Beacon

Beacon

Rarity	Rare
Transparent	Yes
Luminant	Yes (15)
Blast resistance	3
Tool	Any tool
Renewable	No[until JE 1.16]
Stackable	Yes (64)
Flammable	No
Catches fire from lava	No

“	Beacons! No, not "bacon", but a beam of light to pimp your castle with!	„
	— The Pretty Scary Update promo poster

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

Loot

From block loot

A beacon can be mined successfully with any tool, or with bare hands.

Namespaced ID	Source	Default
blocks/beacon	Beacon	1 (100%)

Recipes

From crafting

Ingredients	Crafting recipe
Glass + Nether Star + Obsidian

Usage

Info

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]}

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.

Breaking

A beacon can be mined successfully with any tool, or with bare hands.

Block	Beacon
Hardness	3
Breaking time
Default	4.5

Block loot

Namespaced ID	Source	Default
blocks/beacon	Beacon	1 (100%)

Activation

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:

• Beacons require an unobstructed view of the sky.
  Transparent blocks (glass, water, etc.) and bedrock (the nether ceiling) are allowed.
• The beacon is on top of a pyramid constructed from iron blocks, gold blocks, emerald blocks, diamond blocks and/or netherite blocks.‌^{[upcoming: JE 1.16]}

Pyramids

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	Minerals	Layers
1	20	180	4x5, 2x3 Beacons
2	62	558	6x7, 4x5, 2x3 Beacons
3	134	1206	8x9, 6x7, 4x5, 2x3 Beacons
4	244	2196	10x11, 8x9, 6x7, 4x5, 2x3 Beacons

Beam

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 64 blocks away, regardless of how high the render distance is set to.

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: In Java Edition, 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. In Bedrock Edition, the first block sets the Beam color, while each additional block change color to upper color of glass (color cannot be mixed^{[until BE 1.15.0]}), also work using hardened stained glass and hardened stained glass panes.

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

Powers

See also: Status effect

The GUI shown when pressing use on 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^{[upcoming: JE 1.16]} 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.
• Haste I: Increased mining and attack speed.
• Resistance I: decreased nearly all incoming damage (2-level pyramid required).
• Jump Boost 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.
• 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

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

Sound	Subtitle	Namespaced ID	Subtitle ID	Source	Pitch	Volume	Attenuation distance
	Block breaking	block.stone.hit	subtitles.block.generic.hit	Blocks	0.5	0.25	16
	Block broken	block.stone.break	subtitles.block.generic.break	Blocks	0.8	1.0	16
	Block placed	block.stone.place	subtitles.block.generic.place	Blocks	0.8	1.0	16
	Footsteps	block.stone.step	subtitles.block.generic.footsteps	Blocks	1.0	0.15	16
	No subtitle	block.stone.fall	(Plays when fallen on from a height)	Blocks	0.75	0.5	16
	No subtitle	block.beacon.activate	(When beacon activates)	Blocks	1.0	1.0	16
	No subtitle	block.beacon.ambient	(While beacon is activated)	Blocks	1.0	0.9	7
	No subtitle	block.beacon.deactivate	(When beacon turns off)	Blocks	1.0	1.0	16
	No subtitle	block.beacon.power_select	(When switching beacon power)	Blocks	1.0	1.0	16

Data values

ID

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	Namespaced ID
Block entity	Beacon

Block entity

See also: Block entity format

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.

Achievements

Main article: Achievements

Icon	Achievement	In-game description	Actual requirements (if different)	Xbox points 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

