Deconstructor

Large Deconstructor is a building that reverses construction by dismantling payloads and blocks, returning materials according to the deconstruction mechanics rather than performing standard building. It is tuned specifically for removal and refund operations and interacts with unit payloads and blocks that store liquids. In gameplay terms, it operates using the same base speeds listed for builders, but its effective deconstruction throughput differs from ordinary construction behavior.

A Deconstructor processes items and unit payloads at three times the rate shown by its listed build speed; this makes it far faster at tearing down structures or extracting materials from payloads than a normal builder would be at constructing them. When it handles unit payloads, the Deconstructor accounts for the full upgrade history of that unit: it factors in the build costs and build times of previous tiers that the unit reached through unit upgraders. This means deconstruction of upgraded units is evaluated against the cumulative costs and times of their upgrade path rather than treating them as simple base-tier units. If a Deconstructor dismantles a block that contains a liquid, whatever fluid is contained will be spilled onto the ground rather than being automatically collected or routed.

Practical considerations and tactics:

• Use Deconstructors to rapidly reclaim resources from unwanted or outdated structures; their 3× deconstruction speed makes base rework and cleanup far quicker than disassembly by other means.
• When dismantling units, expect refunds or calculations to reflect any upgrades the unit previously received; positioning Deconstructors after upgrade chains can be used to recover value from obsolete upgraded units.
• Avoid placing Deconstructors on top of or next to sensitive liquid infrastructure if you plan to deconstruct liquid-containing blocks, since the contained fluid will be dumped on the ground and can interfere with conveyors, turrets, or flood-sensitive setups.
• Pair Deconstructors with item transport and storage so reclaimed materials are collected efficiently rather than left scattered.
• Consider using Deconstructors during base redesign phases where speed of resource recovery is more valuable than precise control over liquid disposal.

The Deconstructor provides a focused tool for base maintenance and recycling, converting dismantling actions into a fast, predictable refund process while requiring care around liquid-handling structures.