Minecraft Guides
How to Make a Beacon in Minecraft: A Step-by-Step Guide
Marko Kulundzic
Minecraft beacons are the ultimate flex of any experienced gamer. Not only do these sparkling blocks illuminate your base with a nifty ray of light, but they also confer the effects of power, such as Speed, Haste, or Strength, which means your adventures are much more heroic. To anybody questioning how to make a beacon, this tutorial simplifies it by giving all the steps, materials, and instructions to have that beacon burning soon. We can take a look at the process, how to collect the rare resources, and establish it like a pro.
Step 1: Gather the Materials
To craft a beacon, you’ll need a few key items, some of which are tougher to get than others. Here’s the breakdown:
The Nether Star is the real hurdle here. It only drops when you defeat the Wither, a boss mob that’s not exactly a pushover. Glass and obsidian are straightforward by comparison, but don’t skimp on preparation—stock up on these before heading into the big fight.
Step 2: Defeat the Wither for a Nether Star
The Wither is a formidable foe, so don’t rush in unprepared. You’ll need:
- 4 Soul Sand or Soul Soil: Found in the Nether, usually in soul sand valleys.
- 3 Wither Skeleton Skulls: Dropped by wither skeletons (2–5% drop rate, but a Looting III sword helps).
- Gear: Enchanted diamond or netherite armor, a strong weapon (smite enchantment is great), and potions (healing, strength, or regeneration).
Head to the Nether, gather the soul sand/soil, and hunt wither skeletons in fortresses. Once you’ve got the skulls, build the Wither by placing four soul sand blocks in a T-shape and topping the three upper blocks with skulls. Fight in an open area—preferably underground to contain explosions—and keep your distance. When the Wither’s defeated, grab that Nether Star. For a detailed strategy, check out Minecraft’s official Wither guide.
Step 3: Craft the Beacon
Once you’ve got the Nether Star, head to a crafting table. Place the materials like this:
This recipe yields one beacon. Pop it in your inventory, and you’re ready to set it up. If you’re curious about other crafting recipes, Minefort’s crafting guide has you covered.
Step 4: Build the Beacon Pyramid
Here’s the thing: a beacon won’t work without a pyramid base made of specific blocks. The bigger the pyramid, the stronger the beacon’s effects. You can use iron, gold, emerald, diamond, or netherite blocks (mixing them works too). Here’s a quick table of pyramid tiers and their benefits:
Place the beacon on top of the pyramid’s center. Make sure it’s in an open area with a clear view of the sky (no blocks above it, or the beam won’t show). Pro tip: iron blocks are the easiest to gather, but diamonds add that extra flex.
Step 5: Activate and Customize Your Beacon
Right-click the beacon to open its interface. You’ll need to feed it an ingot or gem (iron, gold, emerald, diamond, or netherite) to activate it. Choose your primary power (like Speed or Haste) and, if you’ve got a Tier 4 pyramid, a secondary power (like Regeneration). The interface is pretty intuitive-just click the effect you want and confirm with the ingot. Want to switch effects later? No problem, just pop in another ingot.
Extra Tips for Beacon Success
- Location Matters: Place your beacon near your base for constant buffs. Underground setups work, but you’ll miss the cool beam unless you carve out a skylight.
- Mix and Match: Combine different block types in the pyramid to save resources. Got spare emeralds? Toss ‘em in with iron blocks.
- Multi-Beacon Setup: Feeling ambitious? Build multiple beacons with overlapping ranges for stacked effects. Check out Minefort’s base-building tips for inspiration.
- Safety First: Before fighting the Wither, stock up on golden apples and potions. The Minecraft Wiki has great brewing recipes.
Why It’s Worth the Grind
To create a beacon is not an easy task, but it is a trophy in Minecraft. That blazing ray shouts, "I overcame the Wither! Not to mention that the buffs also make mining or mob fights far easier. You are either rushing up your next construction, or killing creepers with your tanker, a beacon will have your back.