How Beacons Work in Minecraft

Beacons project a beam of light into the sky and grant powerful status effects to nearby players. They require a pyramid of mineral blocks (iron, gold, diamond, emerald, or netherite) and a nether star obtained from the Wither boss. The pyramid size determines the range and available effects. This guide covers everything about beacon mechanics.

Obtaining a beacon

The beacon block itself is crafted from:

• 1 Nether Star (dropped by the Wither boss)
• 3 Obsidian
• 5 Glass

The Wither boss requires 3 wither skeleton skulls and 4 soul sand/soul soil to summon. See the wither skeleton farm guide for skull farming.

Pyramid tiers and effects

Tier	Pyramid Size	Mineral Blocks	Range	Available Effects
1	3x3 base	9	20 blocks	Speed OR Haste
2	5x5 + 3x3	34	30 blocks	+ Resistance OR Jump Boost
3	7x7 + 5x5 + 3x3	83	40 blocks	+ Strength
4	9x9 + 7x7 + 5x5 + 3x3	164	50 blocks	+ Regeneration (secondary power)

The range values above are base ranges. The actual effect range is: (pyramid_tier x 10 + 10) blocks in all directions and 256+ blocks vertically. So a tier 4 beacon covers a 100x100 block area around the pyramid.

Pyramid construction

Side view of a 4-tier pyramid:

          [B]              Beacon on top
       [=======]           3x3  (tier 1)
     [===========]         5x5  (tier 2)
   [===============]       7x7  (tier 3)
 [===================]     9x9  (tier 4, base)

Each layer is a solid square of mineral blocks.
The beacon sits centered on top of the smallest layer.

Selecting effects

Right-click the beacon to open its interface. The left column shows primary powers (Speed, Haste, Resistance, Jump Boost, Strength). Available options depend on your pyramid tier. The right column shows secondary powers, available only at tier 4:

• Regeneration I: Adds passive health regeneration alongside your primary effect.
• Level II of your primary effect: Upgrades your primary effect from level I to level II (e.g., Haste I becomes Haste II).

To activate an effect, select it and place a mineral ingot (iron, gold, diamond, emerald, or netherite) in the payment slot. Click the checkmark. The effect activates and lasts as long as you stay within range. When you leave range, the effect persists for 5-17 seconds (depending on tier) before fading.

Best blocks for the pyramid

Any of these blocks work for the pyramid:

• Iron blocks (9 iron ingots each): Cheapest option. 164 blocks = 1,476 iron ingots for tier 4. An iron farm produces this in a few hours.
• Gold blocks (9 gold ingots each): More expensive but obtainable from gold farms in the Nether.
• Diamond blocks (9 diamonds each): Expensive. 164 blocks = 1,476 diamonds. Not recommended unless you have excess diamonds.
• Emerald blocks (9 emeralds each): Easy with a villager trading hall. Trade cheap items for emeralds and craft blocks.
• Netherite blocks (9 netherite ingots each): Extremely expensive. Only used for decoration or bragging rights.

You can mix different mineral block types in the same pyramid. One layer of iron, one of gold, one of emerald, etc. The beacon does not care about consistency.

Best beacon effects by use case

Activity	Best Primary	Best Secondary
Mining	Haste II	Haste II (upgrade to level II)
Building	Haste II or Speed	Preference-dependent
Combat	Strength	Regeneration
Travel around base	Speed	Jump Boost or Speed II
AFK area (safety)	Resistance	Regeneration

Haste II is the most popular choice for survival players. It allows Efficiency V netherite pickaxes to instant-mine stone, making branch mining and terraforming extremely fast.

Beam requirements

The beacon beam must reach the sky. If any opaque block sits above the beacon (between the beacon and the world height limit), the beacon deactivates. Transparent blocks like glass, ice, and water do not block the beam. You can use stained glass to change the beam color. Stacking different colors of stained glass mixes the beam color.

Multiple beacons

You can place multiple beacons on a single pyramid. A 9x9 pyramid (tier 4) has 9 blocks on its top layer. You can place up to 6 beacons in a 2x3 pattern on the center of the top layer (leaving some blocks as structural support). Each beacon selects different effects, giving you up to 6 different buffs from one pyramid.

Alternatively, build separate pyramids in different locations (base, mine entrance, farm area) with different effects for each zone.

Common mistakes

• Beam blocked by a block above. Even a single block above the beacon disables it. Check for overhanging roofs, tree leaves, or terrain above. Glass and water are fine.
• Pyramid not centered. The beacon must sit exactly in the center of the top layer. Off-center placement does not activate higher tiers.
• Forgetting the payment. You must place an ingot in the beacon interface every time you change effects. Without payment, the effect does not activate.
• Expecting effects outside range. Beacon effects only work within the range radius. Beyond that, effects wear off in seconds. Check your tier's range in the table above.
• Using the wrong blocks. Only iron, gold, diamond, emerald, and netherite blocks work. Copper blocks, amethyst blocks, and lapis blocks do NOT count as valid pyramid materials.

Frequently asked questions

Can I move a beacon?

Yes. Break the beacon block (it drops itself) and place it on a new pyramid anywhere. The pyramid blocks can also be broken and moved.

Does the pyramid material affect the effect?

No. Iron, gold, diamond, emerald, and netherite pyramids all provide identical effects. The material is purely cosmetic and cost-related.

How many nether stars do I need?

One nether star per beacon block. If you want 6 beacons on one pyramid, you need 6 nether stars (6 Wither fights).

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