diff --git a/encompass-cs/Collections/ComponentStore.cs b/encompass-cs/Collections/ComponentStore.cs
index aee17e8..fd0965d 100644
--- a/encompass-cs/Collections/ComponentStore.cs
+++ b/encompass-cs/Collections/ComponentStore.cs
@@ -4,6 +4,11 @@ using System.Collections.Generic;
 
 namespace Encompass
 {
+    public struct MutableComponentEntityPair<TComponent> where TComponent : struct, IComponent
+    {
+        public TComponent component;
+    }
+
     internal class ComponentStore
     {
         private Dictionary<Type, TypedComponentStore> Stores = new Dictionary<Type, TypedComponentStore>(512);
@@ -51,9 +56,9 @@ namespace Encompass
             return ComponentBitSet.EntityBitArray(entityID);
         }
 
-        public TComponent Get<TComponent>(int entityID) where TComponent : struct, IComponent
+        public ref readonly TComponent Get<TComponent>(int entityID) where TComponent : struct, IComponent
         {
-            return Lookup<TComponent>().Get(entityID);
+            return ref Lookup<TComponent>().Get(entityID);
         }
 
         public virtual void Set<TComponent>(int entityID, TComponent component) where TComponent : struct, IComponent
diff --git a/encompass-cs/Collections/TypedComponentStore.cs b/encompass-cs/Collections/TypedComponentStore.cs
index 78a8f20..a32fea4 100644
--- a/encompass-cs/Collections/TypedComponentStore.cs
+++ b/encompass-cs/Collections/TypedComponentStore.cs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Runtime.CompilerServices;
 
 namespace Encompass
 {
@@ -16,27 +17,30 @@ namespace Encompass
 
     internal class TypedComponentStore<TComponent> : TypedComponentStore where TComponent : struct, IComponent
     {
-        private readonly Dictionary<int, TComponent> store = new Dictionary<int, TComponent>(128);
-        private readonly Dictionary<int, int> priorities = new Dictionary<int, int>(128);
+        private readonly Dictionary<int, int> indices = new Dictionary<int, int>(512);
+        private readonly Dictionary<int, int> priorities = new Dictionary<int, int>(512);
+        private TComponent[] components = new TComponent[512];
+        private readonly IDManager _idManager = new IDManager();
 
-        public override int Count { get => store.Count; }
+        public override int Count { get => indices.Count; }
 
-        public TComponent Get(int entityID)
+        public unsafe ref readonly TComponent Get(int entityID)
         {
-            if (!store.ContainsKey(entityID)) { throw new Exceptions.NoComponentOfTypeOnEntityException("No component of type {0} exists on Entity with ID {1}", typeof(TComponent), entityID); }
-            return store[entityID];
+            if (!indices.ContainsKey(entityID)) { throw new Exceptions.NoComponentOfTypeOnEntityException("No component of type {0} exists on Entity with ID {1}", typeof(TComponent), entityID); }
+            ref var refVal = ref components[indices[entityID]];
+            return ref Unsafe.AsRef<TComponent>(Unsafe.AsPointer(ref refVal));
         }
 
-        public void Set(int entityID, TComponent component)
+        public unsafe void Set(int entityID, TComponent component)
         {
-            store[entityID] = component;
+            InternalSet(entityID, component);
         }
 
-        public bool Set(int entityID, TComponent component, int priority)
+        public unsafe bool Set(int entityID, TComponent component, int priority)
         {
             if (!priorities.ContainsKey(entityID) || priority < priorities[entityID])
             {
-                store[entityID] = component;
+                InternalSet(entityID, component);
                 priorities[entityID] = priority;
                 return true;
             }
@@ -44,13 +48,22 @@ namespace Encompass
             return false;
         }
 
+        private unsafe void InternalSet(int entityID, TComponent component)
+        {
+            var index = _idManager.NextID();
+            var ptr = Unsafe.AsPointer(ref component);
+            indices[entityID] = index;
+            components[index] = Unsafe.AsRef<TComponent>(ptr);
+        }
+
         public override bool Remove(int entityID, int priority)
         {
             if (!priorities.ContainsKey(entityID) || priority < priorities[entityID])
             {
                 priorities[entityID] = priority;
-                store.Remove(entityID);
+                indices.Remove(entityID);
                 priorities.Remove(entityID);
+                _idManager.Free(entityID);
                 return true;
             }
 
@@ -59,18 +72,19 @@ namespace Encompass
 
         public override void ForceRemove(int entityID)
         {
-            store.Remove(entityID);
+            indices.Remove(entityID);
             priorities.Remove(entityID);
+            _idManager.Free(entityID);
         }
 
         public override bool Has(int entityID)
         {
-            return store.ContainsKey(entityID);
+            return indices.ContainsKey(entityID);
         }
 
         public override void Clear()
         {
-            store.Clear();
+            indices.Clear();
             priorities.Clear();
         }
 
@@ -81,17 +95,17 @@ namespace Encompass
 
         public IEnumerable<(TComponent, int)> All()
         {
-            foreach (var kvp in store)
+            foreach (var kvp in indices)
             {
-                yield return (kvp.Value, kvp.Key);
+                yield return (components[kvp.Value], kvp.Key);
             }
         }
 
         public override IEnumerable<(int, Type, IComponent)> AllInterfaceTyped()
         {
-            foreach (var kvp in store)
+            foreach (var kvp in indices)
             {
-                yield return (kvp.Key, typeof(TComponent), (IComponent)kvp.Value);
+                yield return (kvp.Key, typeof(TComponent), (IComponent)components[kvp.Value]);
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/encompass-cs/ComponentManager.cs b/encompass-cs/ComponentManager.cs
index 046704e..a82511b 100644
--- a/encompass-cs/ComponentManager.cs
+++ b/encompass-cs/ComponentManager.cs
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
-using MoonTools.FastCollections;
 
 namespace Encompass
 {
@@ -154,19 +153,19 @@ namespace Encompass
 
         // component getters
 
-        internal TComponent ReadImmediateOrExistingComponentByEntityAndType<TComponent>(int entityID) where TComponent : struct, IComponent
+        internal ref readonly TComponent ReadImmediateOrExistingComponentByEntityAndType<TComponent>(int entityID) where TComponent : struct, IComponent
         {
-            return upToDateComponentStore.Get<TComponent>(entityID);
+            return ref upToDateComponentStore.Get<TComponent>(entityID);
         }
 
