Beacon Rarity Rare Renewable Yes Stackable Yes (64) Tool Any tool Blast resistance 3 Hardness 3 Luminant Yes (15) Transparent Yes Flammable No Catches fire from lava No

A beacon is a block that projects a light beam skyward, and can provide status effects such as Speed, Jump Boost, Haste, Regeneration, Resistance, or Strength to nearby players.

Obtaining [ edit ]

Breaking [ edit ]

A beacon can be mined successfully with any tool, or with the player's fists.

Block Beacon Hardness 3 Breaking time Default 4.5

Crafting [ edit ]

Usage [ edit ]

Beacon blocks can function as light sources, emitting a light level 15. Like other light sources, they melt snow and ice. They cannot be pushed by pistons.‌[Java Edition only] In Bedrock Edition, beacons are also one of the only redstone solid blocks that can be waterlogged.

When "activated", beacon blocks provide two unique functions:

A landmark beam reaching into the sky, which can be visible from far away.

Powers, which give players status effects within a certain range.

Activation [ edit ]

The beacon base can be made of the different mineral blocks combined.

In order to activate a beacon, the beacon must meet the following requirements:

Pyramids [ edit ]

The four possible pyramid arrangements when using the beacon block. From left to right the pyramid structures decrease in complexity and strength.

Pyramids are the structures required to activate beacons. There are four possible pyramid heights. More pyramid levels make more powers available in a wider affected vicinity. The type of mineral block used to build the pyramid is entirely cosmetic and has no functional effect. Several different block types can be mixed without affecting functionality. If the pyramid is damaged so that the beacon deactivates, the previously-set powers resume their effects upon reactivation when the pyramid is repaired. This applies to piston-altered pyramids as well.

A single Beacon Pyramid Level Mineral Blocks Materials Layers 1 9 81 3×3, Beacon 2 34 306 5×5, 3×3, Beacon 3 83 747 7×7, 5×5, 3×3, Beacon 4 164 1476 9×9, 7×7, 5×5, 3×3, Beacon

This six-Beacon pyramid provides all six effects from a single structure using the fewest mineral blocks possible.

Multiple beacons can make use of the same specific mineral blocks below them. Combined pyramids do not need to be symmetrical. The image to the right shows a 6-beacon (2 by 3) pyramid. It requires a total of 244 mineral blocks, with a base layer of 10 by 11.

Multiple Beacons Pyramid (Tier 4 can enable all buffs) Level Mineral Blocks Materials Layers 1 20 180 4x5, Beacons 2 62 558 6x7, 4x5, Beacons 3 134 1206 8x9, 6x7, 4x5, Beacons 4 244 2196 10x11, 8x9, 6x7, 4x5, Beacons

Beam [ edit ]

A vertical beam appears from a beacon if the beacon is activated, extending from the beacon block up to Y=255. In Java Edition, the beam is visible from roughly the same distance as a single ordinary stack of blocks. If a render distance of 16 chunks is set, the beam of light is visible from up to 255 blocks away.

In Bedrock Edition, the beam is only visible from up to 256 blocks away, regardless of how high the render distance is set.[1]

The color of the beam may be changed by placing blocks of stained glass (or stained glass panes) anywhere above the beacon block. The beam changes colors according to the colors of glass placed above it: the first block sets the beam color, while each additional block sets the color by averaging the red, green, and blue components of the current beam color and the block's color. The color values are the same as those for the corresponding dye. This also works using hardened stained glass and hardened stained glass panes.‌[Bedrock and Education editions only]

Oddly enough, beacon beams cannot go through most blocks but can go through bedrock and end portal frames.

Powers [ edit ]

use on the block. The GUI shown when pressingon the block.

Once the beacon is emitting a beam, it can then be fed 1 iron ingot, 1 gold ingot, 1 emerald, 1 diamond, or 1 netherite ingot to select the status effects given to players within range of the beacon. This is done through the beacon's GUI, displayed by pressing use while looking at the beacon block. It doesn't matter which of the items is fed into the beacon.

In the GUI, the player places the item to be fed in the empty slot and clicks an effect from the "Primary Power" section on the left. If the beacon is sitting on a 4-level pyramid, the "Secondary Power" section on the right also becomes active. The player can then choose either to turn on the Regeneration power in addition to the Primary Power or to raise the primary power to Level II. The user clicks the "Done" button (green checkmark), the item is consumed, and the power(s) become activated. To change the beacon's powers, this process must be followed again, consuming another ingot or gem.

If the pyramid is broken, effects deactivate or weaken, or the beacon deactivates entirely depending on the level of the pyramid that is no longer complete. Upon restoration of the pyramid, the originally selected power returns without the need to spend another item.

