Tires KENDA or Maxxis

On my XC hardtail I have a Maxxis 2.4 Ardent on the front, and a Maxxis 2.2 Ikon on the rear. It is a great combo so far.

I just put some 2.25" Maxxis Ardent TR EXOs on my Trek 29er and they have been awesome so far. Tons of grip compared to the bontragers I had (cheaper ones that came with my bike).

Maxxis all the way. Seem to be the best combo of grip, price, durability, and weight.

Your trails sound pretty similar to what I ride. I have a set of Ardent 2.25s that I really like.

I love my aggressor on the rear, rolls and grips well.

I also have a minion DHF for downhill and "rowdy" trail or wet/sandy conditions. It rolls a lot better than I expected for such tall knobs

Nevegal is a much better choice for cornering than ardent. I've done nevegal front/ardent rear before, but I really would be reluctant to push cornering speed on an ardent up front.

just mounted a few pairs of maxxis tires, dhf, hr2, a dhr, and an ardent exo casings, all done by hand, found them quite easy to mount beads poped right on.

Ardent rolls well but is lacking in traction. If you want to take corners fast, I would stay away from Ardent in the front - there is a dead zone between the middle and side knobs that will feel vague especially when cornering.

I don't know if anyone has had the same experience with the 270, but my Kenda 280s have been awful on wet roads. Like riding on ice... Truly scary. I guess because the rubber compound is cheap. May not be an issue if you live in a dry climate.