As a Starcraft 2 Terran player, we are very susceptible to early game rushes. If Zerg or Protoss is rushed it may result in losing a few workers, whereas when we are rushed it could mean losing the game. Marines are pretty flimsy, so you have to do your best to protect them with what you have early in the game.
Then after you survive the early rush you'll usually automatically be in the lead as long as you didn't lose a lot of workers and/or buildings. So then it's up to you to keep your macro up so you stay ahead and can stomp your opponent into the ground in the mid-to-late game.
To learn more about effective macro, check out my free Starcraft 2 Macro guide.
Terran Rush Defense Basics
Many newer players will probably feel most comfortable completely walling off the entrance to their base when up against either Protoss or Zerg players. This way if they send early Zealots or Zerglings, they will be stuck attacking your Supply Depots while your Marines fire on them with impunity.
When up against another Terran player, walling off is generally a bad idea since their units will be able to attack your buildings without getting in range of your Marines.
The key to defending against an early cheese play or rush strategy is to scout early. Unless you're doing a rush build yourself, it's a good idea to scout with the SCV that's building your first Supply Depot.
Once you get in your opponent's base, look for key signs that indicate early rush or cheese.
Terran Rush Defense Against Protoss
Proxy Play: If there are no buildings in your opponents base (except for the Nexus of course) then you can bet that he is doing some sort of proxy play. This means that he is building a Pylon and Gateways close to your base to get Zealots in as fast as he can.
If this happens to you, be prepared to act immediately. Send another SCV to scout around your base and nearby locations to find where it is, and finish off your wall early. If you find that he snuck his buildings into your main base then your wall isn't going to do anything so instead build a bunker next to your Command Center to protect your SCV's. Start building Marines as fast as you can and build another Barracks or 2. If you can fight off this attack you should be able to win easily since it's an all-in sort of strategy.
The trick to fighting off the Zealots is to keep your Marines in the bunker, and repair it with your SCVs. If the Zealots leave to attack something else outside the range of your Bunker, unload the Bunker and chase them. Just don't let them catch you out in the open. Just 3 hits from a Zealot kills a marine.
Zealot Rush: When you scout if you find a Gateway up and being Chrono Boosted with no Cybernetics Core in sight, that's a sure sign of an early Zealot coming to your front door. Finish your wall off quickly and be prepared to micro the Marines you have to fight it if he gets through.
Early Stalkers: If you scout and see a Cybernetics Core and no Zealot you'll probably be encountering some early Stalker pressure. This can be dangerous if you decided to wall off your base, the Stalker will be able to fire on your buildings without getting in range. To fend this off throw a Tech Lab onto your Barracks and make some Marauders to push them back.
Terran Rush Defense Against Zerg
Zerg doesn't have any way to proxy, as I haven't seen a strategy for an early Hatchery + Spine Crawler push yet. So get your scout into their base early to see what they are up to.
Zergling Rush: This strategy has been around since the early days of the original Starcraft, catching unsuspecting players with no defenses and taking early wins. If their Spawning Pool is already up or almost done when you get your scout in their base you better bet that there's going to be some early Zerglings to your base.
To fight this off finish your wall off quickly and get a Marine out to push them back so they can't kill your buildings.
Roach Rush: This strategy isn't as popular as it was in beta when Roaches were only 1 supply. If your scout sees the Spawning Pool up and one gas being mined, then wander around his base for awhile to see what he's up to. If an early Roach Warren gets put down you'll have to tech up to Marauders to keep them at bay.
A little more popular is the Zergling to Roach transition. The Zerg player will start off with a ton of Zerglings and bait you to get a lot of Hellions and Marines. Then he will quickly transition to a big Roach force that will handily take out your force and destroy your base, so watch out for it!
Baneling Bust: Banelings are extremely dangerous and will take out Supply Depots and Marines really fast. If your scout sees that a Baneling Nest has been built, then you need to reinforce your wall. Just a few Banelings will take out a Supply Depot then you could have a bunch of Zerglings streaming into your base through the hole. Getting some early Hellions to roast them and Marauders to stand in front of your Marines can help you fend off and early Baneling Bust.
Mutalisk Rush: If your scout gets into your opponent's base and see 2 gas Extractors put up, then there's a good chance that he's going to do a 1 base Mutalisk rush. After he gets the Spawning Pool he'll immediately upgrade to a Lair and put a Spire down. You'll need a lot of Marines and/or Thors to fight off Mutalisks. Tech up quickly and keep scouting to be sure that's what he's going for.
Losing to an early rush can be frustrating, but with experience and these Terran strategies you will be able to laugh at would-be rushers and take them down after you fend off their silly tactics.
Again once you defend the rush you need to focus on good macro and making enough units to secure the win. This Starcraft 2 macro guide can teach you how.
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