diff --git a/code/game/src/gui/build_mode.c b/code/game/src/gui/build_mode.c
index eb80e03..4fc7633 100644
--- a/code/game/src/gui/build_mode.c
+++ b/code/game/src/gui/build_mode.c
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ extern bool inv_is_inside;
 
 static uint8_t build_num_placements = 0;
 static item_placement build_placements[BUILD_MAX_PLACEMENTS] = {0};
+bool build_is_deletion_mode = false;
 
 void buildmode_clear_buffers(void) {
     item_placement empty_placement = { .x = 0.0f, .y = 0.0f, .kind = -1 };
@@ -38,11 +39,19 @@ void buildmode_draw(void) {
         buildmode_clear_buffers();
     }
     
+    if (IsKeyPressed(KEY_B)){
+        build_is_deletion_mode = !build_is_deletion_mode;
+    }
+    
     ItemDrop *item = &e->items[e->selected_item];
     
-    if (e->has_items && !e->inside_vehicle && item->quantity > 0 && !is_outside_range) {
-        uint16_t item_id = item_find(item->kind);
-        item_usage usage = item_get_usage(item_id);
+    if (e->has_items && !e->inside_vehicle && item->quantity > 0 && !is_outside_range || build_is_deletion_mode) {
+        item_usage usage = 0;
+        uint16_t item_id = 0;
+        if (!build_is_deletion_mode){
+            item_id = item_find(item->kind);
+            usage = item_get_usage(item_id);
+        }
         if (usage < UKIND_END_PLACE) {
             if (IsMouseButtonPressed(MOUSE_RIGHT_BUTTON) && !build_is_in_draw_mode) {
                 build_is_in_draw_mode = true;
@@ -50,8 +59,13 @@ void buildmode_draw(void) {
                 buildmode_clear_buffers();
             }
             
-            uint32_t qty = item->quantity;
-            bool directional = item_get_place_directional(item_id);
+            uint32_t qty = BUILD_MAX_PLACEMENTS;
+            bool directional = false;
+            
+            if (!build_is_deletion_mode){
+                directional = item_get_place_directional(item_id);
+                qty = item->quantity;
+            }
             
             if (build_is_in_draw_mode) {
                 for (size_t i = 0; i < BUILD_MAX_PLACEMENTS; i++) {
@@ -80,11 +94,10 @@ void buildmode_draw(void) {
                         break;
                     }
                 }
-                
             }
             
             if (!is_outside_range)
-                renderer_draw_single((float)cam.x, (float)cam.y, ASSET_BUILDMODE_HIGHLIGHT, ColorAlpha(WHITE, 0.2f));
+                renderer_draw_single((float)cam.x, (float)cam.y, ASSET_BUILDMODE_HIGHLIGHT, ColorAlpha(build_is_deletion_mode ? RED : WHITE, 0.2f));
             
             build_num_placements = zpl_min(build_num_placements, qty);
         }
@@ -92,7 +105,7 @@ void buildmode_draw(void) {
     
     for (size_t i = 0; i < build_num_placements; i++) {
         item_placement *it = &build_placements[i];
-        renderer_draw_single(it->x, it->y, ASSET_BUILDMODE_HIGHLIGHT, ColorAlpha(WHITE, 0.4f));
+        renderer_draw_single(it->x, it->y, ASSET_BUILDMODE_HIGHLIGHT, ColorAlpha(build_is_deletion_mode ? RED : WHITE, 0.4f));
     }
     
     if (build_is_in_draw_mode) {
diff --git a/code/game/src/item_placement.h b/code/game/src/item_placement.h
index f2fb961..1a2087e 100644
--- a/code/game/src/item_placement.h
+++ b/code/game/src/item_placement.h
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #pragma once
 
-#define BUILD_MAX_PLACEMENTS 20
+#define BUILD_MAX_PLACEMENTS 40
 
 typedef struct {
     float x;
diff --git a/code/game/src/items.h b/code/game/src/items.h
index 44081e2..ef1a131 100644
--- a/code/game/src/items.h
+++ b/code/game/src/items.h
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 typedef enum {
     // NOTE(zaklaus): hardcoded fields for placement ops
+    UKIND_DELETE,
     UKIND_PLACE,
     UKIND_PLACE_ITEM,
     UKIND_END_PLACE,
diff --git a/code/game/src/packets/pkt_send_keystate.c b/code/game/src/packets/pkt_send_keystate.c
index 5c3a3a1..b6d92e9 100644
--- a/code/game/src/packets/pkt_send_keystate.c
+++ b/code/game/src/packets/pkt_send_keystate.c
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ pkt_desc pkt_send_keystate_desc[] = {
     { PKT_UINT(pkt_send_keystate, swap_from) },
     { PKT_UINT(pkt_send_keystate, swap_to) },
     { PKT_UINT(pkt_send_keystate, placement_num) },
+    { PKT_UINT(pkt_send_keystate, deletion_mode) },
     { PKT_ARRAY(pkt_send_keystate, placements) },
     { PKT_END },
 };
@@ -73,6 +74,7 @@ int32_t pkt_send_keystate_handler(pkt_header *header) {
         i->swap_from = zpl_clamp(table.swap_from, 0, ITEMS_CONTAINER_SIZE-1);
         i->swap_to = zpl_clamp(table.swap_to, 0, ITEMS_CONTAINER_SIZE-1);
         i->storage_action = table.storage_action;
+        i->deletion_mode = table.deletion_mode;
         
