Slag is not a derogatory term in the U.S. It's just the waste matter cast off of molten metals during the smelting or forging process. Slag was also the only G1 dinobot I had as a child and is my favorite of the SS86 series. So Hasbro can change his name to Slug all they want, he'll always be Slag to me.
Very happy that these guys were as big as they should’ve been. The constant switching between gold and yellow is annoying, and while I would prefer the yellow, the gold does look very very nice.
Yeah, it's not too shiny (which is something I never thought I'd say!) Too shiny - like vac metalized - can look over the top against more muted colours
Another point off of Snarl is that he comes with an oddly silver colored blade, while Swoop offers the accurate red ones. Snarl also comes without an additional accessory. Slag had a gun and Daniel, Grimlock had a gun and Wheelie, Sludge had his massive missile launcher, Swoop comes with TWO swords and TWO missile launchers. In every way Snarl is destined to be at the very bottom when it comes to the Studio Series 86 comparisons. Sad because he was always my favorite Dinobot.
Why I’m a collector? It just bring back great memories of my childhood when it comes to the transformers or even the Gobots, one of the main reasons why other people collect them is because their valuable as collectors inbox out of the box. People will pay. The value goes up like rare coins.
Slag is my favorite too. I've thought about why I collect as well. Nostalgia is definitely one of the reasons. That's why the new mini bots are my favorite. Also, unlike other figures, Transformers transform (duh) giving them more dimension than other figures. Plus this appeals to my fascination with engineering. Finally, they look cool and make me happy. There is enough in life to worry about, and my transformers are something that make me smile when I look at them. I think that's the point of collecting anything.
I'm the same - I see them as art on my shelves and I get a boost just having them around. The Transforming aspect was one thing I underappreciated when getting back into collecting - I thought about collecting the RED figures by Hasbro for the cartoon look - but the lack of Transformation really hurt my enjoyment of those. Didn't realise it would!
This video alone made me subscribe, it’s very well articulated (unlike snarls alt mode). The Dinobots have always been my favorite and especially with the toys it hard to rank them, but this is a darn good ranking! I just got swoop and I couldn’t be happier.
I truly enjoy all five. And yes, each has its issues. But they’re all still incredibly good. Objectively ranking them for me is: 1) Snarl & Swoop 2) Grimlock 3) Slag & Sludge
I do love a good list. And a great list it is. I think my order changes every time I get them out! Growing up in the US, the name Slag for me just referred to the byproduct of the smelting process.. an apt name for a giant metal Dinosaur. I was naively unaware that in the UK it was on par with naming him SLUT 😅
That's what I thought! It made us giggle in the playground no end but changing it now seems a little like trying to close the gate after the horse has bolted! He's the Dinobot with the slightly dubious name Slag - nothing wrong with that!
I very much agree with your criticism of Snarl's head. Mega disappointment there. I wish an upgrade kit would be released to replacs it with a proper gold head.
1:31 In fairness, scale wasn’t always a thing in the G1 cartoon either. For the most part it worked but there were times when the Prime and the Dinobots looked the same size and times when the Dinobots looked larger. Hell I think there was a screen where Tripticon was the size of the other Decepticons, but that might have been the Japanese G1 cartoon.