Main article: Advancements

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

History

Java Edition
1.4.2		12w32a			Added the "Work in Progress" block.
					It can produce beams.
		12w34a			The "Work in Progress" block has now been removed from the creative inventory.
		12w36a			The "Work in Progress" block has now been now renamed to "Beacon".
					Beacons can now be found in the creative inventory.
					Beacons are now craftable.
					The texture of beacons has now been changed.
					The beam, however, remains unchanged.
		12w38a			The texture of beacons has now been changed, once again.
					The beacon beam has now been changed from a semi-transparent smooth beam (which conflicted with water transparency), to a pattern with 0% transparency.
		12w40a			The texture of beacons has now been changed, again
					and the beacon beam has now been changed again.
1.5		13w05a			The effect range of beacons has now been increased from 16/24/32/40 blocks to 20/30/40/50 blocks.
					Beacon effects now extend up to the world height limit (Y=256).
1.6.1		13w23a			With the Regeneration effect being nerfed slightly, the same effect produced from beacons has now been nerfed slightly too.
1.7.2		13w36a			The player can now achieve the Beaconator achievement by placing a beacon on a level-4 pyramid of specific mineral blocks.
1.8		14w29a			Beacons now display the cracking animation when being broken.
		August 5, 2014			Dinnerbone tweets a screenshot containing a colored beacon beam. The color appears to change when the beam passes through stained glass.
		14w32a			Beacon light now changes as it goes through stained glass.
		August 7, 2014			Dinnerbone tweets that the beacon beam can now pass through blocks that block light slightly.
		14w32b			Beacon beams show if going through a block that doesn't completely block light rather than partially block light. This allows beacon beams to go through water and lava.
					Beacons in the Nether and the End now check for blocks and render the beam only up to the world height (Y=127).
1.8.2		pre5			Bedrock no longer obstructs beacon activation or beams.
					Beacons in the Nether and the End now check and use the full build height (Y=255) rather than the world height (Y=127).
1.9		15w31a			Beacons now generate naturally in end ships.
		15w32c			Beacons no longer generate in end ships and have been replaced by pumpkins.
		15w47a			A new tag, PaymentItem, now stores the sacrifice item within the beacon's block entity data.
					Beacons no longer drop their contents when broken or when the interface is exited.
					Beacons have now been made able to interact with hoppers.
		15w47b			The beacon effect duration now increases with pyramid level (it was formerly a constant 9 seconds).
		15w49a			The PaymentItem tag has now been removed (introduced in 15w47a).
					Beacons once again drop their contents when broken or when the interface is exited (as they had before 15w47a).
					Beacons can no longer interact with hoppers (as they had since 15w47a).
1.11		16w32a			Changed block entity ID from Beacon to beacon.
1.13		17w47a			Prior to The Flattening, this block's numeral ID was 138.
		18w19a			Beacons now produce sounds.
1.14		18w43a			The texture of beacons has now been changed.
					As such, the look of the pyramid has changed.
Upcoming Java Edition
1.16		20w07a			Beacons can now be activated with netherite blocks.
					Beacons can now be "fed" using netherite ingots.
					The texture of the beacon's UI has now been changed.
Pocket Edition Alpha
0.16.0		build 4			Added beacons.
Bedrock Edition
1.2.0		beta 1.2.0.2			Beacon beams now change colors when shining through stained glass or stained glass panes.
1.5.0		beta 1.5.0.4			Beacons now produce sounds.
1.10.0		beta 1.10.0.3			The texture of beacons has now been changed.
Upcoming Bedrock Edition
1.16.0		beta 1.15.0.51			The beam color can now be mixed with several different stained glass colors.
Legacy Console Edition
TU19	CU7	1.12	Patch 1		Added beacons.
TU25	CU14	1.17			Beacon beams now change colors when shining through stained glass or stained glass panes.
TU31	CU19	1.22	Patch 3		The vertical range of beacon has now been nerfed to match horizontal range.
TU69		1.76	Patch 38		Beacons now produce sounds.
		1.90			The texture of beacons has now been changed.
New Nintendo 3DS Edition
1.3.12					Added beacons.

• 

  The texture file for the beacon in 12w36a was laid out almost identically to that of the end crystal.

• 

  The then-texture file for end crystals for comparison.

• 

  First image released by Jeb.

• 

  One of the many uses for the beacon.

• 

  The old texture from Java Edition 12w36a of the beacon.

• 

  The old texture from Java Edition 12w38a displaying the powered and the non-powered beacon.

Issues

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

Trivia

• 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.
• When destroyed by an explosion, the block always drops as an item.
• There are 16777216 different beam colors, needing, at most, 6 layers of glass.

Gallery

• 

  The texture of the beacon used since Java Edition 12w40a until the Texture Update.

• 

  The top of a beacon's beam.

• 

  A view from inside the beacon.

• 

  Two beams from a beacon, one passing through glass and the other through a beacon block.

• 

  Beacon beam going through an end portal frame block.

• 

  The first image of a colored beacon, tweeted by Nathan Adams.

• 

  The beacon's light changing as it passes through magenta stained glass.

• 

  The full visible light spectrum created by colored beacons.

• 

  A grayscale spectrum.

• 

  A beacon is still functional when the pyramid is made of different blocks.

• 

  A visualization of the effects range for each level. At level 4, the area affected is 101×101 blocks.

See also

• Conduit

Blocks

View at: Template:Blocks/content [edit]

Environment

View at: Template:Environment/content [edit]