-        internal TComponent ReadExistingComponentByEntityAndType<TComponent>(int entityID) where TComponent : struct, IComponent
+        internal ref readonly TComponent ReadExistingComponentByEntityAndType<TComponent>(int entityID) where TComponent : struct, IComponent
         {
-            return existingComponentStore.Get<TComponent>(entityID);
+            return ref existingComponentStore.Get<TComponent>(entityID);
         }
 
-        internal TComponent ReadImmediateComponentByEntityAndType<TComponent>(int entityID) where TComponent : struct, IComponent
+        internal ref readonly TComponent ReadImmediateComponentByEntityAndType<TComponent>(int entityID) where TComponent : struct, IComponent
         {
-            return immediateComponentStore.Get<TComponent>(entityID);
+            return ref immediateComponentStore.Get<TComponent>(entityID);
         }
 
         // has checkers
@@ -214,9 +213,9 @@ namespace Encompass
             }
         }
 
-        internal TComponent GetComponentByEntityAndType<TComponent>(int entityID) where TComponent : struct, IComponent
+        internal ref readonly TComponent GetComponentByEntityAndType<TComponent>(int entityID) where TComponent : struct, IComponent
         {
-            return existingComponentStore.Get<TComponent>(entityID);
+            return ref existingComponentStore.Get<TComponent>(entityID);
         }
 
         internal bool EntityHasComponentOfType<TComponent>(int entityID) where TComponent : struct, IComponent
diff --git a/encompass-cs/Engine.cs b/encompass-cs/Engine.cs
index 8a3cdf6..2d55290 100644
--- a/encompass-cs/Engine.cs
+++ b/encompass-cs/Engine.cs
@@ -344,21 +344,21 @@ namespace Encompass
             }
         }
 
-        private TComponent GetComponentHelper<TComponent>(int entityID) where TComponent : struct, IComponent
+        private ref readonly TComponent GetComponentHelper<TComponent>(int entityID) where TComponent : struct, IComponent
         {
             var immediateRead = readImmediateTypes.Contains(typeof(TComponent));
             var existingRead = readTypes.Contains(typeof(TComponent));
             if (existingRead && immediateRead)
             {
-                return componentManager.ReadImmediateOrExistingComponentByEntityAndType<TComponent>(entityID);
+                return ref componentManager.ReadImmediateOrExistingComponentByEntityAndType<TComponent>(entityID);
             }
             else if (existingRead)
             {
-                return componentManager.ReadExistingComponentByEntityAndType<TComponent>(entityID);
+                return ref componentManager.ReadExistingComponentByEntityAndType<TComponent>(entityID);
             }
             else if (immediateRead)
             {
-                return componentManager.ReadImmediateComponentByEntityAndType<TComponent>(entityID);
+                return ref componentManager.ReadImmediateComponentByEntityAndType<TComponent>(entityID);
             }
             else
             {
@@ -375,9 +375,9 @@ namespace Encompass
         /// <exception cref="Encompass.Exceptions.IllegalReadException">
         /// Thrown when the Engine does not declare that it reads the given Component Type.
         /// </exception>
-        protected TComponent GetComponent<TComponent>(Entity entity) where TComponent : struct, IComponent
+        protected ref readonly TComponent GetComponent<TComponent>(Entity entity) where TComponent : struct, IComponent
         {
-            return GetComponentHelper<TComponent>(entity.ID);
+            return ref GetComponentHelper<TComponent>(entity.ID);
         }
 
         /// <summary>
diff --git a/encompass-cs/Renderer.cs b/encompass-cs/Renderer.cs
index 3dba03c..9ac5887 100644
--- a/encompass-cs/Renderer.cs
+++ b/encompass-cs/Renderer.cs
@@ -57,9 +57,9 @@ namespace Encompass
             return enumerator.Current;
         }
 
-        protected TComponent GetComponent<TComponent>(Entity entity) where TComponent : struct, IComponent
+        protected ref readonly TComponent GetComponent<TComponent>(Entity entity) where TComponent : struct, IComponent
         {
-            return componentManager.GetComponentByEntityAndType<TComponent>(entity.ID);
+            return ref componentManager.GetComponentByEntityAndType<TComponent>(entity.ID);
         }
 
         protected bool HasComponent<TComponent>(Entity entity) where TComponent : struct, IComponent
diff --git a/encompass-cs/encompass-cs.csproj b/encompass-cs/encompass-cs.csproj
index 9fda87b..c7be512 100644
--- a/encompass-cs/encompass-cs.csproj
+++ b/encompass-cs/encompass-cs.csproj
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 <Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
   <PropertyGroup>
-    <TargetFramework>netstandard2.0</TargetFramework>
+    <TargetFramework>netstandard2.1</TargetFramework>
+    <LangVersion>8.0</LangVersion>
+    <AllowUnsafeBlocks>true</AllowUnsafeBlocks>
     <RootNamespace>Encompass</RootNamespace>
     <PackageId>EncompassECS.Framework</PackageId>
     <Version>0.20.0</Version>