Uno Attack: Card Meanings and Symbols

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Uno Attack Card Game

Overview - Uno Attack: Card Meanings

Uno Attack is one of the most popular variations on Mattel’s Uno card game. The main difference is that rather than drawing cards manually from a deck, players press the button on an electronic, mechanical card dealer to shoot out anywhere from 0 to 12 cards at a time. As a result, Uno Attack card symbols and meanings are different from those in the standard version. This article details the Uno Attack cards and what they mean in play.

Discard All

Discard All

Play a Discard All card to discard all cards in your hand of the same color. For example, if there is a red 5 on top of the discard pile, you may play a red Discard All card and discard all of your red cards, with the Discard All card on top. Like all special cards, they can also be played against special cards of the same type (other colors of Discard All cards).

Hit 2

Hit 2

After playing a Hit 2 card, the next player in sequence must play the Launcher button twice. After collecting the cards subsequently launched, if any, they do not take a turn. Play proceeds to the next player in sequence. Hit cards are useful to play against players with small hards who are close to winning.

Reverse

Reverse

The Reverse card reverses the direction of play. If the player to the left would act next, play instead continues from the player to the right, and vice versa.

Skip

Skip

After one of the Skip cards is played, the next player in sequence is “skipped”: they lose their turn and play proceeds to the next player in sequence after them.

Trade Hands

Trade Hands

The player who plays a Trade Hands card must immediately switch their hand with another player of their choice. It’s generally best to save this card up to play late in the game for an easier win.

Wild Hit-Fire

Wild Hit Fire

The player using the Wild Hit Fire card must name its color. The next player in sequence then is required to press the Launcher button until the mechanism shoots out one or more cards, and then add the card(s) to their hand. This activating player is skipped and play proceeds with the next player in sequence after them.

Wild All Hit

Wild All Hit

On playing the Wild All Hit card, the player must name its color. Then, every player except the discarding player must press the Launcher button once, starting with the player to the left of the discarding player. Any cards shot out must be added to the hand of the player who activated the Launcher.

Starting the Game

The dealer turns up one of the cards to start the Draw pile at the beginning of the game. The Uno Attack card symbols have somewhat different meanings if one of the special cards are turned up in this situation. Discard All: The player to the dealer’s left must begin play with the same color, or another Discard All card. Otherwise, they must press the Launcher button. Hit 2: The player to the dealer’s left must activate the launcher twice. Play begins with the player to their left. Reverse: The dealer acts first, but then play continues to the dealer’s right, rather than left. Skip: Game play skips the player to the left of the dealer. Play begins with the player to the left of the skipped player. Trade Hands: Invalid. Return it to the deck and select a new card to start the Draw pile. Wild Hit-Fire: The player to the dealer’s left is required to activate the Launcher until it fires. They must add these cards to their hand, and play begins with the next player to their left. Wild All Hit: Every player, beginning with the player to the dealer’s left, must activate the launcher once each. Any cards fired must be added to the activating player’s hand. Play begins with the player to the dealer’s left.

Scoring and Ending the Game

When one player has no cards left in their hand, they gain points for every card left in each opponent’s hand. The first person to reach 500 points wins the game of Uno Attack. Alternately, players gain these points whenever another player has no cards left, and when someone reaches 500 points, the player with the lowest score is the winner. All numeric cards are worth face value. Hit 2, Reverse, and Skip cards are worth 20 points; Discard All and Trade Hands, 30 points; and each of the Wild and Wild special cards are worth 50 points.