To craft a beacon, combine 5 glass, 1 Nether Star, and 3 obsidian in a crafting table. To activate it, place it atop a valid pyramid made from iron, gold, diamond, emerald, or netherite blocks, with an unobstructed path upward. The beam shows the beacon is active as a block; to gain a status effect, open its interface, insert a payment item, select a power, and confirm.
What you need to craft a beacon
- 5 glass blocks
- 1 Nether Star
- 3 obsidian blocks
The crafting-table arrangement is exact: put glass across the top row; put glass in the left and right cells of the middle row, with the Nether Star between them; then fill the bottom row with obsidian. The recipe is documented in the Minecraft Wiki.
How to build a beacon pyramid
A beacon needs a valid base of mineral blocks and a clear route for its beam to travel upward. The supported blocks are iron, gold, diamond, emerald, and netherite blocks. Build each layer centered beneath the one above it.
| Beacon level | Layer dimensions, bottom to top | Mineral blocks in that layer arrangement |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3×3 | 9 |
| 2 | 5×5, then 3×3 | 34 |
| 3 | 7×7, 5×5, then 3×3 | 83 |
| 4 | 9×9, 7×7, 5×5, then 3×3 | 164 |
The four-level block count is 164, as described by the Minecraft Wiki. A complete base uses nine blocks on its top layer, with each successive layer expanding evenly around the center. Smaller valid bases use fewer blocks and unlock fewer power choices; the full four-level pyramid also unlocks a secondary-power choice.
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Place the beacon and check its beam
- Finish the pyramid, keeping its layers centered and complete.
- Place the beacon on the center block of the top 3×3 layer.
- Make sure the route above the beacon is unobstructed so its beam can project upward.
A visible beam indicates that the beacon has activated as a block. That does not, by itself, mean you have selected a status effect.
How to turn on a beacon power
- Interact with the lit beacon to open its interface.
- Place one eligible payment item in the interface: an iron ingot, gold ingot, emerald, diamond, or netherite ingot.
- Select an available primary power and confirm the selection.
The payment item is consumed. If you later change the selected power, you must provide another eligible item. A four-level pyramid makes the secondary-power choice available as well; it is not selected merely by building the pyramid, so choose and confirm it in the beacon interface.
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What base size changes
Each complete additional layer increases the pyramid size and opens further beacon choices. A four-layer base is required for the secondary-power option. Exact effect ranges and the full range of available effects are not included here because they can depend on edition and version, and are not established by the cited source extract. Consult a current reference for the specific Minecraft edition and version if you need exact ranges or a complete power list.
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