whoa dude... this is a tough one.
tough because what constitutes someone's favorite tire is highly, HIGHLY subjective.
for the QC area trails that are mostly hardpack throughout the year, the choice of many riders seems to be a tire with "micro" knobs - some examples would be like a Kenda Small Block 8 or a Maxxis Ikon. Any tire similar to those works well. If you're a more aggressive rider and tend to push hard through corners you may be better served with a more aggressive tread like a Kenda Nevegal, Panaracer Rampage, or Maxxis Ardent.
the best advice I can give you is to do some research, determine what will be best for your particular style of riding, pull the trigger on a set, and begin the experiment.
most of my pals have gone through a few different types of tire before finding their favorite; I was a "tire whore" for a good 2 years before finding what worked best for me.
as far as tubed v tubeless goes.... all my bikes ('cept my fattie...but that isn't gonna be much longer) are tubeless. I'll let someone else divulge their thoughts on that.
"ya, well...that's like...your...opinion. man."
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Also, the compound in those tires almost feels like plastic.