Narcos: Cartel Wars & Strategy: How to Use Freeze and Fuegos

In Narcos: Cartel Wars & Strategy, executing the Freeze and Fuegos tactic requires deploying a durable screening unit to draw initial fire, casting the Freeze tactical support directly onto tightly packed defensive turrets, and sending a concentrated wave of Fuegos to incinerate the disabled structures before the effect expires.

Fuegos deal heavy, continuous area-of-effect incendiary damage to structures, but their low durability and short attack range leave them vulnerable to high-burst weapons such as Cannons and RPG turrets. Deploying Freeze neutralizes incoming fire from a cluster of defensive installations, giving Fuegos the time they need to close the distance unharmed and burn through the enemy core.

Base Scouting and Target Profiles

The Freeze and Fuegos strategy works best against compact bases where key defensive structures sit within the radius of a single tactical ability. Scouting the layout prior to committing troops determines whether the attack is viable.

Layout Attribute	Optimal Target Profile	High-Risk Target Profile
Defensive Spacing	Tightly grouped Cannons, Mortars, and RPG turrets	Widely separated defenses with open ground between them
Pathing	Direct, unobstructed approach to the defensive core	Segmented wall compartments forcing troop detours
Coverage Area	High-threat turrets fit inside one Freeze radius	Scattered emplacements creating multi-angle crossfire
Structure Density	Clustered buildings that yield rapid tactical energy	Isolated perimeter buildings requiring long travel times

If a base spreads its heavy defenses across opposite sides of the compound or isolates them behind layered compartments, a single Freeze cannot cover the incoming damage. Save this composition for bases that group their primary firepower around the central Finca or primary storage depots.

Deployment Sequence and Freeze Timing

Precise timing prevents your Fuegos from taking unnecessary damage during their approach. Casting Freeze too early wastes active disable time, while casting it too late allows heavy turrets to eliminate fragile units.

Pick an ingress lane: Select a deployment point that provides the shortest straight line toward the main defensive cluster, avoiding obstacles that split troop pathing.
Deploy a forward screen: Send your Sicario or durable frontline units in first to trigger hidden landmines and draw target locks from perimeter defenses.
Release Fuegos in a wave: Deploy your Fuegos grouped closely together immediately behind the screen so their incendiary streams concentrate on the same target.
Cast Freeze on the defense hub: Drop the Freeze tactical support onto the primary cluster of Cannons and RPG turrets the moment they lock onto your advancing forces.
Direct follow-up abilities: Use newly generated energy to disable or destroy secondary defenses before the initial freeze duration ends.

Energy Economy and Ability Rotation

Sustaining your assault requires careful tactical energy management. Freeze requires a notable energy investment, meaning you should not waste starting reserves on low-value peripheral strikes.

As Fuegos melt through frozen buildings, the destroyed structures generate tactical energy. Use this incoming energy to maintain momentum:

Secondary Freeze: Target a second defensive battery or a rear-line Mortar cluster if the initial target collapses quickly.
Supportive Heals or Direct Strikes: Protect your clumped Fuegos from remaining defensive emplacements or eliminate high-threat turrets outside the original landing zone.

Vulnerabilities and Risk Factors

While effective against dense layouts, the Freeze and Fuegos combination has clear limitations:

Long-range artillery: Mortars and distant sniper emplacements positioned deep behind walls often sit outside the Freeze radius, continuing to shell attacking troops.
Defensive mines: Because Fuegos must clump together to maximize flame coverage, a single high-tier landmine can wipe out an entire squad. Always ensure your lead Sicario or screening unit triggers traps along the approach lane before releasing the main group.
Dispersed perimeters: Bases designed with wide defensive spacing dilute the value of the Freeze ability, leaving attacking units exposed to crossfire from uncovered sectors. In these scenarios, select an alternate raid composition better suited to spread-out targets.