Yeah most of us in the US thought the name change to Slug was silly too (honestly there's probably a lot of people over here who don't even know what slag is) My list would probably be something like: 5: Slag - Ironically, my copy feels the most loose out of my Dinobots, that backpack never wants to stay together and the arms and legs aren't bad per se but they do feel the least sturdy in comparison 4: Snarl - The yellow head and feet really do stick out like a sore thumb next to the golds on the rest of the team 3: Sludge - I've heard a lot of people have had problems with Sludge's hips but all the joints on mine have been nice and tight, guess I'm one of the lucky ones. Wings do tend to pop off if I'm not careful with them, though 2: Grimlock - I do wish the chest piece was a bit lighter shade of translucent gray but that's the only issue I really have with him, he's mostly second place because I just like 1 more 1: Swoop - Really fantastic in both modes, I did have some slight problems with the robot chest at first but that was mainly due to the shoulder joints being really tight straight out of the box, once those loosened up a bit from posing it just takes a bit of pressure pushing the left chest piece into the dino head and he holds together perfectly fine
Thanks for the list - interesting that your last is my first lol. That's the power subjective opinion I guess. I wonder if there was another run of Sludge that tightened up the legs - it seems to be an issue for a few people in the videos I've seen but they might've corrected it at some point on the quiet
@@retroandreissue Wouldn't surprise me, they've done fixed versions of figures before (TR Trypticon comes to mind) but yeah I do think all the 86 Dinobots are fantastic overall, I just couldn't justify putting Slag any higher on my personal list due to the QC issues I mentioned
I was sadly unable to pick up the Studio 86 Grimlock... but I am a big fan of the G2 Universe GoldiGrimmie... And the comic book release is much better than I expected. I do wish I had all three. Still waiting for my Swoop to arrive... Keeps getting delayed!
I think you're right about the scale confusion coming from the original toys. It really was all over the place and the Dinnobots were smaller than Prime. The early comics based the scale on the toys as well, so the Dinobots appeared smaller than they did in the cartoon and the entire team got annihilated by Megatron. They tried to rectify this later and made them much larger and more powerful (at least in the UK stories). You could put their loss to Megatron down to them having spent 4 million years in a tar pit, though, I suppose. For me the versions you show in the video are about the correct scale. I love how big and chunky they are and like how Swoop appears a little shorter and leaner too. They look absolutely fantastic together. I'd be really tempted to display them with Galvatron to re-enact that scene where he fought them in the UK comic. Really nice looking figures! I bet it was difficult not to smile when you first saw them all together! Great stuff 👍
I'm reading through the comics again and haven't got to their fight with Megatron yet. That will have a lot to do with the scale misconception then - since the comics were my first port of call for regular Transformers content back when the TV episodes weren't available (even though it seems I've forgotten more of the comic than the show!) Agreed - they look great on display - a definite focal point for me (I'm hoping the Constructicons do the same thing for the Decepticons!)
Yeah, I really hope they can pull off the Constructicons. Imagine being able to display a huge Devastator alongside the Dinobots! I was a real big fan of the comic and liked how it tied into the '86 movie. I think you might have covered this, but there's going to be a new Death's Head figure in the Marvel Legends line which might scale well with the Transformers, especially if he's slightly oversized. 👍
@@stephengray8374 I have seen him and am very tempted - I think he was more green in the comics though, right? Might wait to see if they do a variation
@@retroandreissue That's right, he was more green when originally introduced in the Transformers comic. The new figure is based off the look he had in a spinoff series after he was shrunk by Dr Who and blown up by the Dragon's Claws team. Dragon's Claws is my absolute favourite comic of all time. When Death's Head first arrives in their era (Earth in the far future) he is set upon by a mad gang who attack him with a flame thrower, shouting "Burn sucker!" Needless to say, he isn't very happy about it! I'd love it if they released Dragon's Claws figures in the Marvel Legends line. They did Crystar so it's not impossible, though quite unlikely. It is possible they'll do an alternative green costume for Death's Head, though, and I'd be well up for that too.
@@stephengray8374 Same company after all and they must know how much Transformers fans would like a version of him. I'm hoping he comes out in the Legacy (or whatever the successor to that line may be). If not I'll go for the Marvel version - and maybe crack open the paints!
