Tier 1-2 Hedgewitch

[FortuneX]

With spiritualism, and any other (remotely resonable) optimisation technique in spheres, how high a tier can you get a spherecaster? A friend of mine claims that Hedgewitch or Fey adept can reach tier 1. I just don't see it. Any other sphere class is also fine, really, Hedgewitch just seems to have a leg up in terms of versatility.

[Antipositive]

Hedgewitch? No way. 3/4 caster hurts in such a heavily CL dependant subsystem, even with the versatility boost of Spiritualism. Even then, Spheres can't touch PF1's sheer versatility and power due to how magic talents work. Even advanced talents don't quite do it, although certain fullcasters can reach tier 2 with them.

[stack]

Probably look at spiritualism/triple goddess archetype so you have full CL to Death, Fate, and Life (I don't think this was a good idea, design-wise, but it is there). Flexible talents and full CL in three spheres is nice. Even with full access to advanced, I think it tops out at tier 2.

Fey adept, base class, is probably the strongest tier 1 contender in the system. Create reality means you get to fake spontaneous access at full CL to several spheres, Conjuration among them (thus granting spontaneous casting for anything that doesn't require many caster levels).

Edit - Full list is Creation (create), Conjuration (companions only, no planar binding), Alteration (1-3 traits, can't change base form), Destruction, Weather (control weather, no listing for other abilities added in the Weather handbook obviously), Nature (limited geomancing options).

Using Paizo classes, arcanist being able to change spheres each day is in whatever tier you put a wilder with psychic reformation (can rearrange to suit, very small pool).