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So, I'm trying to find a better build of my current list to play in friendly/lightly competitive games with my local group.

Normally we have the following armies...

Eldar - built around eldrad DAs, usually brings a fire prism to deal with AV 12+ vehicles... w/tau allies
Mechdar - lots of mechanized units, all troops in transports etc... w/Tau allies
2x Tau - lots of markeright guys, usually riptides/crisis suits etc... w/eldar allies
necrons - lots of warriors/barges, monoliths and a lord with rez orb usually floating around.

one player has started bringing space marines with the new codex, but I haven't played him yet.

Normally what I run is

HQ: Chaos Lord (1#, 180 pts)
1 Chaos Lord , 180 pts ((C:CSM, pp. 31 & 93); Bikes (Character); Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades;
Power Armour; Mark of Nurgle; Close Combat Weapon; Chaos Bike; Sigil of Corruption; Twin-Linked
Boltgun x1; Gift of Mutation; Champion of Chaos; Fearless; Independent Character; Warlord)
1 The Black Mace

HQ: Sorcerer (1#, 185 pts)
1 Sorcerer , 185 pts ((C:CSM, pp. 32 & 94); Bikes (Character); Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power
Armour; Mark of Nurgle; Bolt Pistol; Force Stave; Increase Mastery Level x2; Chaos Bike; Sigil of
Corruption; Twin-Linked Boltgun x1; Spell Familiar; Champion of Chaos; Independent Character; Psyker
(Mastery Level 3); Biomancy; Nurgle; Pyromancy; Telepathy)

Troops: Chaos Cultists (10#, 50 pts)
9 Chaos Cultists , 50 pts ((C:CSM, pp. 38 & 95); Infantry; Improvised Armour; Autopistol x9; Close
Combat Weapon x9)
1 Cultist Champion ((C:CSM, pp. 46 & 98); Infantry (Character); Improvised Armour; Autopistol;
Close Combat Weapon; Champion of Chaos)

Troops: Plague Marines (6#, 170 pts)
4 Plague Marines , 170 pts ((C:CSM, pp. 46 & 98); Infantry; Blight Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power
Armour; Bolt Pistol x4; Boltgun x3; Plague Knife x4; Meltagun x1; Fearless; Feel No Pain; Mark of Nurgle)
1 Plague Champion ((C:CSM, pp. 39 & 96); Infantry (Character); Blight Grenades; Krak Grenades;
Power Armour; Bolt Pistol; Boltgun; Plague Knife; Champion of Chaos; Fearless; Feel No Pain; Mark of
Nurgle)
1 Chaos Rhino ((C:CSM, pp. 54 & 99); Vehicle (Transport, Tank); 10 model capacity; Searchlight;
Smoke Launchers; Dirge Caster; Combi-Boltgun; Repair)

Troops: Plague Marines (6#, 170 pts)
4 Plague Marines , 170 pts ((C:CSM, pp. 46 & 98); Infantry; Blight Grenades; Krak Grenades; Power
Armour; Bolt Pistol x4; Boltgun x3; Plague Knife x4; Meltagun x1; Fearless; Feel No Pain; Mark of Nurgle)
1 Plague Champion ((C:CSM, pp. 39 & 96); Infantry (Character); Blight Grenades; Krak Grenades;
Power Armour; Bolt Pistol; Boltgun; Plague Knife; Champion of Chaos; Fearless; Feel No Pain; Mark of
Nurgle)
1 Chaos Rhino ((C:CSM, pp. 54 & 99); Vehicle (Transport, Tank); 10 model capacity; Searchlight;
Smoke Launchers; Dirge Caster; Combi-Boltgun; Repair)

Fast Attack: Chaos Spawn (5#, 180 pts)
5 Chaos Spawn , 180 pts ((C:CSM, pgs. 41 & 100); Beasts; Mark of Nurgle; Fear; Fearless; Mutated
Beyond Reason; Rage; Random Attacks; Very Bulky)

Fast Attack: Heldrake (1#, 170 pts)
1 Heldrake , 170 pts ((C:CSM, pp. 52 & 101); Vehicle (Flyer w/ Hover mode); Daemonic Possession;
Baleflamer; Fear; Daemon; Daemonforge; It Will Not Die; Meteoric Descent)

Fast Attack: Heldrake (1#, 170 pts)
1 Heldrake , 170 pts ((C:CSM, pp. 52 & 101); Vehicle (Flyer w/ Hover mode); Daemonic Possession;
Baleflamer; Fear; Daemon; Daemonforge; It Will Not Die; Meteoric Descent)

Heavy Support: Chaos Predator (1#, 157 pts)
1 Chaos Predator , 157 pts ((C:CSM, pp. 54 & 103); Vehicle (Tank); Searchlight; Smoke Launchers;
Dirge Caster; Twin-Linked Lascannon; Lascannon (each side); Havoc Launcher)

