Figma Saber HW (heavy weapons) type Z (Zabimaru)

depends which is cheaper and more accessible...also rarity

I say mod all you want at the bootleg. Only when you had know how to mod it, knows which mod you really want and will not be dissapointed later, and you know what you will be doing, then copy the mod over to the original one.

Imba sword is imba, only mod if your feeling confident, i suggest carefully and precise planning before actually going on with it even if it is a bootleg. Put much effort it and im sure you will be rewarded. What ideas did you have in mind when modding it?

If I had access to the 'blank' figmas, I wouldn't even be considering bootlegs. But bootleg quality is questionable to begin with, and it depends how much cheaper you can get it--in most situations, shops will sell bootlegs at the same price as originals.

Also depends on how skilled you are. There are bootlegs so bad that all the modelling skill in the world can't save it (i.e. you're better of building a figure from SCRATCH), so caveat.

Most importantly: I find that figmas are ideal for the particular character you buy. I would suggest against customizing them.

The mods I've done all involved genuine figmas. The bootlegs are priced similarly, even on ebay, and it might be a pain in the ass to work with due to the inferior quality. I usually just buy 2 of the figma I'm going to customize so that I can have one original and one I can mess around with.

I feel more confident modding a bootleg. Sure, the quality may not be as good, but when you screw up, you won't feel as bad ruining it. Plus, you can still salvage what's left of teh "corpse"

mod a bootleg one with same reason as Lohen-san said
the zanpakutou will look better if you remove the chain