Here are my nominations for most powerful hero and player card in each sphere and also in neutral.

Spirit - The sphere that quests, cancels, recurs and attacks the staging area. The sphere that can do it all while laughing at Tactics pathetic attempts to be relevant.

Hero: Glorifindel. Too many threads have been made about how he ruins the game to ignore. Honorable mention to Eowyn, quester par excellence.

Player Card: A Test of Will. For one resource you basically get to ignore one third of the encounter deck? Yes please.

Tactics – There is very little good I can say about Tactics but here are a couple of bright spots:

Hero: Boromir. His readying ability is so powerful that after hundreds of games with him I have never used his second ability. Sure it costs a threat, but there are ways to deal with that. (See Aragorn, Lore)

Player Card: Feint. Cancel an attack and the shadow effect for 1 resource. I’ll take three. Honorable mention to Gondorian Shield.

Lore – Possibly the most powerful sphere, but also possibly the most difficult to play.

Hero: Aragorn. Take the most powerful threat reduction card in the game and then take it out of sphere. Makes you wonder that they will do for Spirit Aragorn when the time comes. Powerful in Boromir decks, but also in doomed decks. Honorable mention to Elrond, but he needs his bauble to really shine.

Player Card: A Burning Brand. The card that blanks the encounter deck’s combat tricks. +2 Attack? Naw. Discard an attachment? No thank you. Finagle this on to Boromir and you’re on to something.

Leadership – The sphere that put dwarves and Glaurung on the map.

Hero: Dain. Turns dwarves from good to absurd.

Player Card: A Steward of Gondor. The card that warped the rest of the sphere around it. The card that overcosts all the other Leadership cards and the card that everyone wants to have in their deck. Honorable mention to Sneak Attack!

Neutral – Not officially a sphere but we have the cards so why not? (This will be boring though.)

Hero: Had to think long and hard about this one but settled on Gandalf. Mostly because he’s the only one. Duh.

Player Card: Core Gandalf. Surprise! The fact that his ability triggers any time he enters play and not just when played from hand tips the scales too far to ignore. Has anyone ever played Sneak Attack in their deck without at least a couple of Gandalf’s? (Opps, Gandalves)

That’s it for me. Feel free to expand and break out allies, attachments and events. I wouldn’t bother with side quests though as there aren’t enough yet.

Spirit.

Hero: Pippin.

Player Card: Renewed Friendship.

Tactics.

Hero: Dori.

Player Card: Keeping Count.

Lore.

Hero: Bombur.

Player Card: Gandalf's Search.

Leadership.

Hero: Send for Aid.

Player Card: Keen-eyed Took.

Neutral.

Hero: Saruman.

Player Card: The End Comes.

My nominations:

1) Spirit -- Arwen & Test of Will. Glorfindel's an amazing utility hero because he's so cheap, but I don't think he's inherently *powerful*, I think Arwen and Galadriel have the best claim on that - or maybe Caldara. Best attachment -- Unexpected Courage. Best Ally -- Arwen Undomiel

2) Tactics -- agree with Boromir & Feint. Best attachment -- Gondorian Shield. Best ally -- Honour Guard

3) Lore -- Elrond & Warden of Healing. Lore Aragorn's amazing reset works wonder with threat-raising heroes like Boromir or Grima, but I see them as the powerful one and him as the utility. Elrond has two abilities plus Vilya. Erestor is worth a mention here too. Warden of Healing is amazing. I love Burning Brand, but it needs a dedicated defender and it needs Lore. I give that the nod for best attachment, and Daeron's Runes for event.

4) Leadership - LeDenethor & Steward of Gondor. Dain's amazing and a good choice, despite his personal role being largely confined to standing around. Celeborn's amazing for Silvans. But those extra resources at startup give LeDenethor an acceleration other heroes can't match. Best ally is Faramir, best event is Sneak Attack.

1)Spirit
Best hero: Arwen Undomiel (not far from Glorfindel and Galadriel who all are in my top5 hero)
Best card: A test of will

2)Lore
Best hero: Elrond
Best card: Daeron's rune

3)Leadership
Best Hero: Denethor II
Best card: legacy of numenor

4)Tactics
Best hero: Boromir
Best card: gondorian shield

5)Neutral
Best hero: Gandalf (also the only one, but still in my top10 hero so deserve to be named here ^^)
Best card: envoy of pelargir

Galadriel eats Glorfindel for breakfast in terms of power.

Spirit - Caldara, Test of Will

Tactics - Boromir, Feint

Lore - Erestor, Deep Knowledge

Leadership - Dain, Steward

3 hours ago, Bullroarer Took said:

Leadership – The sphere that put dwarves and Glaurung on the map.

You are old school.