I don't have Grimlock yet so my ranking would be 1 - Slug - He has the best robot and alt mode and I loved his transformation. 2 - Swoop - little to nothing to complain about here, a great figure 3 - Snarl - my main grip is his stubby tail in dino mode. He just feels a little too compact 4 - Sludge - I like his dino mode. Which is great because in robot mode his legs are soooo loose, I can't get him to pose in anything other than a boring standing up straight pose. He'lll be stanying in dino mode forever now. I also hate his transformation, needlessly complicated and fiddly, another reason he's staying in dino mode. I wanted to pick up another Sludge for the Paddles kit but I'm not risking buying another toy with loose limbs or putting myself through the trauma of transforming another Sludge. Still, his dino mode is great
We're pretty close then - with those last two places switched. I saw a leaked listing for 2025 (or maybe it was 26) which had a packaging refresh for Grimlock in the 86 line - so maybe wait for confirmation on that before paying any inflated Ebay prices!
Snarl was always my favorite Dinobot because I thought his robot mode looked the coolest and I liked stegosaurs, but I agree the alt mode on this version of the character leaves a lot to be desired.
Yeah, it's just a bit of a shame - but I still think he's cool. Like I say they are all generally great figures and the highlight of the Studio Series for me so far
I like to try to transform a toy without looking at the instruction and got stuck with Snarl because I overthought how the tail was suppose to work. I though it should have folded back when it didn't so frustrated I looked at the instructions. I still think the tail look off as it should stick out the back more.
I don't care what they print on the box his name is Slag. Named after the junk left over after smelting metal. It fits and makes so much more sense. Take your UK slang and shove it!
Interesting... Slug is the only SS86 Dinobot I have with really, really loose knee and hip joints. All the others are fine, but his joints are so loose, that it is actually hard to stand him up straight.
The takara 86 grimlock does have a more accurate chest. Also I would not put Slug as number one because the horns come off easy, I enjoy his transformation the least, and his arms feel small. Edit: He also has gaps in his back legs in triceratops mode.
I prefer the name Slag for him. Its not a derogatory term here in the US. As slag is a form of molten metal, it fits him as he has flame based weapons or fire breath, doesn't he?
Are you aware that you can remove Grimlock’s chest plate? It’s only two screws holding it in place. Remove that chest plate and he will be cartoon accurate.
Slug has his chest to wide compared to his slick legs and a floppy back pack, sludge has soft plastic wings links (deal breaker), snarl is a brick in dyno mode and has really a too stupid face expression (on purpose, i know), Swoop is good even with his unlocking chest, but for me, the perfection is Grimlock. Proportions, articulations, accuracy in both mode, presence... only a sword is lacking. Other wise, he's really the king.
To me, Sludge is without a doubt the weakest of the '86 Dinobots. It has the most frustrating transformation of them all due to the loose legs making the tabs in the feet impossible for me to line up to make the tail/back, it's just awful.
I still call him slag here in the US. That just means melted metal remains.
Slag is not a derogatory term in the U.S. It's just the waste matter cast off of molten metals during the smelting or forging process. Slag was also the only G1 dinobot I had as a child and is my favorite of the SS86 series. So Hasbro can change his name to Slug all they want, he'll always be Slag to me.
It shouldn’t be an issue as it was named years ago it’s not like they named him last week with all the snow flakes around
Very happy that these guys were as big as they should’ve been. The constant switching between gold and yellow is annoying, and while I would prefer the yellow, the gold does look very very nice.
Yeah, it's not too shiny (which is something I never thought I'd say!) Too shiny - like vac metalized - can look over the top against more muted colours
0:49 what should have happened!
Also I agree with slag/slug in 1.
Love your analysis of the Dinobots. Enjoy your videos. Keep up the good work.
Glad you like them!
Another point off of Snarl is that he comes with an oddly silver colored blade, while Swoop offers the accurate red ones.
Snarl also comes without an additional accessory. Slag had a gun and Daniel, Grimlock had a gun and Wheelie, Sludge had his massive missile launcher, Swoop comes with TWO swords and TWO missile launchers.
In every way Snarl is destined to be at the very bottom when it comes to the Studio Series 86 comparisons.
Sad because he was always my favorite Dinobot.
Why I’m a collector? It just bring back great memories of my childhood when it comes to the transformers or even the Gobots, one of the main reasons why other people collect them is because their valuable as collectors inbox out of the box. People will pay. The value goes up like rare coins.
