A beacon shoots a bright beam into the sky and gives you powers like Speed, Haste or Regeneration while you are near it. It is one of the best things to build after you beat the Wither.
- Nether star
- Diamond
- Gold ingot
- Iron ingot
- Emerald
- Beacon
- Obsidian
- Glass
- Iron block
Step 1: Get a nether star
The nether star drops from the Wither, a boss that you summon yourself with soul sand and three wither skeleton skulls. Read our boss mobs guide before you fight it.
Step 2: Craft the beacon
Put the nether star in the middle of a crafting table, 3 obsidian along the bottom, and 5 glass around the rest.
Step 3: Build the pyramid
The beacon only works on top of a pyramid of mineral blocks: iron, gold, emerald, diamond or netherite blocks. You can mix them, the type does not change anything.
- Level 1: 3 by 3 base, 9 blocks.
- Level 2: add a 5 by 5 layer below, 34 blocks in total.
- Level 3: add a 7 by 7 layer, 83 blocks.
- Level 4: add a 9 by 9 layer, 164 blocks.
Iron blocks are the cheapest. An iron farm makes a full pyramid easy. The beacon also needs a clear view of the sky. Glass is fine, solid blocks block the beam.
Step 4: Pick your powers
Open the beacon and put in one iron ingot, gold ingot, emerald, diamond or netherite ingot to pay. Then pick a power:
- Level 1 pyramid: Speed or Haste.
- Level 2: adds Resistance and Jump Boost.
- Level 3: adds Strength.
- Level 4: unlocks a second power: Regeneration, or level II of your first power.
A bigger pyramid also gives the powers a bigger range around the beacon.
Best set-ups
- Mining base: Haste II. You break blocks much faster.
- Home base: Speed and Regeneration.
- Building: Jump Boost and Speed make big builds easier.
Color the beam
Place stained glass on top of the beacon to color the beam. Stack different colors and they mix. A colored beam is a great way to mark your base so you can find it from far away.
