i play midstakes HU .. crusher is relative since i basically find weak naked vulnerable people, corner them in the locker room & work my way with them.. butttt the BB/100 is there, and it is initially solver reliant.
if you are serious, i personally feel a solver is 100% the most efficient way to go. but thats IF you can afford it and IF you can devote the time. it also helps to have people who can help you, and if you take the time to learn how to use it properly. but it can no doubt be done, just takes work. iq + ambition , one makes up for the other.
I think people really mystify the subject.. its not really that difficult. you ask how to do basic sim setups.. you find out what gto is , you find out how you or your opponents deviate from said GTO, and you think of a counter strategy, then confirm it with the same solver *shrug*
just like driving a car across the state is easier than walking. but if you if you never take the time to learn how to drive, or put oil in the tank , you might ass-end a school bus and die... surely you would have been better off walking.
yes you can get trickle down information, but you'll always be one step behind the power curve IMO.. walking along the side of the road
ps. BIG PICTURE, just switch to plo5.. let everyone else play a solved game