As ready as I am for some more innovation in Transformers of late (and as much as I've not really needed ginormous Dinobots), I have to admit that just giving the audience what they want has paid off handsomely in this case.
Oh I'm with you. I told myself I was passing on these guys and that I was happy with the PotP offerings but that Grimlock was so tempting I had to give him a try and it was all over. He was that good. And all of them live up to that.
They're just really solid chunky dino robots and that's all that the Dinobots ever needed to be. The PotP ones are fun in that they can combine. Classics Grimlock revisits the Pretender design with a modern t-rex. And I can respect all of them for trying new things but... but this is just great. Just five big chunky robot dinos. The idea just perfectly realized with no unasked for bells and whistles.
I'm all for trying new things but sometimes the obvious is all that was ever needed.
And Slash, by not actually combining with the PotP versions, still fits with the SS '86 crew. She doesn't have any compromised combining pegs that you have to ignore. She's just a fun kid sister addition.
What are all these swords from?
Most of them are from Nonnef, save for Swoop who actually came with his. He also came with one for Grimlock, but the Nonnef one Grim was using was just a bit more impressive.
Snarl and Sludge are also rocking Nonnef rifles, and Nonnef also provided Grimlock with his crown, some extra dino mode teeth, and some gap covers for his forearms.