Beacons are placeable blocks in Minecraft that grant any players within range a variety of buffs. In this guide, I'll explain the range of a beacon in Minecraft and how to increase it.
Minecraft Beacon range explained
In order to give the beacon an area of effect, you must place the correct blocks underneath it in the shape of a pyramid, with the beacon placed on top of the center block.
The first level of blocks will give the beacon a range of 20 blocks. Each additional complete level will increase the range by 10 blocks, with a maximum range of 50 blocks. In other words, the maximum range (Level 4 beacon) means any player within the area of 50x50 blocks from the beacon will receive a buff. This goes on top of any buffs you have on your equipment, even your sword enchantments.
Related: How to build and use a Beacon in Minecraft - Pro Game Guides
What blocks can you use for a Beacon?
For a beacon to work, you must use one of the correct block types as its base. The blocks you can use are listed below:
- Emerald Blocks
- Diamond Blocks
- Gold Blocks
- Iron Blocks
- Netherrite Blocks
Using other types of blocks will render your beacon useless. We recommend building a cheap iron farm to supply yourself with the necessary number of blocks to craft a level 4 beacon. If building an iron farm is not an option, you can also mix blocks for the pyramid.
How many blocks do you need to create a Beacon?
Aside from knowing what blocks to use for a beacon pyramid, you must also completely fill each layer with the appropriate blocks for the beacon to work.
For context, these are the total amount of blocks you need to complete each respective pyramid level range:
- Level 1 Range - 9 blocks for a 3x3 pyramid
- Level 2 Range - 34 blocks for a 5x5 + 3x3 pyramid
- Level 3 Range - 83 blocks for a 7x7 + 5x5 + 3x3 pyramid
- Level 4 Range - 164 blocks for a 9x9 + 7x7 + 5x5 + 3x3 pyramid
Once you've filled in the entire pyramid, your beacon will have its maximum range of 50 blocks. After you exit this range, you'll have 17 seconds until the designated status effect ends for your character.
While you're looking at status effects, while not check out our answer to What Does the Hero of the Village Status Effect Do in Minecraft?
John Carlo or "Jay" is a content writer for almost two years, specializing in video game guides, reviews, optimized PC settings. He's mainly fond of genres such as ARPGs, JRPGs, Indie games, FPS and TPS.
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