         if (table.placement_num > 0) {
             i->num_placements = zpl_clamp(table.placement_num, 0, BUILD_MAX_PLACEMENTS);
diff --git a/code/game/src/packets/pkt_send_keystate.h b/code/game/src/packets/pkt_send_keystate.h
index 830481a..407ef97 100644
--- a/code/game/src/packets/pkt_send_keystate.h
+++ b/code/game/src/packets/pkt_send_keystate.h
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ typedef struct {
     
     // TODO(zaklaus): build mode
     uint8_t placement_num;
+    uint8_t deletion_mode;
     item_placement placements[BUILD_MAX_PLACEMENTS];
 } pkt_send_keystate;
 
diff --git a/code/game/src/platform_raylib.c b/code/game/src/platform_raylib.c
index 615c768..55a0b2c 100644
--- a/code/game/src/platform_raylib.c
+++ b/code/game/src/platform_raylib.c
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ void platform_input_update_input_frame(game_keystate_data data) {
     if (data.swap_from != last_input_data.swap_from) goto send_data;
     if (data.swap_to != last_input_data.swap_to) goto send_data;
     if (data.placement_num != last_input_data.placement_num) goto send_data;
+    if (data.deletion_mode != last_input_data.deletion_mode) goto send_data;
     if (zpl_memcompare(data.placements, last_input_data.placements, zpl_size_of(data.placements))) goto send_data;
     return;
     
@@ -172,6 +173,8 @@ void platform_input() {
             .swap_storage = inv_swap_storage,
             .swap_from = inv->swap_from,
             .swap_to = inv->swap_to,
+            
+            .deletion_mode = build_is_deletion_mode,
         };
         
         if (build_submit_placements) {
diff --git a/code/game/src/world/world.c b/code/game/src/world/world.c
index 8329031..6462940 100644
--- a/code/game/src/world/world.c
+++ b/code/game/src/world/world.c
@@ -491,6 +491,7 @@ world_block_lookup world_block_from_realpos(float x, float y) {
 
 void world_chunk_destroy_block(float x, float y, bool drop_item) {
     world_block_lookup l = world_block_from_realpos(x, y);
+    if (blocks_get_flags(l.bid) & BLOCK_FLAG_ESSENTIAL) return;
     world_chunk_replace_block(l.chunk_id, l.id, 0);
     
     if (l.is_outer && l.bid > 0 && drop_item) {
diff --git a/code/modules/modules/components.h b/code/modules/modules/components.h
index 4659d5a..d53d3d4 100644
--- a/code/modules/modules/components.h
+++ b/code/modules/modules/components.h
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ typedef struct {
     uint8_t num_placements;
     float placements_x[20];
     float placements_y[20];
+    uint8_t deletion_mode;
 } Input;
 
 typedef struct {
diff --git a/code/modules/source/system_items.c b/code/modules/source/system_items.c
index 572ddb0..48d6dd9 100644
--- a/code/modules/source/system_items.c
+++ b/code/modules/source/system_items.c
@@ -256,11 +256,21 @@ void UseItem(ecs_iter_t *it) {
         }
         
         ItemDrop *item = &inv[i].items[in[i].selected_item];
-        if (!item || item->quantity <= 0) continue;
-        uint16_t item_id = item_find(item->kind);
-        item_usage usage = item_get_usage(item_id);
+        uint16_t item_id = 0;
+        item_usage usage = UKIND_DELETE;
         
-        if (in[i].use && usage > UKIND_END_PLACE)
+        if (!in[i].deletion_mode){
+            item_id = item_find(item->kind);
+            usage = item_get_usage(item_id);
+            if (!item || item->quantity <= 0) continue;
+        }
+        
+        if (!in[i].use && usage == UKIND_DELETE){
+            for (size_t j = 0; j < in[i].num_placements; j++) {
+                world_chunk_destroy_block(in[i].placements_x[j], in[i].placements_y[j], true);
+            }
+        }
+        else if (in[i].use && usage > UKIND_END_PLACE)
             item_use(it->world, item, p[i], 0);
         else if (in[i].num_placements > 0 && usage < UKIND_END_PLACE) {
             asset_id ofs = 0;