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Minecraft Beacon Calculator
A beacon pyramid is four odd squares stacked. Pick the level you want and this gives you the exact block count, the footprint you need to clear, and how far the effect reaches.
Why the totals are 9, 34, 83 and 164
Each pyramid layer is a square with an odd side length — 3, 5, 7, 9 — because the layer above has to sit centred on the one below it. A centred smaller square on an odd grid always has an odd side, which forces the whole shape into odd squares.
| Level | Layers | Blocks | Stacks (64) | Footprint | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3×3 | 9 | 1 | 3×3 | 20 blocks |
| 2 | 3×3 + 5×5 | 34 | 1 | 5×5 | 30 blocks |
| 3 | + 7×7 | 83 | 2 | 7×7 | 40 blocks |
| 4 | + 9×9 | 164 | 3 | 9×9 | 50 blocks |
Notice how the jump from three to four levels costs 81 blocks for ten more blocks of range. If you are building for coverage rather than for the extra effect options, two full beacons at level 3 often cover a base better than one at level 4 — that is a planning decision, and the numbers above are what you need to make it.
The range is a radius, not a diameter
A level 4 beacon reaches 50 blocks in every direction from the beacon, so two points on opposite sides of it can be 100 blocks apart and still both be affected. People regularly read “50 blocks” as a 50-block-wide area and then wonder why the far corner of their base is unprotected.
The radius is simply 10 + 10 × level: 20, 30, 40, 50. There is no fractional range and no dependence on the block type you built the pyramid from — iron, gold, emerald, diamond and netherite pyramids all give the same radius at the same level.
Why your beacon will not activate
Almost every “my beacon is broken” case is one of these:
- An incomplete layer. The pyramid must be a full square at every level — a 9×9 ring with a hole in the middle is not a pyramid. Count the blocks against the table above rather than eyeballing it.
- Something above the beacon. The beacon needs clear access to the sky. A solid block directly on top will stop it, and so will a roof built over it later. Transparent blocks such as glass are fine.
- Wrong blocks in the pyramid. The pyramid has to be built from beacon-base blocks. Stone, planks, concrete and other ordinary blocks make a pyramid shape that does nothing at all.
- Mismatched layers. If the layers are not centred on each other, the shape is no longer a pyramid even when the block count is right.
Planning the build
Two things are worth deciding before you place the first block:
- The footprint is the clearing size. A level 4 pyramid needs a 9×9 flat area, plus the beacon itself on top — so clear 9×9 and make sure nothing above that column is solid.
- Position it once. Because the range is a radius from the beacon, moving a finished level 4 pyramid by five blocks changes what it covers. Decide the centre first, then build outward.
A level 4 pyramid is 164 blocks, which is two and a half stacks plus a bit — worth gathering before you start rather than making three trips.
Frequently asked questions
Does the pyramid material change the effect?
No. The radius and the available effects depend on how many levels you have built, not on whether the blocks are iron or netherite. Material choice is about cost and looks.
Can two beacons overlap?
Yes, and the effects do not stack into a stronger version — you get the strongest single effect that applies. Overlapping beacons are useful for covering a larger area, not for boosting a single effect.
Can I build the pyramid underground?
Only if the beacon itself still has sky access. A buried beacon with a shaft of transparent blocks above it works; one under a solid ceiling does not.
Is the block count the same in Bedrock?
The pyramid shape and the block counts are the same. Behavioural details around beacons differ slightly between editions, so if you are troubleshooting, check the beacon's own interface in your edition.
Sources
- Pyramid layer sizes, block counts and the 20/30/40/50 radius — Minecraft game behaviour, cross-checked against the official Minecraft Wiki's beacon article, checked 26 October 2026.
- Official game site — minecraft.net
The effect list shown in a beacon's interface varies with your pyramid level and edition, so this page does not reproduce it — read it from the beacon itself.