Someone speculated that it might be used to move objects attached to creatures. That seems mistaken to me, and to raise it here for me feels like a strawman because I don't believe anyone is wedded to that argument.
This also for me feels like a strawman. To try and give you some insight: to me it feels like those arguing that repelling blast is fine are just not coming to the debate with enough experience of system-savvy players using it. Because none of what you say makes sense to me, or reflects what is happening in my game. I'm not using simple threats... that's precisely my worry. Yes, it can absolutely trivialise simple threats. And, when party members work together, it can trivialise a surprising array of non-simple threats.
To add just one layer of complexity to the simple-threat example, a common tactical situation is where some non-tanky ranged are being protected by some tanky melee. Repelling blast can push that melee around letting party members interact with the ranged. System-savvy players can abuse this. It's not about how they work in a white-room, in isolation: it's about how the cantrip can be spammed in situations where a party can conspire to take maximum benefit from it.
I think you might be overusing strawman.
Again, my response to moving obstacles was just to clear that up. I did not use it to refute the rest of the argument, just to clear up that error, right? Has fact-checking now become a strawman?
Second, if you want to imagine those who disagree are just inexperienced, thats fine, though a bit dismissive. But if that's what you think, why engage with folks you are already dismissing as not knowing enough? Are you trying to
edjimicate us know-littles?
Since you go on for a bit about how none of what I say is anything you agree with and white room this and that, but I didnt mention ehite rooms, did I?
So, maybe I should clarify even though you seem to be responding to others while quoting me.
The ranged guy blocked by tanky fighter
is a simple challenge. It is a good example of a tier-1 type threat - low tier-1. By even third level, spells like hold person really hit that notion. So do a lot of other things like obscurment spells etc.
By the time you move into tier-2 upper end, that setup has fallen well below sustainable due to lots of slots to spend and more powerful options.
Honestly, willy nilly pushing around the tank by hitting with beams against the high AC tank seems... less than optimal an approach even for that tier-1 defense strategy.
But, yeah, from us low educated point of view, my first question is why are these simpletons adopting a tier-1 defense in a situation where apparently the enemies are at a level and given free movement etc to strike from direction to push them out of formation?