Minecraft Beacon

Minecraft Beacon

Beacon

Rarity	Rare
Transparent	JE, LCE: Yes BE: No
Luminance	Yes (15)
Blast resistance	15
Hardness	3
Tool	Any tool
Renewable	No
Stackable	Yes (64)
Flammable	No
Catches fire from lava	No
Drops	Itself

Usage

Beacon blocks can function as light sources, emitting a light level 15. Like other light sources, they will melt snow and ice. They cannot be pushed by pistons.‌^{[Java and Legacy Console editions only]}

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

• An aesthetic landmark beam reaching into the sky, which can be visible from far away.
• Powers, which give players status effects within a certain range.

Activation

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

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

• Beacons require an unobstructed view of the sky, though bedrock and transparent blocks (including water, lava, slime, glass, and other beacon blocks) will not count as obstruction.
• The beacon is on top of a pyramid constructed from iron blocks, gold blocks, emerald blocks, and/or diamond blocks.

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. The more levels a pyramid has, the more powers will be available to choose from, and the wider its affected vicinity will be. 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 is deactivated, it will "remember" the powers it was set for, and will reactivate once the pyramid is repaired with no additional resource cost. This applies to piston-altered pyramids as well.

A single Beacon Pyramid

Level	Mineral Blocks	Materials	Layers
1	9	1 stack + 17	3×3, Beacon
2	34	4 stacks + 50	5×5, 3×3, Beacon
3	1 stack + 19	11 stacks + 43	7×7, 5×5, 3×3, Beacon
4	2 stacks + 36	23 stacks + 4	9×9, 7×7, 5×5, 3×3, Beacon

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

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	2 stacks + 52	4x5, 2x3 Beacons
2	62	8 stacks + 46	6x7, 4x5, 2x3 Beacons
3	2 stacks + 6	18 stacks + 54	8x9, 6x7, 4x5, 2x3 Beacons
4	3 stacks + 52	34 stacks + 20	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. 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.

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 will change colors according to the colors of glass placed above it: the first block will set the beam color, while each additional block will set the color by averaging the red, green, and blue components of the current beam color and the block color.‌^{[Java Edition only]} The color values are the same as those for the corresponding dye. 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, or 1 diamond, in order to select which status effects will be given to players within range of the beacon. This is done through the beacon's GUI, which is 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 will also become 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 check mark), 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 will turn off or weaken, or the beacon will turn off entirely depending on which level of the pyramid is no longer complete. Upon restoration of the pyramid, the originally selected power will come back on 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 only 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 will appear to be selected, but both effects will activate.‌^{[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 will 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 downwards and out to each side at a range determined by the size of the pyramid base (see table below), and upwards a distance of that range + 256.‌^{[Java Edition only]}

In the Bedrock Edition, the beacon affects a cubic area extending out the same distance in all directions (see table below).

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	Min. volume
	No subtitle	block.beacon.activate	(Plays when beacon turns on)	?	?	?	?
	No subtitle	block.beacon.ambient	(Plays near beacon)	?	?	?	?
	No subtitle	block.beacon.deactivate	(Plays when beacon turns off)	?	?	?	?
	No subtitle	block.beacon.power_select	(Plays when modifying effects)	?	?	?	?

Data values

ID

Java Edition:

Beacon	Namespaced ID
Block	beacon
Block entity

Bedrock Edition:

Beacon	Namespaced ID	Numeric ID
Block	beacon	138
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 [show]
  •  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)	Availability				Xbox points earned	Trophy type (PS)
				Xbox	PS	Bedrock	Nintendo
	Beaconator	Create a full beacon	Be within a 20×20×14 cuboid centered on the pyramid when the beacon block realizes it is fully powered.	Yes	Yes	Alt	Yes	60G	Gold
	The Beaconator			Alt	Alt	Yes	Alt

Advancements

Main article: Advancements

Icon	Advancement	In-game description	Parent	Actual requirements (if different)	Internal 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.	minecraft: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.	minecraft: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.	minecraft:nether/all_effects

History

Java Edition
1.4.2		12w32a			Added the "Work in Progress" block.
		12w34a			Removed the beacon from the creative inventory.
		12w36a			The "Work in Progress" block is now called "Beacon", can be found in the creative inventory, and is craftable.
					The texture was changed.
		12w38a			The texture was changed again. The beacon beam changed from a semi-transparent smooth beam (which conflicted with water transparency), to a pattern with 0% transparency.
		12w40a			The texture was changed again, and the beacon beam changed again.
1.5		13w05a			Effect range increased from 16/24/32/40 blocks to 20/30/40/50 blocks.
					Beacon effects 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 the beacon did too.
1.7.2		13w36a			The player can achieve the Beaconator achievement by placing a beacon on a level-4 pyramid of specific mineral blocks.
1.8		14w29a			Now displays the cracking animation.
		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 changes as it goes through stained glass.
		August 7, 2014			Dinnerbone tweets that the beacon beam can now pass through blocks that only 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 only check for blocks and render the beam 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 check and use the full build height (Y=255) rather than the world height (Y=127).
1.9		15w31a			Beacons generate naturally in end ships.
		15w32c			Beacons no longer generate in end ships, being replaced by pumpkins.
		15w47a			A new tag, PaymentItem, stored the sacrifice item within the beacon's block entity data (until 15w49a).
					Beacons would no longer drop their contents when broken or when the interface is exited (until 15w49a).
					Beacons were made able to interact with hoppers (until 15w49a).
		15w47b			Effect duration now increases with pyramid level (formerly was a constant 9 seconds).
		15w49a			Removed the PaymentItem tag (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			Changed the texture of beacons.
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			Changed the texture of beacons.
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		Nerfed vertical range of beacon to match horizontal range.
TU69		1.76	Patch 38		Beacons now produce sounds.
PlayStation 4 Edition
1.90					Changed the texture of beacons.
New Nintendo 3DS Edition
1.3.12					Added beacons.

• 

  First image released by Jeb.
 
• 

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

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

  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 only renders 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.^[1]
• When destroyed by an explosion, the block will always drop as an item.

Galler

• 

  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.