Arcane Duelist Bard spell choices

[Spore]

I have decided to roll up another character for my group where I am currently playing an Investigator/Armored Hulk. They aren't terribly optimized and our group setup is a bit unusual:

1) Dual Wielding Paladin: using Finesse Weapons and Revolvers, Con 10 so pretty much a striker rather than a full melee
2) Bow Ranger: using a Composite Bow, less competent in melee, but Con 14 means he can pull off a bit of fighting before he topples over
3) Time Oracle: focussed on supporting, using her aging touch as well as the Haste/Slow revelation
4) Flames Oracle: focussed on damage and blasting, even chose the inflict route of spells

I am rolling up an (Human) Arcane Duelist and while everything else it matching the character I am uncertain about SOME spells.

0:
Prestigitation: Mainly to keep clean easily as well as not to smell like undead innards in front of the king
Magehand: Yeah, fluff mostly.
Light: 4/5 of the group lack darkvision
Message: not terribly useful but preferred to yelling across the tavern in order to meet someone in secret
Detect Magic: I could even drop this and have it not be an issue but there are no worthwhile options. I've dumped Spellcraft (we have two characters with full ranks, and the Flames Oracle is certainly happy about something that she can roll on because she is quite new to the game)

1:
Alarm: There's this many factions, assassins and political parties coming for the group, it's not even funny
Remove Fear: the concept's about rallying people against someone who instills fear into the hearts of man. Plus he is pretending to work for an Antipaladin and guess what Antipaladins excel at?
Charm Person: Would you kindly open that prison cell for us?
Saving Finale: A good spell on its own but when you fight clerics, vampires, and evil outsiders I figured this is pretty important.
Vanish: I have Invisibility but I think Vanish saves me on castings when I only need this for a few rounds in combat
Expeditious Retreat: Yeah, being quick is important. Doubly so if you are the only melee in the bunch.
Grease: Taken both for hilarity and effectiveness.

Questions: How redundant is Vanish with Invisibility? Are Alarm and Remove Fear too situational to be kept on the list (remember the bonus from Inspire Courage AND the Paladin Aura)? What would you pick instead?

2:
Heroism: "I am pretty great myself but look at you! You are also pretty great." Basically a major buff and prebattle spell.
Mirror Image: defensive buff. I'm not particularly fond of that but between that and Displacement I figured that is enough for most bosses. If they waste a spell in order to dispel it it's a spell less to control my party.
Glitterdust: We are pretty helpless vs. invisibility right now.
Tongues: Well, if you can't insult the enemy while beating him down, what is the point of a bard really? Kidding, the main schtick is not to avoid combat but to convince the enemy to give up before they get killed by the PCs.
Suggestion: "Might I suggest dropping your weapons and giving up?"
Gallant Inspiration: Easy on performance rounds and on action economy, might tip the scale in critical situations.

Questions: The list looks solid but there are so many good spells on 2. level. Got any suggestions for that?

3:
Good Hope: The cornerstone and inspiration for this character, actually. Coming from a nation where Antipaladins rule through fear and everyone wants to kill everyone else it's good to see someone lift the spirits and enable the small man. It just feels very redundant when you think about Heroism.
Haste: I know our Oracle can cast this 1/day and might also get Blessing of Fervor. But until then, Haste is quite the choice and often the oracle isn't able to dedicate her one cast per round to things like that.
Displacement: Major defensive buff. Our BBEG might come with True Seeing but other than that, I am the only frontliner with 71 HP in a game of 25 pt. buy.
Scrying: I like the plot hooks it can grant. I dislike almost anything else about the spell. I hate the one hour cast, I hate the expensive and unhandy focus component and I dislike the mysticism a "seer" carries with him when I wanted a swashbuckling dabbler in the arcane arts.

Questions: Would you prefer Good Hope or Heroism to be cast? Do you think Haste is redundant even now? What are your thoughts about Scrying? Charm Monster seems a tad redundant on my part (although I can convince evil outsiders to get revenge on their tormentors whenever I meet them). Confusion is very fine but with both a blaster in the group and Confusion being a very finnicky spell for the DM to handle I don't think that's smart either. I was even thinking about Mad Monkeys (because that spell is hilariously destructive on a comical level).

[Geddy2112]

Cantrips are fine.

1st level: Alarm is almost better on a wand if the rest of the party can UMD it. Retrain it at higher levels. Remove fear is crap considering you can rallying cry, pally is immune and buffs nearby, inspire courage buffs against, and most of the group has good will saves. For fluff, have your rallying cry/inspire fit the "fighting fear in the hears of men". Unless you need invis on other party members for sneaking(I don't see that you do) vanish is fine. It lets you defensive buff yourself if needed. You might want compel hostility to make sure people attack you. Silent image is never bad.

2nd:I don't like heroism on bards as your performance beats it at level 5, and surpasses it at level 11. You are picking 3rd level spells so you are at least level 7. Suggestion is only good because you don't have the performance. Silence can ruin casters and stealth the party. Darkness is also fairly utility.

3rd: Good hope can do things your bardic performance can't, but it is still only slightly better sometimes. Just inspire competence out of combat and use performance in. Your performance can still focus on providing good hope to others. Keep haste and displacement. I don't think you should rely on scrying for plot hooks, considering how almost your entire group is charisma based, you should be able to coax it out(or talk to your DM). Mad monkeys is hilarious and good utility, but also consider slow. Phantom steed is a good wand or scroll. I personally always like having dispel magic, just in case.

[illyahr]

Good Hope sounds nice, but your other available buffs make it unnecessary. Seconding Dispel Magic instead as you can use it as a major debuff to cancel support spells and suppress magic items.

[Sillybird99]

1st: silent image
2nd: Alter self
3rd: Glibness

May not strictly fit your RP, but hard spells to pass on.

[Spore]

2nd:I don't like heroism on bards as your performance beats it at level 5, and surpasses it at level 11. .

Inspire Courage is a competence bonus in Pathfinder so it stacks with morale buff spells.

[Geddy2112]

Inspire Courage is a competence bonus in Pathfinder so it stacks with morale buff spells.

I just re read that, and you are right! "An affected ally receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 competence bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls." I always saw the morale bonus at the first half for the saves against fear and charm, and never noticed the word competence.

I can't believe I never noticed that. Then yes, keep heroism. I am a bit more on the fence for good hope due to the short duration and the fact heroism is almost the exact same. I am glad you pointed that out!

[Spore]

I made the following changes:

1:
Alarm for Silent Image -> imagine him having a silent intimidating bodyguard one half of the time and having an actual bodyguard the other half (Charm Person)
Remove Fear for Unseen Servant -> incredible fluff and utility. "Jeeves, fetch me that key, please."

2:
No changes: Exploiting Alter Self simply is not needed in order to keep up with a party full of T4s and poorly played full casters.

3:
Scrying for Dispel Magic -> as you said it is incredibly important. I shouldn't have to dispel but since it is a pure CL check it's king of required.
Good Hope for Charm Monster -> Good Hope will probably find its way onto my list eventually since there are only so many good bard spells on 3. But fortunately I am human and start to really ramp up the spell choices for 3rd level on level 10. Until, I might enjoy my Hellhounds, Erinnyes or Efreeti.