I have hard surfaced modeled in Blender for about 13 years now. I have been messing around and or learning CC3 now for about a year. I have started to learn how to sculpt in Z Brush as of late. It really all depends on your end goals and how much a person has to spend in Money and or Time. They are both an investment. I have spent up to and slightly over 1000 dollars on Reallusion CC3 Pipline/ with iClone/CC3/Exchange. So far I haven't really used iClone except for about 3 times.
I am also very slowly and on the back burner playing with game development. I am learning Unreal4 and Blueprints, but this is something that I dont have a lot of time for as I am more focused on making asset props, and learning to make hair and clothing for CC3 projects, and for my market place store.
Now (LOL) someday, if and when I have more time, and or make the time, and start programing the game, then iClone and the whole pipeline is going to be a God send. Like I said I have dropped about a grand, but that was getting the pipeline at 50% off, and the rest is like outfits to use on the characters, and things like that.
I am patient and I buy things on sale. I am getting better at making things though.
Honestly I still use the hell out of Blender, but Z Brush is a way better and easier sculpter, now that I am into that process. It is way Ass Backwards from any other 3D program though. its UI and file save system are hard to get at first, but its also butt buddies with CC3 and iClone, so yea they have a direct link.
Also if you want custom things for it, there are craploads of content on Art Station, and Sketchfab.
Ok so I am rambling at this point. The main point is, What are you going to do with CC3, and what are you going to do with the models you make in it. Art Rendering, and or Game Characters? Do you want to sell them, or just use them for your own projects?
You probably already know what your reasons and plan are, as did I. Depending on what that is though can make the journey easier or harder depending on your skill level, and understanding of what is needed or wanted to get there.
I personally dont mind spending X amount of money if the Time aspect is not a viable option, and visa versa, I dont mind taking the time to model something when its not hard for me to do instead of buying it.
You mentioned Headshot. I bought Crazy Talk8 and I was using it to make celebrity 3d game character heads, then importing them into CC3, then converting them from a CCbase into a CC3base. this was a small pain in the ass, but it turned out somewhat ok results. I spent about 100 dollars or so on CT8. Now about a month after I bought it, they came out with Headshot, which is about 400% better and easier to do what I was using Crazytalk8 for. I was a little, no scratch that, I was pretty pissed off, because if I would have had any idea that Headshot was on the way, I wouldn't have bought CT8. Now I have no real use for it.
Anyway I am going to wrap it up. welcome to the Rellusion family. If you need any help and I can help you I will, just ask. Mike is like the 1 man help center on here, and I dont know if Reallusion realizes how lucky they are that he is around.
I am putting on a few Headshot models that I have made, and if I can find them a shot or two of the Crazytalk versions so you can see the difference.
Arya Stark was made with headshot in about an hour. Morticia Adams was made with Crazytalk8 in about 4 hours. Stevie Nicks was one of my first Headshot characters and the photo of her that I used was from about 1973 so she isn't as recognizable as she looks different in later 70s photos, and 80s on up even more different. Geralt was a Headshot project that i took from a poster advertisement and left on the texture. It is fairly decent, but i could actually get a photo of Henry Cavil and use his face to make the same shot without the shadow so the character would have the lighting effects from the scene, and not the lighting/shading on the face from the photo, like it is make up.
75% of original size (was 671x19) - Click to enlarge
75% of original size (was 671x19) - Click to enlarge
75% of original size (was 671x19) - Click to enlarge
75% of original size (was 671x19) - Click to enlarge
75% of original size (was 671x19) - Click to enlarge
75% of original size (was 671x19) - Click to enlarge