Slag is, put simply, a brawler. Despite having a standard electron blaster and an energo sword, he much prefers to dive into battle, fists flying. He is violent and impulsive, and is not above using a fellow Autobot as a punching bag. His fear (and respect) of Grimlock is often enough to curtail such urges to requesting a sparring match against anyone available (usually fellow team-members), but there are times when Slag loses control of himself, often with disastrous results, there not being many mechs able to withstand an assault by a Dinobot. In battle, of course, a berserk Slag is a useful Slag, explaining why there isn’t much interest in administrating a little “attitude adjustment”.
Besides being a specialist in close-quarters combat, Slag also functions as the Dinobots’ primary communications officer, the horns on his dinosaur head amplifying the team’s radio-link to home-base. In dinosaur mode, he can also shoot a 3000°C flame up to 80 feet from his mouth.