If you aim to be an advanced player in Minecraft, then a beacon is an essential part of your setup! It offers fantastic effects that significantly simplify your in-game tasks. However, acquiring a beacon is no easy feat! To craft it, you must face the Wither. But for those who are strong enough and wish to elevate their Minecraft world to a new level, this challenge is worth undertaking. So, let’s take a closer look at this special block!
Minecraft Beacon: What is it and why is it important?
The beacon is a very intriguing block and unique in its functionality. The name itself hints at its purpose, but there’s much more to it. One of its noticeable features is the beam of light that shoots into the sky, helping you find your way back to your base. This is one of the beacon’s functions.
More importantly, however, are the effects a beacon can provide. When you are near it, you can choose from up to six different status effects and utilize them for various situations in your world. We will delve into these details further below. Some abilities are absolutely essential for improving in Minecraft.
Minecraft Beacon Recipe & Defeating the Wither – Here’s How!
First, you need to construct the beacon, which is not a simple task. The five glass and three obsidian are quickly gathered, but the core of the beacon is another matter entirely! You need a Nether Star, which is only dropped by the Wither. This is likely the toughest boss in Minecraft and thus a real challenge! We have a separate article on battling the Wither if you need tips and tricks.
How does a Minecraft Beacon work?
Once you’ve defeated the Wither and crafted a beacon, you’re still not done. The beacon does not activate on its own, and using it can be quite costly!
A beacon can only be used if it is placed on a pyramid made of valuable metals. These include iron, gold, emerald, diamond, and netherite. You must craft full blocks from these materials and place them in a specific pattern to get your desired effects. The good news is that you can mix the blocks; they are irrelevant for the later effects and have the same value.
The pyramid itself consists of four layers, with new effects unlocked with each additional layer. The smallest beacon is a 3x3 field, requiring only 9 blocks. However, it is advisable to build a beacon with a 9x9 base. For this, you will need 164 (1476 individual items or just over 23 stacks) of the valuable blocks, which requires a lot of work. Check out our articles to learn how to farm three of the five materials. Diamonds and netherite cannot be obtained this way and are therefore not necessarily the best metals for your beacon.
The best materials for the beacon:
- Emeralds: -> (How to Build a Villager Trading Post: Obtain Valuable Items through Trading)
- Iron: -> (How to Build an Iron Farm: Unlimited Supply of Iron)
- Gold: -> (Building a Minecraft Gold Farm: Simple Guide & Tips for Infinite Gold)
A beacon with all four layers has a range of 50 blocks in every direction (101 blocks in diameter), within which the selected effects remain active. These effects spread in a square radius towards the sides. However, the effects are unlimited upwards and downwards, which is extremely practical!
Changing the Beacon Beam Colour in Minecraft: Here’s How!
Let’s take another look at the beam of light, as this is probably the most impressive feature of a beacon. In the Bedrock edition, you can only see it up to 64 blocks away, but in Java, its visibility depends on your render settings. At the highest setting, you can see the beam up to 1343 blocks away!
You can also adjust the colour of the beacon beam using stained glass blocks or stained glass panes. The panes can be hidden directly in the beam. All 16 Minecraft colours are possible, but you can also mix them using multiple glass panes, allowing for virtually endless combinations!
Minecraft Beacon Effects: All Buffs & Advantages Explained
Now let’s explore the effects you can gain from a beacon. As previously mentioned, these effects unlock according to the pyramid’s level. It’s best to build a large pyramid right away to take full advantage of all benefits. There are both primary and secondary effects. In the interface, you must “pay” with a valuable item to activate the effects. Most effects can also be obtained through potions, but at level 2, the effects are multiplied.
- Speed: Increases your movement speed (20%)
- Haste: Increases mining speed (20%) and attack strength (10%)
- Resistance: Reduces incoming damage (20%)
- Jump Boost: Increases jump height to 1.83 or 2.51 blocks (normally 1.25 blocks)
- Strength: Increases melee attacks by 3 damage or 1.5 hearts
- Regeneration: Slowly regenerates your health within the beacon’s radius
With a beacon on a 9x9 block base, all effects (except Regeneration) have a second and enhanced level. So it is worthwhile to build this! You must always select the primary effect for the first level and then either use Regeneration additionally or activate the second level in the secondary field. In Java, it is even possible to have two of the normal effects at level 1 without having to choose Regeneration or level 2.
What is a Minecraft Beacon useful for?
These six effects can be wonderfully combined and have various applications. It also depends on the type of player you are and the abilities you currently need. Let’s look at the three most common examples of beacon use.
- Base Defence: Against monsters, you should use a combination of Strength, Resistance, or Regeneration.
- Mining: With Haste 2, you can mine many natural blocks instantly, greatly simplifying your mining tasks.
- Mobility: Use Speed and Jump Boost to quickly cover distances within your base.
Use a shulker box to make the beacon portable. You can carry the pyramid, the beacon itself, and the individual items and set them up at your desired location.
Conclusion
For veteran Minecraft players, a beacon is an essential piece of equipment. Despite the challenging battle against the Wither for the Nether Star, it is absolutely worth it! The various effects can perfectly align with your in-game projects. Rent your own Minecraft server and build a beacon with your friends in your world. The effects are practical for every player and can be combined in numerous ways.
