Beacon

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.

Breaking
A beacon can be mined successfully with any tool.

Usage
Beacon blocks can function as light sources, emitting a light level 15. Like other light sources, they melt snow and ice.

$$, beacons are also one of the only redstone solid blocks that can be waterlogged.

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.

Activation
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.

Pyramids
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. 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.

Beam
A vertical beam appears from a beacon if the beacon is activated, extending from the beacon block up to the height limit. $$, the beam is visible from roughly 64 blocks away. If a render distance of 16 chunks is set, the beam of light is visible from up to 255 blocks away.

$$, the beam is only visible from up to 256 blocks away, regardless of how high the render distance is set.

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: 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. This also works using hardened stained glass and hardened stained glass panes.

Beacon beams cannot go through most blocks, but can go through bedrock (to allow beacons to be used in the Nether) and end portal frames.

Powers
Once the beacon is emitting a beam, it can then be fed one iron ingot, gold ingot, emerald, diamond, or netherite ingot to select the status effects given to players within range of the beacon. This is done through the beacon's GUI, displayed by pressing 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:
 * I: Increased movement speed.
 * I: Increased mining and attack speed.
 * I: Decreased nearly all incoming damage (2-level pyramid required).
 * I: Increased jumping distance and height (2-level pyramid required).
 * I: Increased melee damage (3-level pyramid required).

The Secondary Powers available with a 4-level pyramid are:
 * 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.

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. $$, 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.

Piston interactivity
Beacons are block entities, so they cannot be pushed or pulled by pistons or sticky pistons.

ID




Block data
A beacon has a block entity associated with it that holds additional data about the block.

History
{{History|||snap=12w38a| The texture of beacons has now been changed, once again. {{History|||snap=12w40a| The texture of beacons has now been changed, again. {{History||1.5|snap=13w05a|The effect range of beacons has now been increased from 16/24/32/40 blocks to 20/30/40/50 blocks. {{History||1.6.1|snap=13w23a|With the Regeneration effect being nerfed slightly, the same effect produced from beacons has now been nerfed slightly too.}} {{History|||snap=13w24a|The beacon "crystal" texture, used from 12w36a to 12w37a, has now been removed as per the resource pack reform.}} {{History||1.7.2|snap=13w36a|The player can now achieve the Beaconator achievement by placing a beacon on a level-4 pyramid of specific mineral blocks.}} {{History||1.8|snap=14w29a|Beacons now display the cracking animation when being broken.}} {{History|||snap=August 5, 2014|slink={{tweet|Dinnerbone|496649440896503808}}|Dinnerbone tweets a screenshot containing a colored beacon beam. The color appears to change when the beam passes through stained glass.}} {{History|||snap=14w32a|The light of beacons now changes as it goes through stained glass.}} {{History|||snap=August 7, 2014|slink={{tweet|Dinnerbone|497367641900609536}}|Dinnerbone tweets that the beacon beam can now pass through blocks that block light slightly.}} {{History|||snap=14w32b|Beacon beams now show if they are 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. {{History||1.8.2|snap=pre5|Bedrock no longer obstructs beacon activation or beams. {{History||1.9|snap=15w31a|Beacons now generate naturally in end ships.}} {{History|||snap=15w32c|Beacons no longer generate in end ships and have been replaced by pumpkins.}} {{History|||snap=15w47a|A new tag,, now stores the sacrifice item within the beacon's block entity data. {{History|||snap=15w47b|The beacon effect duration now increases with pyramid level (it was formerly a constant 9 seconds).}} {{History|||snap=15w49a|The  tag has now been removed (introduced in 15w47a). {{History||1.11|snap=16w32a|The block entity ID has been changed from  to  .}} {{History||1.13|snap=17w47a|Prior to The Flattening, this block's numeral ID was 138.}} {{History|||snap=18w19a|Beacons now produce sounds.}} {{History||1.14|snap=18w43a| The texture of beacons has now been changed. {{History|||snap=18w44a| The texture of beacons has now been changed, once again.}} {{History||1.16|snap=20w07a|Beacons can now be activated with netherite blocks.
 * Beacon pyramid revision 3.gif The beacon beam has now been changed from a semi-transparent smooth beam (which conflicted with water transparency), to Beacon Beam (texture) JE1.png a pattern with 0% transparency.
 * Beacon pyramid revision 4.gif The beacon beam has now been changed Beacon Beam (texture) JE2.png again.
 * The collision detection on the beacon beam has been removed.}}
 * Beacon effects now extend up to the world height limit (Y{{=}}256).}}
 * Beacons in the Nether and the End now check for blocks and render the beam only up to the world height (Y{{=}}127).}}
 * Beacons in the Nether and the End now check and use the full build height (Y{{=}}255) rather than the world height (Y{{=}}127).}}
 * Beacons no longer drop their contents when broken or when the interface is exited.
 * Beacons have now been made able to interact with hoppers.}}
 * 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).}}
 * Beacon pyramid revision 5.gif Due to the change of the texture of beacons, the look of the beacon pyramid has been changed.}}
 * Beacons can now be "fed" using netherite ingots.
 * The texture of the UI of beacons has now been changed.}}

{{History|java upcoming}} {{History||1.17|snap=21w07a|Beacon beams are now visible up to 1343 blocks away from the source instead of 256 blocks.}}

{{History|pocket alpha}} {{History||v0.16.0|snap=build 4| Added beacons.}} {{History|bedrock}} {{History||1.2.0|snap=beta 1.2.0.2|Beacon beams now change colors when shining through stained glass or stained glass panes.}} {{History||1.5.0|snap=beta 1.5.0.4|Beacons now produce sounds.}} {{History||1.10.0|snap=beta 1.10.0.3| The texture of beacons has now been changed.}} {{History||1.16.0|snap=beta 1.15.0.51|The beam color can now be mixed with several different stained glass colors.}} {{History|||snap=beta 1.16.0.57|Beacons can now be activated with netherite blocks.
 * Beacons can now be "fed" using netherite ingots.
 * The texture of the UI of beacons has now been changed.}}

{{History|console}} {{History||xbox=TU19|xbone=CU7|ps=1.12|wiiu=Patch 1|switch=1.0.1| Added beacons.}} {{History||xbox=TU25|xbone=CU14|ps=1.17|wiiu=Patch 1|switch=1.0.1|Beacon beams now change colors when shining through stained glass or stained glass panes.}} {{History||xbox=TU31|xbone=CU19|ps=1.22|wiiu=Patch 3|switch=1.0.1|The vertical range of beacon has now been nerfed to match horizontal range.}} {{History||xbox=TU69|xbone=none|ps=1.76|wiiu=Patch 38|switch=none|Beacons now produce sounds.}} {{History||xbox=none|xbone=none|ps=1.90|wiiu=none|switch=none| The texture of beacons has now been changed.}}

{{History|New Nintendo 3DS Edition}} {{History||1.3.12| Added beacons.}} {{History|foot}}

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 12,326,391 different beam colors.
 * Despite it containing obsidian in its recipe, it does not need a diamond pickaxe to be mined.