Crusher Induced PTSD

Welcome to my guide for crushing, you will both learn how to play it safe and cause fear with the stomping you create.
Learning Objectives: Learn survivability and use of force multipliers

1. Anticipation

The best way to mess with marines is to break them up before they begin to push. Create Crushing Lanes, especially on Prison Station or Big Red. It is highly recommended to grab a boiler and start melting walls along your (hopefully unexpected) Lane to startle marines. As you build a Crushing Lane, figure out what your escape plans will be,depending if marines try to body block or act suicidally to kill you. It is also important to map out momentum along your lane, ensuring you reach maximum speed before marines can SEE you!

I will give an example on Prison Station, which is the most flexible in crushing lane choices. I would create 3 lanes given enough time, 1 running north to south from chapel to near the crashed ship. This allows super quick rotation, which can be an effective force multiplier. The other 2 lanes to focus on are likely marine advances, such as Crashed ship to Engineering & Chapel through Medical. Other maps have much more railroaded choices, but take the time to discover new routes. Having enough lanes is important, but it is alright if only your north-south route, or Connector, and 1 other lane is built.

2. Mutations

As of 3/10/2019, there are two viable mutations. The first is a quicker charge buildup, which is useful if players do not plan sufficiently, or get bodyblocked.
The second,/i/ regenerate off weeds /i/, allows for much more creativity and longer charges. This mutation is highly recommended for this guide, as you can be uncoupled from weeds.

3. Strategy

The basis of having multiple crushing lanes is to allow for effective rotation, in case marines decide to not clump upand instead try to flank, for once. You want to minimize the Time on Target that marines will have upon seeing you. This is more of an aircraft term, but it still applies well here. Marines have reflexes after all, and even the stomping that can be heard could not be coming specifically after them. Therefore, you should be at maximum momentum whenever marines can see you, and preferably before. This can be the difference between life and death, especially when SADAR specialists want you dead. Resting and recovering takes you out of the fight, and as a T3, that's not exactly optimal. I would recommend healing anytime you are at lower than 60% health, but otherwise, keep on trucking.

4. Application

A. Pre-Fight

You have heard the cries of 'METAL BIRD' and 'MANY HOSTS'. Time to get crushing, correct? WRONG! While you may want to attempt a 20 marine charge, that will likely get you killed, and /b/ worst /b/, alarm EVERY marine that yeah, there's something going on here. What you should keep doing is creating lanes, and otherwise preparing for the metarush, I mean well thought out battleplan. Another thing is to be unseen and unheard of, or as much as a huge, charging rhino can be.

B. Skirmishing

Crushers aren't exactly the best of skirmishers, but it can be done. A few initial charges may be enough to cause fear in a squad, deterring them from charging forward. You should be switching between flanks, assuming you are the only crusher. An unexpected charge or two does well to remind marines you may be coming in at any time, otherwise known as psychological warfare, yet another force multipler.

Here the application choices split. C is a endsieg, or last stand situation, whereas D is going on the offensive.

C. The Final Charge

It has happened. Despite the best efforts, and great coordination with fellow Tier 3s, the countless marines force their way forward. What to do? The first is to gather any remaining support, such as runners or lurkers. Second, establish zones of relative safety the queen can possibly escape to. Third, find masses of marines that have not consolidated & have little to no defenses, and DESTROY THEM! Offensive marines become suicidal very easily, sotake care to charge through and not to a mass of marines, less they swarm YOU.

D. Forward!

The first priority should be protecting boilers as they setup & fire. This does not mean be a stationary defender, oh no. Give marines something to focus on that's not the weak and squishy boilers, and there will be great rewards. Second, find metal barricades and destroy them. NEVER attempt to destroy plasteel barricades, as marines could either trap you, or easily repair the damage done.

E. Carnage Begins - Shipside

Here is where you can properly destroy marines. Given enough speed, there will be no defenses to hinder you, and plenty of clumped marines. The primary targets are the two upper hallways. These are practically /i/designed/i/ with crushers in mind. The only thing is not get body blocked.

Conclusion
This concludes my Crusher guide. The lessons learned include planning, strategy, and tactics. I will add images when I can. Feel free to ping me on Discord @Justicer3792 if there are any questions.