D&D 5E What is your go to Concentration spell?

[ezo]

Lots of good ones, of course, but as others have said it depends a lot on class (spells available) and level (or spell level).

Guidance

Bless
Faerie Fire
Hunter's Mark/ Hex
Shield of Faith

Darkness
Heat Metal
Invisibility
Web

Haste
Slow
Spirt Guardians

Greater Invisibility
Polymorph
Wall of Fire

Hold Monster
Wall of Force

Bolded spells are ones I routinely use given the classes I play, but others have been "go to's" in the past.

 

[humble minion]

Playing as a paladin - Bless to start with (assuming i have enough prep time that i can spare an action to cast it). Shield of Faith if i don't, or if i fail a concentration check at some point and have to recast. Higher-level slots get saved for smites (and sometimes instantaneous spells like Revivify or an upcast Command), because higher-level paladin spell options are not exactly an impressive selection

 

[Swarmkeeper]

For my 8th level Chronurgy Wizard, my go-to Concentration spells are all time themed:

Hypnotic Pattern
Slow
Haste

Which one to cast depends on number and spacing of enemies. Hypnotic Pattern is typically preferred over Slow as it does not allow for the repeated save every round and can down flying enemies (although, they are then no longer under the effects of the spell).

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

Depends on the character, but as a general guideline for all of them, its either Bless or a summon spell.
Several have access to Bless, and as a 1st level spell it it widely available and useful.

Summon X spells have a duration that often lasts several combats, provide additional targeted damage, an extra body on the board, and if necessary some extra HP that aren't coming off the party, in addition to whatever special capabilities they have.

 

[CleverNickName]

At our table, it was Haste. If I had a dollar for every time someone cast that spell in our last campaign, I'd probably get a car payment out of it.

 

[jgsugden]

Depends upon the DM, class, and campaign ... but:

Cantrip: Create Bonfire, Guidance
1st: Detect Magic, Fog Cloud, Hex, Hunter's Mark, Silent Image, THL, Witchbolt (2024)
2nd: Alter Self, Detect Thoughts, Enlarge, Heat Metal, Hold Person, Invisibility, Levitate, PwoT, Phantasmal Force, Silence, Suggestion, Summon Beast
3rd: Fly, Haste, Hypnotic Pattern, Major Image, Spirit Guardians, Summon XXX
4th: Arcane Eye, Banishment, Greater Invis, ORS, Polymorph, Summon XXXX, Wall of Fire
5th: Dominate Person, Hold Monster, Wall of Force, Wall of Stone
6th: Arcane Gate, Blade Barrier, Mental Prison, OID
7th: DBF, Forcecage, Project Image, Reverse Gravity
8th: Dom Monster, Holy Aura, Maze
9th: Gate, Shapechange, True Polymorph

The most common use of my concentration tends to be PHANTASMAL FORCE as it is 1.) available to bards, wizards and sorcerers, 2.) available at low levels (2nd), 3.) targets an often low save, and 4.) can singlehandedly rewrite an entire adventure through a one minute deception. While useful in combat, it is the out of combat uses where the target gets information/instructions/etc... from a phantom ally that do the most. I almost always have this spell on arcane PCs and it is insanely effective if the DM is not restrictive with it.

Summon Beast for druids and Spirit Guardians (or other aura spells) for clerics.