The five Primary Powers are:

Speed I: Increased movement speed.

I: Increased movement speed. Haste I: Increased mining and attack speed.

I: Increased mining and attack speed. Resistance I: Decreased nearly all incoming damage (2-level pyramid required).

I: Decreased nearly all incoming damage (2-level pyramid required). Jump Boost I: Increased jumping distance and height (2-level pyramid required).

I: Increased jumping distance and height (2-level pyramid required). Strength I: Increased melee damage (3-level pyramid required).

The Secondary Powers available with a 4-level pyramid are:

Regeneration I: Regenerates health.

I: Regenerates health. Increasing the Primary Power to level II.

It is also possible to combine two different primary Level I powers:

select a primary power in the left panel

select the Level II option in the right panel

select the second desired power back in the left panel

Only one of the two powers appear to be selected, although both effects are active.‌[Java Edition only]

Every four seconds, the selected powers are applied with a duration of 9 seconds, plus 2 seconds per pyramid level, to all players in range. Thus, when powers are changed or a player travels outside the area-of-effect, the powers persist for 5–9 seconds, or 13-17 seconds with a full pyramid.

Range [ edit ]

The beacon affects an area in the shape of a square column, which reaches downward and out to each side at a range determined by the size of the pyramid base (see table below), and upward a distance of that range + 256.‌[Java Edition only] In Bedrock Edition, the range of the beacon is the same, except it extends upwards infinitely.

The distance from the player to the beacon block does not affect the intensity of the status effect.

Pyramid size Effect range Effect duration 1 level 20 11 2 levels 30 13 3 levels 40 15 4 levels 50 16

Sounds [ edit ]

Data values [ edit ]

ID [ edit ]

Java Edition:

Name Namespaced ID Translation key Beacon beacon block.minecraft.beacon

Name Namespaced ID Block entity beacon

Bedrock Edition:

Name Namespaced ID Numeric ID Translation key Beacon beacon 138 tile.beacon.name

Name Savegame ID Block entity Beacon

Block entity [ edit ]

A beacon has a block entity associated with it that holds additional data about the block.

Block entity data Tags common to all block entities see Template:Nbt inherit/blockentity/template Lock : Optional. When not blank, prevents the container from being opened unless the opener is holding an item whose name matches this string. Levels : The number of levels available from the pyramid. Primary : The primary power selected, see Potion effects for IDs. 0 means none. Secondary : The secondary power selected, see Potion effects for IDs. 0 means none.

Block entity data

Achievements [ edit ]

Icon Achievement In-game description Actual requirements (if different) Gamerscore earned Trophy type (PS) The Beaconator Create and fully power a Beacon Be within a 20×20×14 cuboid centered on the pyramid when the beacon block realizes it is fully powered. 60G Gold

Advancements [ edit ]

Icon Advancement In-game description Parent Actual requirements (if different) Namespaced ID Bring Home the Beacon

Construct and place a beacon Withering Heights Be within a 20×20×14 cuboid centered on a beacon block when it realizes it has become powered. nether/create_beacon A Furious Cocktail

Have every potion effect applied at the same time Local Brewery Have all of these 13 potion effects applied to the player at the same time. Beacon effects also count for the purposes of this advancement. Other potion effects, if any, may be applied to the player, but are ignored for this advancement. nether/all_potions Beaconator

Bring a beacon to full power Bring Home the Beacon Be within a 20×20×14 cuboid centered on a beacon block when it realizes it is being powered by a size 4 pyramid. nether/create_full_beacon How Did We Get Here?

Have every effect applied at the same time A Furious Cocktail Have all of these 26 effects applied to the player at the same time. Beacon effects also count for the purposes of this advancement. Other status effects, if any, may be applied to the player, but are ignored for this advancement.

Note: This is a hidden advancement, meaning that it can be viewed by the player only after completing it. nether/all_effects

Video [ edit ]

History [ edit ]

Issues [ edit ]

Issues relating to "Beacon" are maintained on the bug tracker. Report issues there.

Trivia [ edit ]

The map icon texture is hidden in the transparent part of the beacon beam texture in Java Edition 12w38a

The texture of the beacon is 16×16 but renders only the 10×10 area in the center.

It is possible to see the beacon beam on the bottom of an activated beacon. This was initially reported as a bug, but the resolution was "won't fix", despite a fix being provided. [2]

When destroyed by an explosion, the block always drops as an item.

There are 12,326,391 different beam colors.

Despite it containing obsidian in its recipe, it does not need a diamond pickaxe to mined.

Gallery [ edit ]

References [ edit ]