[Saurreg]

I think when Tolkien wrote the Silmarillion, the elven kindred he had in mind and most wanted to explore was the Noldorin. The entire book was essentially about their exploits on Valinor and Middle Earth. Little was mentioned about the Vanyar except they dwelled beneath the two trees and were the favourites of Manwe and Varna.

Without the Noldor, there would be no Silmarils, no Tengwar and of course no rings of power. Without the Noldor, Morgoth would still be running rampant on Middle Earth and the great tales from LOTRs won't even come into play. Hence I feel the Noldorin and the Sindarin were the greatest because they shaped the history of middle earth.

Ultimately each elven kindred had their own strengths and weaknesses. But the legacy of the Noldorin, however brief and tragic will always be remembered as an age of bravery, chivalry and flawed heroism.