What your result means
The headline is how many mineral blocks the pyramid itself takes — not counting the beacon on top, which is a separate craft. Because every mineral block is nine ingots or gems, the second row is the number you actually have to mine, and the stack figure is what that looks like in your inventory. Effect range is the radius around the beacon where players get the buff, and duration is how long each application lasts; since the beacon reapplies every four seconds, the buff stays on permanently while you are inside the radius. If you are planning the wider build around it, the build material calculator handles the floors and walls.
Tier 4 costs twice what the first three tiers cost together
The layers are 9, 25, 49 and 81 blocks, so each one is roughly double the last. Tiers 1 to 3 come to 83 blocks between them; adding the 9×9 base doubles the whole project to 164. In ingots that is the difference between 747 and 1,476.
Which is why tier 3 is a common stopping point: it unlocks Strength and a 40-block radius for half the material. Only tier 4 gives the secondary power slot, though — Regeneration alongside your primary, or your primary upgraded to level II — so if that is what you came for, there is no shortcut.
How it works
Each tier adds one solid square layer beneath the last, growing by two blocks a side: 3×3, then 5×5, 7×7 and 9×9. The tier is set by how many complete layers sit under the beacon, and it drives everything else — range in whole blocks, duration in seconds, and which powers appear in the beacon’s menu. Materials are interchangeable: iron, gold, diamond, emerald and netherite blocks all count as one block each and can be mixed in the same layer, so the calculator converts your chosen material into ingots or gems at nine per block.
How to use this calculator
- Pick the tier you are aiming for — tier 4 if you want the secondary power, tier 3 if you mainly want Strength and range.
- Choose the material you plan to build in. It changes the price, never the effect.
- If you have already started, type how many blocks you have and read the still to gather row.
- Check the layer list before you start placing — every layer must be a complete square, and each one sits directly beneath the last.
- Leave the column above the beacon open to the sky, then feed it one ingot or gem to choose a power.
Formula
Blocks for tier T = Σ (2n + 1)2 for n = 1..T
Ingots = blocks × 9
Range = 10 × (T + 1) blocks
Duration = 9 + 2T seconds
T is the pyramid tier, 1 to 4, and n counts layers from the top down, so layer 1 is the 3×3 directly under the beacon. The squares come out as 9, 25, 49 and 81, giving running totals of 9, 34, 83 and 164 blocks. Range and duration are both linear in the tier: 20 to 50 blocks, and 11 to 17 seconds.
Example calculation
A full tier-4 beacon built in iron:
Iron ingots = 164 × 9 = 1,476
In stacks = 23 stacks + 4 ingots
Effect range = 50 blocks · duration = 17 seconds
Plus the beacon: 5 glass + 3 obsidian + 1 nether star
Compare that with tier 3 at 83 blocks and 747 ingots — barely half — for a 40-block radius and everything except the secondary power. Set the tier selector to 3 and then 4 to see the jump.
Frequently asked questions
How many blocks does a full beacon need?＋
A tier-4 pyramid needs 164 mineral blocks: a 9×9 base of 81, then 7×7 (49), 5×5 (25) and 3×3 (9) with the beacon on top. That is 1,476 ingots or gems, because every block is crafted from nine. Lower tiers need 9, 34 or 83 blocks.
Does the block material change the beacon at all?＋
No. Iron, gold, diamond, emerald and netherite blocks all count identically, and you can mix them freely in the same pyramid. The material only changes what it costs you, so most players build in iron and save the diamonds.
Why is my beacon not working?＋
Almost always sky access. The beam needs an unobstructed column above it; glass, water and leaves are fine, but a single opaque block switches it off. Otherwise check that every layer is a complete square with no gaps, and that you have fed it one ingot or gem to select a power.
Related calculators
Assumptions & limitations
Every figure here comes from a simplified model. Keep these limits in mind when reading your result:
- Figures are Java Edition. Bedrock has minor directional variation in effect range, and older versions report slightly different durations.
- Ingot counts assume you craft every block yourself at nine per block, and ignore Fortune on ore — diamonds and emeralds drop one per ore without it.
- Netherite is included because it counts as a valid block, but it is wildly impractical: each block is nine netherite ingots, and each of those needs four scrap and four gold.
- The beacon block itself is not in the block count. It costs 5 glass, 3 obsidian and 1 nether star, plus one ingot or gem each time you set a power.
- Beacons can share layers where pyramids overlap, so a cluster of beacons costs less than the totals here multiplied out.