@@joseaustin2692 same some of my favourite characters are some of the lesser known autobots but had them as a child and had great memories of them
Slag is my favorite too.
I've thought about why I collect as well. Nostalgia is definitely one of the reasons. That's why the new mini bots are my favorite.
Also, unlike other figures, Transformers transform (duh) giving them more dimension than other figures. Plus this appeals to my fascination with engineering.
Finally, they look cool and make me happy. There is enough in life to worry about, and my transformers are something that make me smile when I look at them. I think that's the point of collecting anything.
I'm the same - I see them as art on my shelves and I get a boost just having them around. The Transforming aspect was one thing I underappreciated when getting back into collecting - I thought about collecting the RED figures by Hasbro for the cartoon look - but the lack of Transformation really hurt my enjoyment of those. Didn't realise it would!
PS Slag is my favourite too. He may be a Slug now, but to me he will always be a Slag!
Wheelie stomping brought a smile to my face
Surprising rankings to be sure! Snarl is near the top for me, but it’s your list!
Idea time. Do a top 4 Ninja Turtles !
This video alone made me subscribe, it’s very well articulated (unlike snarls alt mode). The Dinobots have always been my favorite and especially with the toys it hard to rank them, but this is a darn good ranking! I just got swoop and I couldn’t be happier.
Amazing video
Paddles conversion kit is still available, recently ordered it to go with a deep discount sludge.
Good to hear!
I Just missed Swoop & Grimlock! So close. Oof I hope they reissue SS86 Grimlock, but there's new listing for it right?
I truly enjoy all five. And yes, each has its issues. But they’re all still incredibly good. Objectively ranking them for me is:
1) Snarl & Swoop
2) Grimlock
3) Slag & Sludge
3:57 especially since there's only 5 of them 😜
I agree with 2 of your placements
I'd go
1. Slag
2. Grimlock
3. Snarl
4. Sludge
5. Swoop
Nice - what didn't you like about Swoop?
I do love a good list. And a great list it is. I think my order changes every time I get them out!
Growing up in the US, the name Slag for me just referred to the byproduct of the smelting process.. an apt name for a giant metal Dinosaur.
I was naively unaware that in the UK it was on par with naming him SLUT 😅
That's what I thought! It made us giggle in the playground no end but changing it now seems a little like trying to close the gate after the horse has bolted! He's the Dinobot with the slightly dubious name Slag - nothing wrong with that!
I very much agree with your criticism of Snarl's head. Mega disappointment there. I wish an upgrade kit would be released to replacs it with a proper gold head.
1:31 In fairness, scale wasn’t always a thing in the G1 cartoon either. For the most part it worked but there were times when the Prime and the Dinobots looked the same size and times when the Dinobots looked larger. Hell I think there was a screen where Tripticon was the size of the other Decepticons, but that might have been the Japanese G1 cartoon.
Snarl not transformed properly in robot mode, left the let's out, they can fold up
The paddles upgrade kit is still available I just got mine
Yeah most of us in the US thought the name change to Slug was silly too (honestly there's probably a lot of people over here who don't even know what slag is)
My list would probably be something like:
5: Slag - Ironically, my copy feels the most loose out of my Dinobots, that backpack never wants to stay together and the arms and legs aren't bad per se but they do feel the least sturdy in comparison
4: Snarl - The yellow head and feet really do stick out like a sore thumb next to the golds on the rest of the team
3: Sludge - I've heard a lot of people have had problems with Sludge's hips but all the joints on mine have been nice and tight, guess I'm one of the lucky ones. Wings do tend to pop off if I'm not careful with them, though
2: Grimlock - I do wish the chest piece was a bit lighter shade of translucent gray but that's the only issue I really have with him, he's mostly second place because I just like 1 more
1: Swoop - Really fantastic in both modes, I did have some slight problems with the robot chest at first but that was mainly due to the shoulder joints being really tight straight out of the box, once those loosened up a bit from posing it just takes a bit of pressure pushing the left chest piece into the dino head and he holds together perfectly fine
Thanks for the list - interesting that your last is my first lol. That's the power subjective opinion I guess. I wonder if there was another run of Sludge that tightened up the legs - it seems to be an issue for a few people in the videos I've seen but they might've corrected it at some point on the quiet
@@retroandreissue Wouldn't surprise me, they've done fixed versions of figures before (TR Trypticon comes to mind) but yeah I do think all the 86 Dinobots are fantastic overall, I just couldn't justify putting Slag any higher on my personal list due to the QC issues I mentioned
0:16 You're in love with a dinobot. And you're getting married. 😂
Not quite! lol
I was sadly unable to pick up the Studio 86 Grimlock... but I am a big fan of the G2 Universe GoldiGrimmie... And the comic book release is much better than I expected. I do wish I had all three. Still waiting for my Swoop to arrive... Keeps getting delayed!
