toss strat against zerg quick rush

Wow I learned a lot! I got bsed (teammate killed me) recently buy a ling rush LOL. Plus the majority of zergs I've played with like to ling' rush. After practicing a lot of these strategies it seems like early cannons are the best defense.

 

I haven't experienced too many rushes, but I know I dislike walling. I want to be able to stop rushes without having to wall. I do a build...
9 Pylon ---> Scout
10 Chrono
13 Gateway
14 Gas, Chrono
16 Pylon, Chrono
Zealot, Cycore, Zealot

That's like the build I usually do against Protoss/Zerg. Problem is this doesn't really stop rushes too well. I played a game against a Protoss who went 10gate 10gate and just started chronoing zealots at me. He got a third gate too. I was able to hold him off and win barely by chronoing in zealots and sentrys (should have went for stalkers in retrospect). It was a flat ground map by the way. I pulled and lost a lot of probes but I kept pumping probes so my economy was so-so (like enough to support 2-3 gateways). Zerg is far more troublesome though because while you're dealing with zerglings there are roaches on their way, or mutas.

I think it's mostly possible to stop rushes without walling. Proxy gate rushes might be an issue. I don't know.

If rushes ever become a serious problem then I might just 10gate and chrono after. That should give me plenty of buffer time to prepare for the rush. Also I'm unsure of how to respond to rushes a lot of times. Like in the game against the Protoss I scouted him last and went for tech. If it was Starcraft 1 then getting a second gateway would be the better option, but it seems like if you try to counter a rush by getting more tier 1 units then you'll just get out numbered with nothing to show for it.

Forge could be good depending on how all-in their rush is. I always build my base tight so I can plant a cannon that will protect all my buildings and eco from melee units.

 

As much of a waste of minerals as it is, when it comes time to get those immortals out just attack your own cannon and your in business.

 

This strat completely defeats zerg rush. If you use it, there is no way you will lose to zergling, marine, reaper or zealot proxy. I've won about 80 games with this strat, and I'd almost say that it completely shuts down early rush. The drawback is that you will be behind in development for a moment in early midgame. On the other hand, if the enemy commits to the rush, they will usually be behind as well based on all the units lost. Okay...

First, some meta notes. You probably only have to worry about the rush on small maps. On the bigger maps, if you are toss, you will have enough time to do a standard build order to defend. Plus, they will have to scout for you. The problem is the small maps where they know where your are.

Build one probe, then send the second probe you build to scout the enemy. 9 pylon. More on this pylon later. Keep making probes, make sure to chrono boost at 25 seconds in. Your probe will get to their base right after the chrono. They will not have been able to wall off the choke by this time. Go peek around.

Rush players are cowards by nature, and when their evil deeds are shown in the light, they lose heart. This scout will give them pause. They will think, "Is my evil plot discovered?" But the bold ones will press forward. Just queue up a bunch of waypoints and run your probe in a circle. It's hilarious to see them chase it, and it annoys them to have it there in their face. They won't be able to kill it with their probe, btw. They will have to use a unit if they want it to die. That will slow them up as well.

Okay, back to that pylon. So, you have sent your scout, you are chrono boosting your probe, and you are now going to build a pylon. Place the pylon either on the right or the left of your nexus. You want it in the middle. Make sure it is touching the nexus, no space. The key to defending super early rushes is building a tight base. I learned this playing blood bath in SC1 vs a zerg who only rushed fast.

Keep cranking probes, and when you get to 150 spare, build a forge. You want to build the forge in front of the pylon, touching the pylon and your vespane gas mine. This walls off half of your base. Next, place a cannon right next to the pylon.

If you did this right, your cannon should come online a few seconds before the rush. If you did it wrong, then the rush might arrive as the cannon is coming online. this is not a problem, as the lings don't have access to the cannon. They will have to run through the line to get either the cannon or the pylon. And probes kill lings really fast. Regardless, if they rush as early as possible, the first wave will get taken out really quickly.

Sometimes they mass a couple zerglings up and then come. You'll know that's what is happening if they dont' show up when the cannon finishes. As soon as you get another 150, build a cannon on the other side of the nexus, EXACTLY opposite the pylon.

You will need more supplies at this point, so build another pylon in front of this cannon, and you should have a fairly symmetrical looking base, with a pylon on each side and a cannon on each side. Both pylons power both cannons, so if they try to take out a pylon, as some rushers are apt to do, they are SOL.

I will usually then build a third cannon in the front of the base, and at that point, they can forget about any rush ideas. Note: If I'm playing against terran and I think they will rush reapers instead, I build the cannon at the back of the line.

At this point, if they didn't rush, you will be behind in the midgame. But, your probe should have been dancing in their base for a while, so blame yourself if your intel was faulty.

At any rate, I have crushed countless rushes with this build. It is not right for most maps. But if you are sick of dying in the first few minutes of the war, give it a try. I promise, if you are not completely incompetent, it will work.