Well you mentioned two of my favorite go-to synths, Sylenth1 and Zebra.
The thing about Zebra -- like you said great for understanding modular synthesis, and once you get the hang of it, it's just incredibly powerful. This is one of the first synths I've ever been able to sit down with a sound idea in mind, and after sculpting, the end-creation was actually what I originally wanted! This one is well worth the learning investment.
If you like modular synths, Karma FX is worth a look and very cost effective.
Some others I find useful: Gladiator, Rob Papen synths (Predator, Blue, Albino). In fact if you're waiting for Vanguard2 I think that's actually Gladiator, the original developer of Vanguard created Gladiator under his own company, although it's a much more elaborate and feature rich product.
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