So, as a lot of people have observed what often makes or breaks a spellcaster at low levels is if they have a good focus spell that is consistently useful.
Now that people have had some time to play with the new wizard schools. Which ones have focus spells that work well?
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I personally like Force Bolt, it's simple and effective as a third action. And it doesn't push you towards a specific (and weak) playstyle).
But overall, Wizard's Focus Spells are nowhere close to impactful.
Force Bolt. Extra damage for a focus point you're using for something else is fairly nice.
Hand of the Apprentice: Looks cool. Can be effective and motivates you to build up a weapon.
Never really seen any player use any other wizard focus spells with any regularity other than the two I listed. Maybe they are ok, but my wizard players ignore all the other focus wizard focus spells and never use focus spells as a wizard since they see wizard focus spells as so bad.
Past the low levels, my wizard players barely even remember to use focus spells. I haven't see any taking the advanced focus spells.
Wizard focus spells are probably the worst in the game and least likely to fit any reasonable wizard playstyle.
I have heard the advanced former divination focus spells gets used in scouting by some. Rune of Observation it is called now.
Looking at low level play, so I am just looking at the level 1 focus spells.
Charming Push is kinda expensive for what it does. There are better ways of getting a 1-point boost to AC for one round against one enemy. (Forbidding Ward straight up outclasses it. Protective Wards at least protects against all enemies and can protect more than just you.) Even if the enemy fails the save and isn't able to attack you, they can still attack someone else. With no penalty.
Diviner's Sight runs into the same problem that the Investigator runs into with Devise a Strategem - it only works half the time when the dice pre-rolls the way that you want it to. But Devise doesn't cost a focus point each time.
Earthworks could be useful in certain battle environments. So I will give this one a B-tier for good niche use.
Efficient Apport is a good spell. A good non-combat spell. It could be quite useful in some social situation or stealth/infiltration types of encounters. It isn't a combat spell at all. So if combat is what you are measuring focus spells by, it will get a hard pass.
Force Bolt is a pretty good focus spell for an adventurer.
Fortify Summoning is terrible because summoning spells are terrible. If summoning spells were better, this could be a better option.
Hand of the Apprentice is probably about as good as Force Bolt. For those weapon wielding Wizards.
Physical Boost has decent utility use. It could theoretically be used for two types of saving throws if you as a player are somehow precognizant and will know that a saving throw is going to be needed before the target's next turn. I think it is too expensive for combat use. You would get almost as much mileage out of Aid.
Protective Wards is almost a good spell. If it behaved like Bane/Bless and didn't have to be sustained (sustaining only expands the radius) then it would be good. As it is, the action cost to use it is too much. If you can afford the action cost to sustain, then the spell isn't bad. Bard does it better with either Rallying Anthem (no focus point cost) or Bane (no recurring action cost).
Scramble Body is a decent spell. It costs two actions, which is rare for a Wizard's level 1 focus spell, but sickened is a good condition to apply. It's cost is a massive amount higher than Evil Eye, but it is still a good spell. Having no effect on a save does tarnish it a bit - Evil Eye can just be re-cast next round.
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The Thassilonian Rune Magic focus spells are all really good, except for the Sloth one ("Reclined Apport"), which is a focus-point Telekinetic Hand.
Cutting Eye is a very strong Reaction, like a focus "Interposing Earth" but also works against all spells with saves.
All-Encompassing Hunger is 1 Action for a bit of damage, though having a rank 1 (focus) spell with a death effect is unique.
Precious Gleam adds a whole lot of damage to a weapon, 1d6 per rank, and makes it silver or cold iron on top. Stacks with Runic Weapon.
Heart's Hook is really strong, with the 120 ft range and no incapacitation trait, and the fact that you can choose whom the creature has to approach (e.g. your party's Fighter or Champion).
Crescent Scepter doesn't seem like something you want to use on a Wizard... but it's probably cool on an unholy Champion.
Sloth... meh. I mean if your party uses Disarm (though I don't know many who do), you could ready the spell to immediately steal the weapon, but as a focus spell it's pretty useless.
Vengeful Glare is useful to trigger fire/cold weaknesses, being able to freely apply persistent cold or fire damage to it. With just 1 Action to cast this can be a cool thing to add spellshapes like Chaotic Spell to it!