I'm putting together a "best of" spell list and I'm keen to hear from all the Wizards out there...

I find myself using hold person and detect thoughts more often than the typically chosen power spells.  

Dragons breath, it scales okay with upcasts(only 1d6 but it lasts rounds) and can be put on your familiar.

Hold person, solid shut down even if its targets are limited, scales very well with upcasts.

Levitate despite targeting con it is one of the better crowd control spells as the target does not get a save every round to break free. And it has its normal utility.

Misty step, its nice to have a get out of jail free card though I think some people over state it.

suggestion; solid long term charm like effect.

web really really good crowd control.

I didn't pick it on the poll as i dont like it, but I'll add tashas mind whip in for mechanically solid its potentially too good when upcast, I just don't like it. I find it in play somewhat situational, the initiative order has to come up in a way that the target I want to hit with it doesn't go too fast, and I have to know that or gamble on it. When it works its nice, fairly low level spell did some damage and wasted a targets round. When it doesn't a bit of damage and that is it, and that can be on a failed save as well.

I voted for Web because it's an outstanding battlefield control spell and you can use it all the way through higher levels of play. 

As a bladesinger, I do get a lot of mileage out of Mirror Image. Super useful plus no concentration.

In terms of what is "best", misty step is the most universally useful as you can use it to escape, bypass obstructions, get to a better location faster etc.

For what is my favourite, the answer is rope trick every time because it's a weird spell that can be used in all kinds of strange and creative ways, or just to hide safely within, I have a lot of fun with odd spells.

Runners up are magic mouth for extra chicanery (I took this and rope trick on my current silly Wizard, and have been using strategically placed mouths to spread rumours), and scorching ray if you just want a way to deal ranged damage, though I think the sweet spot is actually 3rd-level for casting it.

Quote from Haravikk >>

In terms of what is "best", misty step is the most universally useful as you can use it to escape, bypass obstructions, get to a better location faster etc.

For what is my favourite, the answer is rope trick every time because it's a weird spell that can be used in all kinds of strange and creative ways, or just to hide safely within, I have a lot of fun with spells that work.

Runners up are magic mouth for extra chicanery (I took this and rope trick on my current silly Wizard, and have been using strategically placed mouths to spread rumours), and scorching ray if you just want a way to deal ranged damage, though I think the sweet spot is actually 3rd-level for casting it.

You are so right.  I voted misty step because many, many of my characters have it.  I rally like others though - Tasha's Mind Whip, Blur and invisibility in particular. 

Other spells have more utility, but I have to say my favorite to use is rope trick - my tiny little necromancer really appreciates being able to have some peace and quite away from the chaos of the party to read/work on spells.

Quote from Haravikk >>

For what is my favourite, the answer is rope trick every time because it's a weird spell that can be used in all kinds of strange and creative ways, or just to hide safely within, I have a lot of fun with spells that work

I voted for enlarge/reduce and web for much the same reasons -- I love spells that have utility both in and out of combat

I've used e/r to take care of doors and obstacles we otherwise couldn't get by, and break an evil-looking machine by picking one particular part and making it too big to fit where it's supposed to

web I've used to stop combats before they started and people got hurt when they didn't need to, stop a particularly chaotic party member from doing something stupid, and delay pursuers or a second wave of attackers. It's also an emergency backup when I don't have feather fall prepared -- party falls down pit, I web to catch us

Misty Step is probably the lvl2 spell I've used the most.
Suggestion is situational by design, but it's great for social interactions.
Invisibility is a very useful scouting spell. However, I've seen a lot of people play it wrong, and make it more powerful than it is. Just because they don't see you doesn't mean they can't hear you, smell you, etc... So in many situations you won't get rid of the stealth roll.
Augury is very good at getting clues. It has the trick that you have to ask correctly, or a strict DM might trick you.

And there are other level 2 spells that can be very good depending on the build. However, if I have to choose one, I choose misty step. I always have that spell handy on characters that can use it.

Enlarge/Reduce is probably one of the most oddball spells that remains useful regardless of what level you are.  Being able to create problems or resolve them by applying basic physics and a low level spell feels great.  

Even at 17th Level I still have Misty Step prepared.  As a Conjuration Wizard, Benign Transposition + Misty Step is still something that is very useful.  Swapping places with an injured teammate then teleporting out of there before the mob can attack is pretty awesome.

