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With my copy of the book currently in the post, I have started to consider what sort of list I want to run.
As a first thought, I would like to run a mech heavy list, centred around Leman Russ tanks and mech vets, with some supporting units. Something along the lines of:

HQ:
Pask in a Punisher, not sure on second tank, maybe another punisher?
Primaris Psykers for prescience

Troops:
Mech Vets, two plasma squads, one melta, all with carapace armour

Fast Attack:
Vendetta for antiair
Lascannon Armoured Sentinels for anti tank

Heavy Support:
1 or 2 more Leman Russ tanks, Vanquisher maybe?
Manticore
Maybe a Wyvern for anti-hoard

No idea how many points I would be at there, but these are just my initial thoughts.
Any advice/comments?

Manticore and Wyvern double-dip for Anti-Infantry/Horde duty, Vendetta/Sentinels/Russes (in the heavy, as your thoughts define them) double-dip for tank. On the topic of the primaris, Pask is already BS4 and totes a preferred enemy warlord trait. The psyker is not doing much for him.

Given a 1500pt list I'd shoot for:

2 Vendettas
3-4 Russes
3-4 Mechvets

With the reduction in firing points on the Chimera I've started looking at meltagun and two plasmaguns on mechvet squads, letting them shoot at what they need to.

I see your point about the manticore and wyvern filling the same niche, so I'll probably just go for the manticore. Also, the Primaris would probably be used for the other units, mainly the russes and the sentinels.

The Vendetta was there for Anti-Air duty, as well as anti tank, whereas Sentinels allow for antitank from turn 1, whereas the Vendetta may not turn up for several turns. Also, having these units in the anti tank role could allow me to take other Russ variants for either anti infantry (Punisher/Eradicator) or mixed (Executioner or Exterminator) duties.

The mixed special weapons does sound like a good idea, especially now only two can shoot from the top hatch, so I might try fiddling around with that and see what I can come up with.

It's completely up to you but I think the wyvern is going to be the winner in this codex. Twin linked and shred with ignore cover is too strong to pass up. They are dirty cheap as well.

I think Pask is going to be seen a lot as well. And you cannot go wrong with vendettas. Even with the points increase they are still a strong flier.

There's an interesting "Wyvern Mathhammer" thread going on that indicates that maybe it won't be that good after all--it's going to depend on how your opponent hides his troops from you (in transports makes sense, for example).

I think there's a ton of variety possible with this new AM book, and that's what makes it fun. I do agree that Pask as a tank commander is going to be pretty good...and it will sell tanks for GW too, of course.

To give a comparison, heres the list I am presently running. Its not full IG, but guard comprises the core of my army at 1375 out of 2000 points.

HQ 435
Pask(70)Vanquisher(135)Lascannon(10) 215
HQ Squadron Vanquisher(135)Lascannon(10) 145
1 Primaris Psykers (75) 75
Troops 310
Veteran Squad with Chimera w/ 3 melta 155
Veteran Squad with Chimera w/ 3 melta 155
Heavy Support 630
Manticore 170
Deathstrike 160
Leman Russ Squadron @ 2 exterminators w/ HB 300
Allied Imperial Knights
Imperial Knight Paladin 375
Allied Inquisitors 125
Ordo Malleus ML1 w/ 3 Servo Skulls 64
Ordo Malleus ML1 w/ 2 Servo Skulls 61
Fortification 125
Bastion with Quad Gun

In my list Pask's squadron is to take out any serious ground threats such as heavy-vehicles or monstrous creatures at range. I have a bare minimum of mech vets to take rear-field objectives.

The Exterminators will mow down APC's or medium-light infantry, or help force grounding tests on flying MC's. The Manticore is for general anti-tank, anti-horde, and the Deathstrike is either used to destroy the main portion of the enemies forces, or clear off an enemy objective towards the end of the match.

The knight can go around being the nuisance distraction the knights are good at, and can possible push enemy infantry off an objective if it survives.

Finally 1 inquisitor will be camping the bastion to man the quadgun and pop out for additional pyschic powers if needed, while the primaris & the other inquisitor buff my shooting depending on what needs what bufffs when, while providing the ever usefull servo skulls.

20 to 30 vets is horribly low on troops.

Go hybrid and add some foot units. AM have better foot troops than the 5th ed IG codex.

I was thinking of going either 3 or 4 squads of mech vets personally, just so I have a decent number of scoring units, but I see your point, it is quite a low number of comparably fragile troops. However, I would prefer to make do with the lower troop numbers so that I can have more tanks, because that's where the guard really shine.

The big thing when going low on the number of troops, is to have other units that can be a distraction, or need to be dealt with first.

If you're going to go low on troops you can compensate, but you have to make your opponent react in such a way as to make alpha striking your troops impractical.

For instance, in my list the manticore + deathstrike will ensure the enemy will displace. Displacing large amounts limits how many ranged firepower can be concentrated on any given enemy unit due to LoS constraints. This ups the survivability of the mechvets and gives your long-range firepower more time to reduce the enemies effective firepower. A plethora of AV14 tanks and hidden artillery will pull their weight in a ranged pissing contest.

For distraction, certain things will always be focused first by a majority of opponents. In example people love to point out that deepstriking melta is great for nixing a knight. Now keep in mind any units that are deepstriking to hit the knight are NOT deepstriking onto my troops, vanquishers, or artillery. If my knight starts further from the rest of my deployment, and is using his full movement, any deepstrikers pursuing the knight will be several turns away from seriously effecting the rest of the army. And if they don't deepstrike to hit the knight, the knight can be a nuisance as I outlined above.

It basically comes down to making it harder for your opponent to just nix your troops choices, and IG has some solid choices that force your opponent to disperse or reserve alot of his army.

Mech vets face a new problem. Chimera only has 2 fire points so pointless packing triple meltas as only 2 can fire. Thinking of adding a flamer to mine for variety and for that time the transport breaks close to enemy lines, maybe you should try it too.

I had thought about mixing special weapons, but I hadn't considered flamers...
Now that you mention it, however, it seems like quite a good idea. I think I might at least try it out and see what happens. At the moment, I think I want to go with two squads of melta vets and one of plasma vets, so I'll try it out once the army is ready to go.

As for distractions, I would hope my list has plenty. Currently I am considering:

HQ:
Pasknisher, Heavy Bolter Hull, 2x Multimelta
Eradicator, 3x Heavy Bolter

2-3 Primaris Psykers

Troops:
Veteran, Carapace, 2x Melta, Flamer
Chimera

Veteran, Carapace, 2x Melta, Flamer
Chimera

Veteran, Carapace, 2x Plasma, Flamer
Chimera

Fast Attack:
Vendetta

2x Armoured Sentinel, Lascannons

Heavy Support:
Vanquisher, Lascannon, 2x Multimelta

Manticore

(I would appreciate it if someone can add the points up on this for me, as I said, my book is still in the post)

Ok, I've now come up with a 1500pts list after looking at a friend's copy of the book. What do you think?

Pask, Punisher, Multimelta Sponsons, Camo nets
Leman Russ Exterminator, Heavy Bolter Sponsons

2x Primaris Psyker (ML1)

Veterans, Carapace, 2x Melta, Flamer
Chimera

Veterans, Carapace, 2x Melta, Flamer
Chimera

Veterans, Carapace, 2x Plasma, Flamer
Chimera

3x Armoured Sentinel, Lascannon

Vendetta

Leman Russ Vanquisher, Hull Lascannon, Multimelta sponsons, Camo nets

1500pts