If you want to be an advanced player in Minecraft, having a beacon is definitely part of your setup! It provides you with fantastic effects that make your work in the game significantly easier. However, obtaining a beacon is not that simple! For the recipe, you must face the Wither. But if you’re strong enough and want to take your Minecraft world to a new level, you should definitely try it and use the beacon for your purposes. Therefore, 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 interesting block and unique in its kind. The word itself already gives you an idea of its function but doesn’t encompass everything. The most noticeable feature is, of course, the light beam that reaches skyward and guides you back to your base. That is one function of the beacon.
But even more important are the effects that a beacon can give you. When you are near it, you can choose from up to six different status effects and use them for various situations in your world. We’ll go into more detail below on how exactly. Some abilities are absolutely necessary to become better in Minecraft.
Minecraft Beacon Recipe & Defeating the Wither – Here’s How!
First, you have to build the beacon, which is not easy. The five glass and three obsidian are quickly farmed, but the core of the beacon is a whole different matter! You need a Nether Star, which is only dropped by the Wither. This is probably the toughest boss enemy in Minecraft and therefore a real challenge! We have a separate article about the fight against 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 not done yet. Because the beacon doesn’t activate without help. And using it can be quite expensive!
The beacon can only be used if it is placed on a pyramid of valuable metals. These include iron, gold, emeralds, diamonds, and Netherite. You must craft full blocks from these and place them in a specific pattern to get your desired effects. The good thing is that you can mix the blocks; they don’t matter for the later effects and have the same value.
The pyramid itself consists of four layers, and with each additional layer, new effects are added. The smallest beacon is a 3x3 field with just 9 blocks. However, it is advisable to build a beacon with a 9x9 base. For this, you need 164 (1476 individual items or just over 23 stacks) of the valuable blocks, which will cost you a lot of work. Check out our articles 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: Get Valuable Items Through Trading)
- Iron: -> (How to Build an Iron Farm: Unlimited Supply of Iron)
- Gold: -> (Building a Minecraft Gold Farm: Easy Guide & Tips for Unlimited Gold)
A beacon with all four layers has a range of 50 blocks in every direction (101 blocks in diameter) in which the selected effects remain active. These spread out in a square radius towards the sides. However, the effects are unlimited upwards and downwards, which is extremely handy!
Coloring a Minecraft Beacon: How to Change the Beam Color!
But let’s take another look at the light beam, as this is probably the most impressive feature of a beacon. While you can only see it up to 64 blocks away in the Bedrock Edition, the viewing distance in Java depends on your render settings. At the highest setting, you can see the beam up to 1343 blocks away!
You can also change the color of the beacon beam using stained glass blocks or stained glass panes. The panes can be hidden directly in the beam. All 16 Minecraft colors are possible, but you can also mix them with multiple glass panes. This allows for virtually unlimited combinations!
Minecraft Beacon Effects: All Buffs & Benefits Explained
Now let’s take a look at the effects you can get from a beacon. As previously described, these are unlocked depending on the level of the pyramid. You should build a large pyramid right away to take advantage of all the benefits. There are both primary and secondary effects. In the interface, you must always “pay” with a valuable item to activate the effects. Most effects can also be obtained through potions. However, at level 2, the effects are multiplied.
- Speed: Increases your walking speed (20%)
- Haste: Improves your mining speed (20%) and attack strength (10%)
- Resistance: Reduces incoming damage (20%)
- Jump Boost: Increases jump height to 1.83 or 2.51 blocks (normal is 1.25 blocks)
- Strength: Increases melee attacks by 3 damage or 1.5 hearts
- Regeneration: Slowly regenerates your health within the beacon radius
With a beacon based on a 9x9 block layout, all effects (except regeneration) have a second and improved level. So it’s worth building one! You must always first select the primary effect for the first level and can then either use regeneration in addition or activate the second level in the secondary field. In Java, it’s 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 therefore have various applications. But it also depends on what kind of player you are and which skills you need at the moment. Let’s look at the three most common examples for using a beacon.
- Base Defense: Against monsters, you should use a combination of strength, resistance, or regeneration.
- Mining: With Haste 2, you can instantly mine many natural blocks, making your mining significantly easier.
- Mobility: Use speed and jump boost to quickly cover distances in 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
A beacon is part of the equipment for long-time Minecraft players. And even if the fight against the Wither for the Nether Star is not easy, it is absolutely worth it! The various effects can be perfectly combined with your plans in the game. Rent your own Minecraft server and build a beacon together with your friends in your world. The effects are practical for every player and can be combined in many ways.