My most favourite spell is easily Enlarge/Reduce. If you have a DM that incorporates real physics in the game (or if you do and your DM listens to your explanations), increasing or reducing the weight of objects by the factor of 8 is so so useful (way more than doubling/halfing the size).

• Is there a strong metal door? Reduce, now it either hangs only on one hinge or you can crawl under it (or it is only half as thin and your fighter/barbarian can smash it)

• Do you have a ranger? Hold the spell until the ranger shoots an arrow and watch as the enemy is being impaled by a projectile made for a ballista

• Is a bar fight happening? Now you have a giant on your side to step on enemies (and hopefully not killing them)

• Do you need to steal a heavy object from a house? Make it lighter, carry it outside and throw it onto your cart and cover it with a big enough piece of fabric before you drive off

• Do you need to destroy a ship? Enlarge one cannon (or the main mast) and let it crash through the decks from it's own weight

• Do you have a druid or other casters who can cast Polymorph and need a plane for a minute? Let one spellcaster Wildshape or polymorph your heavy armor wearer into a Giant Eagle, enlarge it to huge size and use it's 960 lbs carrying capacity (16 str x 15 x 2 x 2) and jump on it to get a heastart to your pursuers

Really, the possibilities are endless with this spell. I just love it.

Quote from Stryke89 >>

Do you need to destroy a ship? Enlarge one cannon (or the main mast) and let it crash through the decks from it's own weight

Love the creative examples! But I would say that this one wouldn't really work as described I think; the main mast wouldn't have enough room to expand outwards (so it would simply remain the same size) while the cannon may run into the same issue. Neither would be heavy enough to collapse a decent ship's deck on its own. 

A more effective use might be if you can target only part of the mast, e.g- an iron band around the middle, or only the main mast (not the spars) and reduce it, as this would cause enough damage that the ship's carpenter is going to be busy for some time trying to fix it (assuming you didn't reduce them too and punt them into the sea). Not to mention any added damage once the shrunken mast returns to normal size!

An enlarged cannon could be dangerous if you can also ensure it is detached from its moorings so it can run free (you've suddenly got a giant industrial strength battering ram on wheels careening about inside the ship). Or if you have access to it just fire the thing through the ship from the inside (ships are very strong against attacks from the outside, less so from the inside…).

Hm true, I forgot that a mast is not just "put" onto the top deck of a ship, but it is connected through all decks. But one could enlarge the sail and let it cover the whole deck for confusion (and totally not setting it on fire).

The biggest restrictions are Enlarge/Reduce as a Swiss Army Knife of a spell is that A) it takes concentration and B) it can only last up to a minute.  It would be nice to be able to get your DM to approve upcasting the spell for longer duration.  Perhaps that can be a future Artificer subclass ability.

Regarding B)

What I found in my past games was that the 1 Minute time is (usually) only relevant in a fight when you use it on a creature.

Mostly, I have used the spell on objects (like enlarging some kind of ammo in mid air or using enlarge to destroy something in the process) and the spell was only active for a few seconds.

But, if you use it on an object and need a longer time frame, our DM ruled that you can expand an appropriate spellslot and "cast" the spell again on the object without it turning back for a moment, and that way the 1 minute duration is plenty IMO. 

Quote from Song_of_Blues >>

The biggest restrictions are Enlarge/Reduce as a Swiss Army Knife of a spell is that A) it takes concentration and B) it can only last up to a minute.  It would be nice to be able to get your DM to approve upcasting the spell for longer duration.  Perhaps that can be a future Artificer subclass ability.

Or just get some sorcerer points and metamagic

There's honestly so many great spells at that level, it's hard to choose.

Personally, mine would be;
Suggestion
Misty Step
Invisibility
Rope Trick
Knock

There are a lot of others in there that absolutely deserve a mention, like Hold Person, Alter Self, etc. but those are the ones I have a particular soft spot for.

Fun fact, half the time I used Knock was not for opening something, but to use the loud sound as a distraction or signal for someone far away (I usually cast the spell then on a belt buckle of an enemy or something so the spell has something to open) 

Quote from Stryke89 >>

Fun fact, half the time I used Knock was not for opening something, but to use the loud sound as a distraction or signal for someone far away (I usually cast the spell then on a belt buckle of an enemy or something so the spell has something to open) 

The range on the noise is lower, but couldn't you just use thunderclap for that?

Of course, then you'd have to use a cantrip slot on thunderclap