Having trouble with runner/sent rush

[Imheretohelp]

So I started playing this game recently and picked my main race to be Marines. I start my games with 2 rax, req with 4 cryo cells while pumping out PFCs and upgrading angled grip at req then a transition to medbay/medics and straight tech to specs (skipping engineers for now). Plan being that I get a bunch PFCs with angled grip upgrade, medics and a spec then metarush the hive and kill the queen before their bullshit lategame comp of ravs/boilers/lurkers/sent spam. But ive been having trouble surviving the early game. Seems like xenos can just spam runners and sents and just steamroll any early game army I have and then I lose map control. Even if i get a spec, one micro mistake and he gets neurodragged across the whole map. I dunno what to do.

I tried going engineers but it seems like they dont gain me anything and xenos can just go crushers and boilers and destroy all my cades. Maybe I should not go requisitions and go Command build and get a CiC and SLs with tac binos upgrade then spam hold orders?

Does anyone have any advice on how to beat runner/sent spam?

[DefinitelyAlone0309]

You need a CO unit researched, and then have your RO upgrade ready to buy special weapons and kill the runner/sent spam.

[Lumdor]

Researching the tank will also help you in the long run.

[Imheretohelp]

CO and tank are very high tech to deal with xeno t1 spam...

[TopHatPenguin]

Sentry gun squad

[MasterShakeEZ]

Engineers with claymore upgrade will help deal with the t1 runner spam. You may want to have a few shotgun pfcs to help deal with them too.

[Imheretohelp]

Engineers with claymore upgrade will help deal with the t1 runner spam. You may want to have a few shotgun pfcs to help deal with them too.

Yeah maybe claygineers and buckshot pfc is the way to go. Then ill have map control. Itll be rough if they rush a rav though. Ill just have to scout. Also sents wont do much because neurodrag has less of an impact on pfc spam.

[DefinitelyAlone0309]

PFC with Buckshot upgrade is a real hit or miss for me IMO. I find it to be an extremely feast or famine build, especially since your units can FF each other without proper macro.

I would advise simply taking claymore upgrade for engineers and field-medbay upgrade for doctors to hold against the Runner and Sentinel rush. Play defensive until you can get more points for higher and more expensive units, like CO and Tank.

[RuAlastor]

First of all improve micro. It's essential in any RTS game.
Secondly, as it was already metioned try to go for engies with flamer and claymore upgrades. Can help against runner/senti blob. Though you will have problems in late game.
Or you can try to play preds. They can easily overcome early t1 spam by xeno players.

[Tharinoma]

Here we go, another one of these noob posts with noobs asking for help against a basic strat.

There is no strat to counter a sentinel/runner rush. Not because it's strong, it's actually the opposite : any good player can counter it very easily. Pretty much everything works against it. Like most new players, you're trying to compensate your mechanics with strategy. Better undertand this right now : it won't work in a game like this. If you have trouble with runner and sent spam, the solution is the same than for a player having trouble with late game mass upgraded boiler "smoke the entire map" or for those thay struggle with the "overpowered hyperzine tank + OB rush". GET BETTER MECHANICS. There is no way you can beat a good buckshot+medic comp with runners and sentinels, and you can get that a good minute before runners hit ancient.
Just play more games and p
focus on improving instead of winning : get a proper briefing done, don't mess up your BO, never ever stop req point production. Once your macro is okay, you'll have such a highpop that the only way you'll lose to players that go runner/sent spam is if you rush your hole army throu a chokepoint held by a crusher and hugger traps without looking at it.

there's a fun series where a guy goes mass queens as xeno (only drones and queens) and manages to get a stupid amount of wins just because of his mechanics, although his strat is pants-on-head dumb. You can learn lots of things from it, it's on youtube if you're interested.