I think you're right about the scale confusion coming from the original toys. It really was all over the place and the Dinnobots were smaller than Prime. The early comics based the scale on the toys as well, so the Dinobots appeared smaller than they did in the cartoon and the entire team got annihilated by Megatron. They tried to rectify this later and made them much larger and more powerful (at least in the UK stories). You could put their loss to Megatron down to them having spent 4 million years in a tar pit, though, I suppose.
For me the versions you show in the video are about the correct scale. I love how big and chunky they are and like how Swoop appears a little shorter and leaner too. They look absolutely fantastic together. I'd be really tempted to display them with Galvatron to re-enact that scene where he fought them in the UK comic.
Really nice looking figures! I bet it was difficult not to smile when you first saw them all together! Great stuff 👍
I'm reading through the comics again and haven't got to their fight with Megatron yet. That will have a lot to do with the scale misconception then - since the comics were my first port of call for regular Transformers content back when the TV episodes weren't available (even though it seems I've forgotten more of the comic than the show!) Agreed - they look great on display - a definite focal point for me (I'm hoping the Constructicons do the same thing for the Decepticons!)
Yeah, I really hope they can pull off the Constructicons. Imagine being able to display a huge Devastator alongside the Dinobots!
I was a real big fan of the comic and liked how it tied into the '86 movie. I think you might have covered this, but there's going to be a new Death's Head figure in the Marvel Legends line which might scale well with the Transformers, especially if he's slightly oversized.
👍
@@stephengray8374 I have seen him and am very tempted - I think he was more green in the comics though, right? Might wait to see if they do a variation
@@retroandreissue That's right, he was more green when originally introduced in the Transformers comic. The new figure is based off the look he had in a spinoff series after he was shrunk by Dr Who and blown up by the Dragon's Claws team. Dragon's Claws is my absolute favourite comic of all time. When Death's Head first arrives in their era (Earth in the far future) he is set upon by a mad gang who attack him with a flame thrower, shouting "Burn sucker!" Needless to say, he isn't very happy about it!
I'd love it if they released Dragon's Claws figures in the Marvel Legends line. They did Crystar so it's not impossible, though quite unlikely. It is possible they'll do an alternative green costume for Death's Head, though, and I'd be well up for that too.
@@stephengray8374 Same company after all and they must know how much Transformers fans would like a version of him. I'm hoping he comes out in the Legacy (or whatever the successor to that line may be). If not I'll go for the Marvel version - and maybe crack open the paints!
9:48 I wasn't aware of that chest piece. And for the legs that could be a yikes. Hopefully someday when I get mine that won't happen.
I hope so too!
I don't have Grimlock yet so my ranking would be
1 - Slug - He has the best robot and alt mode and I loved his transformation.
