Best 1st level druid spells

[Zhentarim]

What are the most useful debuff/combat spells for a melee druid?

[legomaster00156]

Entangle, hands down, is the best level 1 battlefield control spell on any spell list I can think of.

[AzureDidact]

There's a pretty long list, here.

Most of the really good druid spells are pretty niche, but always remember you can convert any of them into Summon Nature's Ally.

Shillelagh provides excellent damage (as much as a magic greatsword on a quarterstaff)
Produce Flame can be a lot of fun with a heavily focused fire-caster type build.
Obscuring Mist is a good way to cover an escape or hide from projectiles
Faerie Fire will remain relevant for a very long time. Cancels invisibility, and shuts down critters hiding in magical darkness. It's an AoE, and offers no save.
Charm animal provides a simple solution to basic bear/snake/predator encounters.
And, of course, Cure Light Wounds has and will save lives.

Don't hesitate to burn spell slots as summons if you're not sure how else to contribute. In the worst case, its an 80 pound ball of fur that flanks and draws attention from the rest of your party.

Edit: Lol. Not sure how I forgot entangle. Definitely use it. It's amazing.

[Geddy2112]

Second all of the above.

I am currently running a druid in a sci-fi campaign, and faerie fire is outright devastating. A lot of enemies(and things like space ships) think they are cheeky with cloaking technology, and faerie fire ruins it. It can make pitch black dungeons lit enough for low light to see, and negates the concealment of the target, makes stealth effectively impossible, and negates a fair amount of other defensive buffs with no save. It is bonkers good.

In addition, I really like snowball as a decent damage+stagger spell, and longstrider as a humble but long and useful buff, particularly once you start wildshaping.

[Zhentarim]

I am also a Witchwolf in this game and we will be werewolf hunters.

[Kurald Galain]

Assuming your wisdom is good, Nauseating Dart is a good spell to keep around.

Faerie Fire is great but best kept as a scroll since you're unlikely to need it every day, and since it doesn't have a save.

[Pyromancer999]

I am also a Witchwolf in this game and we will be werewolf hunters.

Aspect of the Wolf(if I remember the name correctly) is good in that it lets you turn into a wolf. Won't last forever, but does let you blend in with a werewolf pack if you're looking to blend in. Also not bad for 1st level combat.