Lugia: absolutely. As I've said above for any of the more basic utility style modules (essentially all the 2hp ones) I'll just pick up whatever I can find for cheap (Lardik & Bastl are great options in this regard). As to where I'll get the space (beyond the 10hp free as is) I'll likely re-sell my least liked favourite few modules. As I don't know what those will be yet I find it more useful to slightly over-spec, but that's just a personal preference. As a minor note I've found cost per utility to be a much more useful metric then $ per hp, as a 4xVCA in 6hp for $300 is more economical then a 2xVCA in 6hp for $200.
Ronin: I've got quite a few issues with your arguments, but thanks for the feedback anyways!
1) The A-100p9 is 10cm deep. There isn't a single module here that cracks 5. This means it's totally fine to have a rats nest of a few flying bus boards and a second smaller power supply, so your issues with depth, enough headers, and power aren't really problems for me.
2) I might be misinterpreting this but "planing for what I want" and disregarding more generally versatile modules is a great way to end up with an $7000 toy, incapable of anything more then some ambient tingles and maybe thoughtless techno. I'm looking, first and foremost, to make a fairly compact and complete tool I can use to produce music, without loosing the instant access to exploration and strange sonic territory modular brings.
Thank you both for your feedback!