Knowledge or strength?

aha... right in the... I mean, right on target! :-)
The ideal mage: 20-20-1-1 (without artifacts), and with attack and defense skills... what more could you ask for in a mage? Does he have a spellbook? - Yes... can he cast a mass haste spell? - He can...
And then he doesn't need anything else - the troops will do everything for him!