Sacrificial

A sacrificial object, usually described as the type of object, e.g. "sacrificial block", is an object that is required for a reaction to happen but gets destroyed in the process. It is a common type of partial result for conduits and high-period oscillators. Completing the partial typically involves restoring the sacrificial object.

Sacrificial objects can also be a part of complete oscillators if a factory of the same period restores the sacrificial object or a catalyst is found that can replace the object.

The inverse of a sacrificial object is a junk object that gets in the way of a complete conduit or oscillator. For conduits, these are easier to fix than sacrificial objects, as gliders can be reflected to destroy them, but this greatly increases the repeat time.