CC was my first 3rd party buy and remains one of my favorite toys. Bruticus is also pretty awesome, although i wish they had done something with B's thighs.
I do need a springer but I really dont know if Defender is the best we'll get. its a particularly shitty dilemma right now because he's back in stock :/
but FP isnt perfect and i dont want everything they make. the concept of the heartmaster still baffles me to this day, its not based on anything, which is like 90% of what this whole 3rd party thing is about: giving us what we never got before and nailing the G1 likeness as much as possible.

 

They hype exists because FP has proven themselves in the long run. I own everything they have made except the CJ upgrade set and the Alts matrix gun thing.

For myself personally, FP has a very distinct flavour to them which I appreciate. That and the QC issues they have are minimal and when they are big FP fixes them. Saying all this I think it is fair to add that I do not move my figures around a lot so I have no clue how they stand up to wear and tear, my Springer is still as solid as the day I bought it.

 

Warbot is a great figure if you don't play with him to much and get him in a pose that he can stay in without falling, however he was worth the 80 bucks when I got him but at 110 I think that would be pushing it.

Yea I kinda play with my figures non stoplol so maybe its my fault not fansprojects  

 

I think FansProject is overrated. Their choices of what to do are generally fantastic, but I don't think their designs are quite as amazing as people make them out to be. Bruticus probably lives up to the hype (design flaw for the arm attachment aside) but other than that... It's cool, it's just not 'Hasbro should take notes!' good. The only thing Hasbro should take notes on is their decisions of what to do...

 

Actually I'd say Bruti is probably their worst thing, parts forming miss mash of g1 and energon that just don't work for me. Swindle and blastoff are sweet but all the extra junk and only about half of it really fits right and looks nice when not combined plus the arm joins trash them selves after a while, totally FP biggest failing but even their biggest failing does look fantastic in at least 1 mode and totally shelf worthy.

Warbot could have been as good with about half the steps taken out to transform him, just cos some if complex doesn't make it good you know.

Maggi was early days but still their best, shame cos if they had done him later we might not have dumb ass BFG and actually have a car transporter trailer instead of weirdbox on wheels.

Bugs all have sweet ninja goodness about them, if it weren't for the blade issues I'd give them the top spot and say big H should look at stuff like that with g1 with a twist.