Heavy Support: Chaos Predator (1#, 157 pts)
1 Chaos Predator , 157 pts ((C:CSM, pp. 54 & 103); Vehicle (Tank); Searchlight; Smoke Launchers;
Dirge Caster; Twin-Linked Lascannon; Lascannon (each side); Havoc Launcher)

Heavy Support: Chaos Predator (1#, 157 pts)
1 Chaos Predator , 157 pts ((C:CSM, pp. 54 & 103); Vehicle (Tank); Searchlight; Smoke Launchers;
Dirge Caster; Twin-Linked Lascannon; Lascannon (each side); Havoc Launcher)

Fortification: Aegis Defence Lines (2#, 100 pts)
1 Aegis Defence Lines , 100 pts (Battlefield Debris (Defence Lines))
1 Gun Emplacement (Quad-gun)


Any thoughts on how to make this better?

So far, I've won most of the games we've played, but mechdar trounced me. ((I also modified my list significantly for that game since i'd never played him before. I tried running Typhus and lots of zombies.

You're not supposed to list all the special rules of each unit. This is an eye sore to read...

Concise list:

1850 Chaos Space Marines:

HQ
Chaos Lord 180pts
-MoN, Bike, SoC, GoM, Black Mace
Sorcerer 185pts
-MoN, Bike, ML3, SoC, Spell familiar

Troops
10 Cultists 50pts
5 PM, Melta, Rhino, Dirge Caster 170pts
5 PM, Melta, Rhino, Dirge Caster 170pts

FA
5 Spawn, MoN 180pts
Baledrake 170pts
Baledrake 170pts

HS
Trilas Pred, HL, Dirge Caster 157pts
Trilas Pred, HL, Dirge Caster 157pts
Trilas Pred, HL, Dirge Caster 157pts

ADL, Quad-gun 100pts

Total: 1846

I'm going to say hat you haven't got a very strong troop section and it may cost you games. 5 PM are tough,but they are not that tough.

Running 3 laspreds will ruin your opponent's armor and double drakes are sure fun, but you will need the troops to survive in order to capture objectives.
A couple of questions here:

Where does your lord go? I can't see a squad of bikes for him to join so I assume he's going along with the spawn? I'd use a squad of Nurgle bikes with two meltas, but thats up to you.

Seeing as you don't really have any horde armies among your opponents, you probably will do fine with 3 preds. However, have you considered running a squad of Oblits instead? They can provide at least some versatility to your shooting phase and MoN on them works wonders.

Troops-wise, you could drop one PM squad to increase the wounds on the other and spend the remaining points to get some more naked cultists.
Start those cultists in reserves for objectives missions and you won't have to worry about them getting shot down.

Also, I really find Flying Daemon Princes useful against most opponents. You could drop the Lord and the Sorceror to get one with Wings, Power Armour and a suitable mark with BBoS for shooters or the black mace or axe of blind fury for CC.
If you get the culitsts, PMs becoming elite won't be a problem.

I love the use of the Spawn, (most people really under rate them) but I would drop a predator or two for Obliterators

So, Here's an updated version, what are your thoughts?

Also, thoughts on the ADL, I was thinking I could drop a squad of Oblits there to man the gun, rather than cultists, to free up my troops to move around if needed. Might be better to take a 3 man squad if I do that though.

HQ
Chaos Lord 180pts
-MoN, Bike, SoC, GoM, Black Mace
Sorcerer 185pts
-MoN, Bike, ML3, SoC, Spell Familiar

Troops
10 Cultists 50pts
9 PM, 2xMelta, Rhino, Dirge Caster 286pts
10 Cultists 50pts

FA
5 Spawn, MoN 180pts
Baledrake 170pts
Baledrake 170pts

HS
Trilas Pred, HL, Dirge Caster 157pts
2 Obliterators, MoN, VotLW 158pts
2 Obliterators, MoN, VotLW 158pts

ADL, Quad-gun 100pts

Drop VotLW and dirge caster on pred along with havoc launcher. If you're running laspreds then don't bother with blast can't touch armor. Save yourself points and drop down to 7ish PM, you don't need more than the 5 for 2nd special weapon.

Is there a reson your sorc needs MoN? If not, I don't find his spells the most useful especially since you're a CC unit, you can leave him markless and still majority toughness of 6. Save more points maybe get another PM squad soon?


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Also your current PM squad I think should be 276 not 286

honestly i'd make your lord w/ lightening claws and powerfist. it'll give you more points.
Sorcerer, doesn't really need Spell familiar and ML3, i'd make him lvl2 save you points and he can still ride with your lord.

Troops:
PMS all the way, i'd find a way to atleast get 1 more squad of plague marines in maybe a 7man?