2 - Swoop - little to nothing to complain about here, a great figure
3 - Snarl - my main grip is his stubby tail in dino mode. He just feels a little too compact
4 - Sludge - I like his dino mode. Which is great because in robot mode his legs are soooo loose, I can't get him to pose in anything other than a boring standing up straight pose. He'lll be stanying in dino mode forever now. I also hate his transformation, needlessly complicated and fiddly, another reason he's staying in dino mode. I wanted to pick up another Sludge for the Paddles kit but I'm not risking buying another toy with loose limbs or putting myself through the trauma of transforming another Sludge. Still, his dino mode is great
We're pretty close then - with those last two places switched. I saw a leaked listing for 2025 (or maybe it was 26) which had a packaging refresh for Grimlock in the 86 line - so maybe wait for confirmation on that before paying any inflated Ebay prices!
Definitely going to wait, those ebay prices are eye watering!
@@stephenmarriott369 Tell me about it! I saw a listing for Grimlock - £400! Absolutely ridiculous
**slag
I'm happy with him being Slug
I’m so close to completing this collection, but my bbts order of Swoop got delayed.
Snarl was always my favorite Dinobot because I thought his robot mode looked the coolest and I liked stegosaurs, but I agree the alt mode on this version of the character leaves a lot to be desired.
Yeah, it's just a bit of a shame - but I still think he's cool. Like I say they are all generally great figures and the highlight of the Studio Series for me so far
I like to try to transform a toy without looking at the instruction and got stuck with Snarl because I overthought how the tail was suppose to work. I though it should have folded back when it didn't so frustrated I looked at the instructions.
I still think the tail look off as it should stick out the back more.
I don't care what they print on the box his name is Slag. Named after the junk left over after smelting metal. It fits and makes so much more sense. Take your UK slang and shove it!
It is shoved!
I had the OG Swoop back in the day and he was not as big as the 86 version. I prefer the 86 versions!
That's me
that's cool
Interesting... Slug is the only SS86 Dinobot I have with really, really loose knee and hip joints. All the others are fine, but his joints are so loose, that it is actually hard to stand him up straight.
The takara 86 grimlock does have a more accurate chest. Also I would not put Slug as number one because the horns come off easy, I enjoy his transformation the least, and his arms feel small.
Edit: He also has gaps in his back legs in triceratops mode.
I prefer the name Slag for him. Its not a derogatory term here in the US. As slag is a form of molten metal, it fits him as he has flame based weapons or fire breath, doesn't he?
Changing Slag's name to Slug just calls more attention to what it means in the UK. This American had no idea back in the day.
Are you aware that you can remove Grimlock’s chest plate? It’s only two screws holding it in place. Remove that chest plate and he will be cartoon accurate.
I still need grimmy & other
Slug has his chest to wide compared to his slick legs and a floppy back pack, sludge has soft plastic wings links (deal breaker), snarl is a brick in dyno mode and has really a too stupid face expression (on purpose, i know), Swoop is good even with his unlocking chest, but for me, the perfection is Grimlock. Proportions, articulations, accuracy in both mode, presence... only a sword is lacking. Other wise, he's really the king.
Anyone get that sludge upgrade kit to tighten his hips
nice!🎉🎉🎉
To me, Sludge is without a doubt the weakest of the '86 Dinobots. It has the most frustrating transformation of them all due to the loose legs making the tabs in the feet impossible for me to line up to make the tail/back, it's just awful.
They are tricky for sure - a few people have mentioned the tricky transformation as a negative
It shouldn't be titled "top 5 ss 86 dinobots" but "ss86 dinobots ranked"
I have all of them, but Snarl now.😢
My swoop legs are perfect u may of got a bad one same with chest no issue mine matches up
I found Slag too hard to transform.
Here’s my list:
5: Slag
4: Swoop
3: Sludge
2: Grimlock
1: Snarl
Basically your list but backwards haha
Two minutes and 16 seconds and you’re still blabbing about. I don’t even know what dude this video sucks.
I had to stop in a few minutes to 16th seconds this is just boring
I know him as slag just like rumble is light purple & frenzy is red
I still call him slag here in the US. That just means melted metal remains.