2019 Python Patrol Snow Serpent - Black Major

So far, 2019 has been light on new factory custom figures.  We've gotten a ton of Snake Eyes repaints as well as some configurations for various viper types.  But, the overall releases have been somewhat sparse.  Late September of 2019, though, began to change that when the Snow Serpent mold appeared.  A rainbow of Snow Serpent repaints showed up all at once and gave thirsty collectors something that they could hunt down and army build.  Being a desert dweller, though, arctic figures hold little value to me.  I haven't seen snow in years.  And, the Snow Serpent has always been among my least favorite 1985 army builders.  But, a few of the Snow Serpent repaints seemed useful to me.  I'm not someone who buys each and every factory custom figure.  I pick and choose the items that go with my collection.  But, in the case of this Python Patrol inspired Snow Serpent, I went against the grain and acquired something different for my collection.  In doing so, I found something rather cool.

Ostensibly, a Python Patrol Snow Serpent makes no sense.  But, neither does a Python Patrol Crimson Guard nor a Python Patrol HEAT Viper.  But, Python Patrol is now iconically Cobra.  So, seeing all the figure molds under the sun in the pattern is something collectors can get behind.  Thus, a Python Patrol Snow Serpent fits into the theme as well as anyone else and you might as well get him in this design while the Snow Serpent repaints are in production.  And, the results are really nice.  The subtle grey body would work well enough in a snowy climate.  The red and yellow are a bit much.  But, they are far less ostentatious than many of the other Python Patrol inspired factory customs.

For some reason, though, this paint job works for me.  Many of the other Python Patrol inspired figures are more intricate and use more color than this Snow Serpent.  And, I think that's why I like this guy.  He's not too busy.  Instead, there is a smattering of yellow with just a hint of red.  The figure isn't an over the top Python Patrol entry and more closely resembles an oddly colored Cobra figure from the 1990's instead of a modern homage.  At the same time, though, this figure shows off the fun aspects of having some splashes of color.  The brighter colors bring more attention to the mold and do detail how high of quality the figure actually is.  I'm not going to make this guy the leader of any arctic expedition.  But, he'll probably show up in photos alongside other Python Patrol members in coming years.

The Snow Serpent isn't a mold that I ever really wanted as a factory custom.  The original was extremely well done.  And, the arctic theme greatly limits the figure's usefulness in other color styles.  But, there are a lot of cold weather environments around the world with different terrain and fauna.  If you're a fan of the Snow Serpent mold, there are now many repaints available (including the return of the 1980's era Soviet logo on a few) to sate your desire for repaints.  I'm limited in what I'm after and picked up this Python Patrol version just for some diversity and to check out the paint scheme.  I figured I'd trade him some time in the future when the figs have gotten scarcer.  But, I find that I really enjoy this look for the Snow Serpent...even though it has limited use.  I'm at a point where visually appealing figures carry more weight than "realistic" paint jobs.  So, entries like this Python Patrol Snow Serpent are fun to have around.

The quality of these Snow Serpents is high.  The figures are not vintage Joe quality.  But, if you've handled any of the Black Major releases of the past two years, you know what to expect.  The joints move freely and the figure poses well.  The paint masks are crisp and intricate.  The gear is easily discernible from vintage pieces, but still of great enough quality for a collector to have no fear of breakage.  (The red also matches some vintage Red Shadows weapons, too.)   In short, they are toys easily worthy of addition to any collection.

The Snow Serpent repaints include all of the original gear.  This Python Patrol version has red variants of the classic AK-47, backpack, missile launcher, stand and snow shoes.  There is a red parachute pack as well.  However, the parachute and backpack are actually molded in white and painted over.  So, the color doesn't 100% match the rest of the accessories.  (This is likely due to the pliable plastic needed for the parachute pack being a separate production run.)  With the all the flavors of Snow Serpent now available, you can get the gear in green, red, black, yellow and other colors.  I'd love a run of black versions of the Snow Serpent rifle, though, that could be purchased separately.  I'd outfit most of my 2004 Cobra Infantry with them.

Right now, Snow Serpents are $18 figures.  I was fortunate and got mine in the introductory sale for a bit less.  So, patience can pay off.  But, if you look around, you see that most of the Alley and Night Viper repaints have started to dry up and can't be acquired as easily as they could 12 to 18 months ago.  The Starduster repaints prove elusive and are getting expensive.  Even a few of the Snake Eyes flavors from fall of 2018 don't appear as frequently.  Army builders are popular and Black Major figures are popular so it's always good to get them while the getting's good.  Joe's popularity is going to dive in 2020.  We are seeing both softening prices and decreased community engagement.  With some external factors thrown in, we should see cheaper prices in the new decade.  I don't know, though, if that will translate to figures like these.  The production numbers are low and most collectors seem to just buy one or two of each flavor rather than build an army of a dozen or more.  I've got mine, now.  And, you can get yours, too, with little effort.