Bring Home the Beacon
Construct and place a Beacon
Overview
Bring Home the Beacon is a task advancement in the Nether tab of Minecraft's advancement system, carrying the in-game description "Construct and place a Beacon." It branches directly off Withering Heights, so that earlier advancement is its prerequisite and must be earned first. The Nether tab covers advancements for exploring and conquering the Nether dimension, from entering the portal to brewing potions. Bring Home the Beacon was added in Minecraft 1.12 and remains part of the current 1.21 advancement set.
It is rated Hard difficulty on this site: requires significant effort, rare resources, or dangerous encounters. It uses the standard task frame, meaning it is a normal step in the tree rather than a goal or challenge milestone. One further advancement, Beaconator, is gated behind it.
In tree terms, Bring Home the Beacon sits fourth along its line: the full path from the Nether root reads Nether -> A Terrible Fortress -> Spooky Scary Skeleton -> Withering Heights -> Bring Home the Beacon. That means 4 advancements must be completed before this one becomes available, and Bring Home the Beacon is one of 22 total advancements in the Nether tab. No other advancement shares its parent, so it is the only thing that branches from Withering Heights.
How to Complete Bring Home the Beacon
Earning Bring Home the Beacon comes down to the following, performed in order:
- Defeat the Wither to obtain a Nether Star, craft a beacon from 3 obsidian, 5 glass, and 1 Nether Star.
- Place it on top of a pyramid of iron, gold, diamond, emerald, or netherite blocks.
- Minimum 9 blocks for level 1.
Tips & Fastest Route
Tips & Fastest Route- Fastest route: Kill the Wither for a Nether Star, craft a beacon, and place it on a 3x3 mineral base.
- A single 3x3 layer of iron blocks (9 blocks) powers a level-1 beacon, the minimum to activate it.
- Make sure Withering Heights is already ticked off before you start, otherwise Bring Home the Beacon will not be tracked even if you perform the steps correctly.
- At Hard difficulty, Bring Home the Beacon rewards preparation over speed — line up the items and conditions in the steps first rather than improvising mid-attempt.
Common Mistakes
Common Mistakes- Remember that Bring Home the Beacon will not appear as available until Withering Heights is done, since the game only tracks an advancement once its parent has been unlocked.
Reward & What It Unlocks
Reward & What It UnlocksCompleting Bring Home the Beacon grants 10 experience points. The XP drops at your position the moment the advancement fires.
Earning it unlocks Beaconator, which becomes the next step along this branch of the tree.
Details
Advancement ID
Category
Version Added
Bring Home the Beacon Advancement FAQ
How do you get the Bring Home the Beacon advancement in Minecraft?
Kill the Wither for a Nether Star, craft a beacon, and place it on a 3x3 mineral base. In full, defeat the Wither to obtain a Nether Star, craft a beacon from 3 obsidian, 5 glass, and 1 Nether Star. Place it on top of a pyramid of iron, gold, diamond, emerald, or netherite blocks. Minimum 9 blocks for level 1.
What do you need for Bring Home the Beacon?
Before you can work on it you must have completed Withering Heights. Defeat the Wither to obtain a Nether Star, craft a beacon from 3 obsidian, 5 glass, and 1 Nether Star. Place it on top of a pyramid of iron, gold, diamond, emerald, or netherite blocks.
Which advancement tab is Bring Home the Beacon in?
Bring Home the Beacon is in the Nether tab, hanging beneath Withering Heights. Its in-game advancement ID is minecraft:nether/create_beacon.
Is Bring Home the Beacon part of the Withering Heights branch?
Yes. Bring Home the Beacon sits directly below Withering Heights in the Nether tree, so you must earn Withering Heights first. Completing Bring Home the Beacon then opens Beaconator.
How much XP does Bring Home the Beacon give and how hard is it?
Bring Home the Beacon awards 10 XP and is rated Hard difficulty.