TRANSFORMERS TOYS AND MERCHANDISE SECTION

Robot Mode:
Alternate Mode:
Box Art:
Technical Specifications:
STR
INT
SPD
END
RNK
CRG
FPR
SKL

Sir Auros' review of: Slag

Name: Slag
Function: Flamethrower
Sub-Group: Dinobots
First cartoon appearance: S.O.S. Dinobots
"I have no need for friends, even less for enemies."

Enjoys melting enemies into pools of liquid metal. Like his fellow Dinobots, resents authority. Disruptive - often brawls with comrades. Shoots 3000 degree C flame up to 80 feet from mouth. Enormous strength - can shatter a brick building with head. Uses electron blaster in Dinobot mode. Rash, not too bright. Nasty, mean-spirited...often the other Autobots won't help when he's in trouble.

Despite always wanting a Grimlock, I think Slag was the Dinobot I liked the most and wanted more than any of the others. My favorite dinosaur was the Triceratops, and I liked Transformers, so naturally I wanted the Triceratops one. However, like Grimlock, I wasn't actually able to find one until this past year. I disappointed with the figure when I finally found it, not so much because it didn't live up to my expectations but that it didn't live up to being a very well-designed figure. The transformation is overly simplistic and there are some aesthetic issues I have with the robot mode. I'm glad I finally got it though and despite not thinking it's all that great of a toy, I still wouldn't part with it.

Vehicle Mode:
The dinobot mode is really the better of Slag's two modes and I keep it in this mode most of the time. As far as a robotic Triceratops goes, you can't get any better than Slag. Unlike the Grimlock dinosaur mode, Slag's design seems like a more accurate portrayal of the dinosaur it's based on. I really like the sharp, ridged design they gave the crest and the "skin" is pretty good as a robotic, metallic imitation of a dinosaur. The only negative with this mode is that the horns are pretty loose. I'm not sure if mint versions suffer from this problem, but mine certainly does and it's kind of a letdown.

Robot Mode:
The robot mode, frankly, sucks. The feet are entirely too big, the arms disproportionately small, and the head seems a bit on the small side too. The hands and arms are really ridiculously small and would be even if the legs weren't oversized. Like many G1 figures, there's not a lot of articulation, but since that was common at the time, I can't really fault the figure for that. The looseness of the horns is worse in this mode because they're constantly falling down when the figure is placed upright. The large feet is the biggest problem for me, they clearly look like the hindquarters of the dinosaur mode and they're just huge. It's pathetic. The face is sculpted well though despite making Slag look like a pinhead.

Transformation: 7 Slightly complicated because of the varying degrees of force necessary to transform certain parts.
Durability: 7 Die-cast metal doesn't keep chrome from wearing or the horns from going loose.
Fun: 8 Still fun though, he's a robotic Triceratops. ARooo! Or whatever sound it was Triceratopses made...
Price: 8 Not too bad. Quite reasonable for a G1 and usually on the lower range in the Dinobot prices, right above Sludge, right below Grimlock and Snarl.
Overall: 7 Ultimately fairly mediocre, but worth picking up for a good price if you're sentimental about the figure like myself.