Beacons represent the epitome of prestige in Minecraft. By that, I mean they're ludicrously expensive and difficult to obtain. Not only do you have to summon and defeat one of the most dangerous enemies in all of Minecraft and harvest the elusive Nether star from their remains, but you also have to craft the beacon and place it atop a pyramid. Not just any old materials will do for this pyramid, either. Oh no, only the finest and hardest to obtain materials can satisfy your beacon. If you succeed in your quest to become the wealthiest Steve in Minecraft, you'll gain a lot of other benefits besides bragging rights. Perks like increased movement and mining speeds, regenerative health, and a permanent marker to light your way if you ever get lost are all enticing reasons to slave away until you accomplish crafting and setting up a beacon. Fortunately, we've got a decent guide for you right here. Best VPN providers 2020: Learn about ExpressVPN, NordVPN & more How to craft a beacon

The crafting recipe for constructing a beacon is relatively simple: a dome of 5 glass blocks, a base of 3 obsidian blocks, and a single Nether star nestled in the middle. Sounds easy enough, but crafting a beacon first requires that you, well, actually have all of these resources. The former ingredients are easy to come by, but the latter? You have to summon and defeat the Wither,, which has its own process and requirements to complete.

The Wither is one of the big bosses in Minecraft, right alongside the Ender Dragon. When you defeat it, it drops a single Nether star, which will allow you to craft a single beacon. Want more beacons? Beat more Withers. It's not a fight to be taken lightly, however, so make sure you're duly prepared. Where to place your beacon

If you want to have more than just a pretty laser firing into the blocky sky, you'll need to place your beacon on top of a pyramid. The pyramid is what grants your beacons additional powers, and can grant any players within its vicinity huge buffs that are awesome for your primary base. The pyramid can have up to 4 levels (with each successive level having more blocks) and must be constructed out of iron, gold, diamond, or emerald. Not ore, but solid blocks constructed out of 9 ingots or gems, respectively. Fortunately, it doesn't matter in the slightest which of these materials above you choose to use, and you can mix and match as much as you want. As long as the entire pyramid is built from these materials in some way, your beacon will shine. On top of that, there cannot be anything obstructing the beacon's view of the sky. Other beacons, glass blocks, and similar transparent blocks are acceptable, but anything else will cause the beacon to stop functioning. Basically, you can't have a secret beacon.

You're not just limited to one beacon, either. You can erect a single pyramid to house any number of beacons, theoretically, which could net you additional perks beyond what a single beacon is capable of accomplishing. To garner the full effects of a beacon, however, you'll want to have four levels to your pyramid in total. Single-level pyramid

The first level of the beacon nets you one ability (either Speed or Haste), and has the smallest range of the bunch (only 20 blocks in any direction.) It's a good start though if building a full pyramid is a tough pill to swallow with your available resources. For a single beacon, a single-level pyramid is incredibly simple: a 3x3 square comprised of 9 blocks of whatever material you chose. Any additional beacons you add basically expand the pyramid as needed. Two beacons need a 4x3 rectangle comprised of 12 blocks. 4 beacons need a 4x4 square comprised of 16 blocks. On and on, etcetera. You get the point. Two-level pyramid

Adding a second level to your pyramid requires a substantial increase in resources, but grants you a second ability (either Resistance or Jump Boost). It also increases the effective range of your beacon to 30 blocks in any direction. The second level of your pyramid basically adds two blocks to either side on top of your first level. For example, a pyramid with one beacon at the top will have a 3x3 square for its first level, and a 5x5 square for its second. A pyramid with two beacons will need a 6x5 square for its second level. Count, build, repeat. Three-level pyramid

The third level of your pyramid adds the Strength boost to your beacon, and further boosts the effective range to 40 blocks in any direction. It follows the same basic rules. Add 2 blocks to each side on top of your second level. A single-beacon pyramid will need a 7x7 square of iron, gold, diamond or emerald blocks at the bottom. You probably get the idea at this point. Four-level pyramid

The fourth and final level of your beacon's pyramid will either grant you a secondary ability (regeneration) or choose to bring your primary abilities to level 2, thus increasing their effects. It also boosts the range to a full 50 blocks in any direction. Once again, the fourth level follows the same rules as all the other levels. Essentially you want each level to be a "step" to the next level. Beacon power-ups

There are a total of six abilities and power-ups you can gain from a beacon. You have your choice of two with a level 1 beacon, two more at a level 2 beacon, one at a level 3 beacon. Then you have the option of a sixth secondary ability or making your primary abilities stronger at a level 4 beacon.

You choose the upgrade path you want by going into your beacon's menu and feeding it ingots or gems of iron, gold, diamond, and emerald. Any one will do. Once you've given the beacon an ingot or gem, you can choose the path you want, then hit the green checkmark to confirm. Beacons will also remember your decision, so if your pyramid is damaged, destroyed, or altered in any way, the beacon will revert to the same upgrades once it's back online. Source: Windows CentralSpeed: Get ready to run fast.

Source: Windows CentralHaste: Mine blocks...fast!

Source: Windows CentralResistance: You're more resilient to damage.

Source: Windows CentralJump Boost: Jump farther and higher.

Source: Windows CentralStrength: Deal more damage.

Source: Windows CentralRegeneration: Regenerate health faster.

Beacon tips and tricks