D&D 5E What Spells Would You Recommend for an EK?

[Greenstone.Walker]

My EK's INT was low, so I stayed away from spells requiring saves or attacks.

Mage hand, for all sorts of useful stuff, including spreading caltrops.
Create bonfire, for battlefield control and for hot dinners.
Chill touch, it is an attack roll, but it is a ranged attack at 120ft (and a better attack than a bow, since this character's DEX was even worse than INT).

Shield, leaping into the middle of a group of foes with the confidence that for the next round, all of their actions will be wasted.
Magic Missile, for when you really, really need to hit the baddie.
Feather Fall, for you and your friends.

Shatter, your first real AoE spell.
Misty Step, for when you need to get past the minions and smack the chief baddie.

The character never made it past 7th level, but I had plans to also get fly, to be able to melee all those baddies that fly or levitate or stand on ledges or otherwise protect themselves from melee. I also would have picked up haste, in order to give the main mages other uses for their concentration.

I also had this idea that hold person would synergise well with Eldritch Strike and Action Surge, but I never got to test it out.

 

[Shiroiken]

The high level EK in my game has Green Flame Blade and Ray of Frost so that he can cast one of them and make a weapon attack as a bonus action. The only spell he regularly casts in combat is Shield, but it's huge, and he recently got Lightning Bolt, but only has 2/day. He just picked up Absorb Elements (EE Companion), but it hasn't come up yet. He generally avoids Concentration spells because he will get hit and is concerned about wasting the spell (I feel Haste would be amazing for him, but he disagrees).

 

[Azzy]

Thank you, there's a lot of food for thought.

I'm playing a fire genasi EK that's going sword and board (recently got plate armor, too).

I'm the party's meat shield, er... tank, in a cleric-less party. We've got Tomelock, Dragon Sorc, and a laser monk.

 

[Valetudo]

As everyone says, shield is a must. Booming blade if your tanking. If you go dex build, a bow will out dpr cantrips. I would spend all my free spells on utility spells. Fireball is a great way to start a fight when you get 3rd lvl spells, but its got alot of competition. EKs really become the versitile fighter after a slow start.

 

[Valetudo]

Warcaster plus buff spells and con prof. saves.

 

[Ancalagon]

I see a number of suggestions for mage armor... why not, you know, just wear armor and save that spell slot for something else? Am I missing something?

 

[Prism]

Its also worth noting that the shield spell becomes hard to use with a real shield as you don't have a free hand at the right time. Maybe later with the warcaster feat but in general I don't like that one since it doesn't help with spells that need a material component

 

[CapnZapp]

Pretty much what it says on the tin...

For those of you that have played an Eldritch Knight (or seen one played), what cantrips and spells do recommend taking?

Shield

If you use all your spell slots just for shield, you have done good.

In fact, it's outright broken.

 

[CapnZapp]

Its also worth noting that the shield spell becomes hard to use with a real shield as you don't have a free hand at the right time. Maybe later with the warcaster feat but in general I don't like that one since it doesn't help with spells that need a material component

So ditch the real shield and grab a greataxe instead

 

[CapnZapp]

I see a number of suggestions for mage armor... why not, you know, just wear armor and save that spell slot for something else? Am I missing something?

Nope you're not missing anything.