list relies on lots of podding units.

HQ
Swarmlord (2x Tyrant Guard)

ELITES
3x Hive Guard
Doom of Malan'tai (Mycetic Spore with Cluster Spines)

TROOPS
15x Termagaunts (Devourers, Mycetic Spore with Cluster Spines)
15x Termagaunts (Devourers, Mycetic Spore with Cluster Spines)
Tervigon (Crushing Claws, Onslaught, Catalyst)
Tervigon (Crushing Claws, Onslaught, Catalyst)

HEAVY SUPPORT
Carnifex (2x Devourers, Mycetic Spore with Cluster Spines)
Carnifex (2x Devourers, Mycetic Spore with Cluster Spines)

TOTAL: 2000pts

It's pretty easy to find things to change around, but the Swarmlord's there for +1 to Reserves and extended synapse range (in addition to his psychic powers and general badassery). Cluster Spines are on all the Pods since they have crap BS, and the tons of extra blasts they're throwing out should help to take out nearby enemy infantry (they're sort of risky, but fun ).