Spirit

Arwen, Test of Will

Lore

Elrond, Daeron's Rune

Leadership

Denethor, Steward of Gondor

Tactics

Boromir, Feint

Neutral

Gandalf (Core Set)

Spirit

Hero: Arwen

Ally: Norther Tracker

Attachment: Unexpected Courage

Event: A Test of Will

Tactics

Hero: Boromir

Ally: Legolas

Attachment: Gondorian Shield

Event: Feint

Lore

Hero: Treebeard

Ally: Firyal

Attachment: Burning brand

Event: Deep knowledge

Leadership

Hero: Dain (the innoble) Ironfoot

Ally: Dwarven Sellsword

Attachment: Steward of Gondor

Event: Sneak Attack

Neutral

Hero: Gandalf

Ally: Treebeard!!!!

Attachment: Gandalf Staff

Event: A Good Harvest

Leadership: Hirluin the unfair, Steward of your deck trait.

Tactics: Boromir the broken, Knights of the Swan.

Lore: Erestor, who wrote the book "the lore of victory", also called "how to win in lotr lcg" and Anfalas Herdesman, who wins very sheep victories.

Spirit: Caldara, the one who everyone wants to see dead and both a very easy test of Will and ethir Swordsman, for very powerful one willpower questing... .

Tactics:

Hero: Boromir (especially if you ignore erratas for a cooperative friendly game such as this ) Mablung is also great.

Player Card: Support of the Eagles/Eagles of the Misty Mountains TIE due to combo

Lore:

Hero: Grima (sweet sweet cost-saving)

Player Card: Deep Knowledge for Multiplayer or Elf-Stone for Solo

Leadership:

Hero: Aragorn

Player Card: Steward of Gondor of course

Spirit:

Hero: Theoden King (like Grima that money saving is fantastic)

Player Card: Westfold Horse-Breaker when you get the combo going with Theoden/Prince Imrahil/Gamling Ally these guys are 1 cost to ready two heroes every round!

Neutral:

Hero: Gandalf, easy choice but bring on Saruman and Ragadast already FFG!

Player Card: Song of Wisdom, to facilitate Burning Brand Awesomeness

I dont Think tactic is a lesser sphere as it was in cycle 1 and 2. Today tactic is definitely very powerful.

To choose the most powerful card we should agree before the criteria. In this game is very easy to mix splashable, utility, low cost/threat, flexible or playable when talking about some cards. Not for all: a test of will or steward are clearly powerful under whatever criteria while warden of healing or a burning brand are less unilateral.

Anyway my choice

Spirit

Hero: Arwen, Galadriel second choice. Cirdan third. Glorfindel less powerful today for many reason ( ally version, no ability, treath being less pivotal in modern quest, with modern card cpool and allies his stats today are more easy to replace). Caldara not considered.

Ally: arwen , jubayr second choice

Event: a test of will

Attachment: unexpected courage

Leadership

Hero: Dain, LE Denethor, Sam.

Ally faramir

Event : sneak attack (+gandalf)

Attachment: steward of gondor. Armoured destroyer second.

Lore - in lore is especially difficult to part utility from pure power.

Hero: Elrond, Haldir ( with access to tactic). Beravor. Grima in pure solo. I have not yet used Haldan. He could replace Beravor.

Ally: powerful means Fyrial or quikbeam.utility warden of healing , master of the forge and hannamat. The last 3 seems more play then Fyrial of course.

Attachemt again power means a burning brand. However is a card I rarely use in recent years because it requires a dedicated lore defender where I prefer other solution. Elf stone. Ranger spikes

Event: daeron runes, head of dreams

Tactic

Hero: way too many- eowyn, Grimbeorn, Beregond, legolas ( crazily strong for his ability to put progress on quest and tactically passing to new stage during combat phase and After engaging...you just don't travel that turn...) Aragorn. Beorn is super strong too. After errata boromir is very strong but not anymore overpowered. Tactic is the sphere with most very strong choice for heroes.

Ally: legolas, beorn ( If you can play him without paying) . Utility defender of rammas, honoured guard

Event: feint

Attachemt: gondorian shield. Weapons.

Neutral

Hero : Gandalf

Ally Treebeard, core Gandalf,

Attachment n/A

event: open the armory

Tactics Hero: Aragorn, mostly because this combos with

Tactics Card: Hour of Wrath. This combo often clears the playing area of enemies. You don't even have to use it's valor (Aragorn and Sam: Play hour on aragorn, slay something weak, ready and buff Sam, slay something else, ready and buff Sam....)

Spirit Hero: Eleanor. Hands down. Especially in 4 player games. Cancel the game ending treacheries sure to come your way (once a turn!)

Spirit Card: Unexpected Courage. Need that Action Advantage!

Lore Hero: Elrond. Great in any ally deck. But his healing really shines too, when a Warden is healing 4 damage every turn.

Lore Card: Heed the Dream. Find a card in your top five, then search your deck for anything!

Leadership Hero: Faramir. Great in any ally deck. Has sphere access to sneak attack for Gandalf Shenanigans.

Leadership Card: Path Of Need. Extremely crazy card. Won many a game thanks to this lass.