Last time through:
Me Kensai/Mage
Korgan (Berserker)
Keldorn (Paladin)
Viconia (Cleric)
Valygar (Stalker)
Imoen (Mage)
If I played with all six chars:
Male -- Human -- Monk -- Hand-to-hand
Female -- Human -- Kensai (Dualed to mage at 12)
Male -- Half-Orc -- Barbarian
Male -- Dwarf -- Priest of Talos
Female -- Elf -- Bounty Hunter (or possibly an Assassin...)
Female -- Elf -- Archer
Only problem here is this party doesn't have a mage to begin the game with. Not really a big deal because with 3-4 front line fighters (If you count the priest...) and a backup ranged fighter, you really shouldn't have anything to worry about. Although, having spells like Haste does make many earlier battles much easier. Possibly split class the elf Bounty Hunter into a Mage/Thief.
Once the Kensai is dualed to a mage, he moves back to the back and the priest steps up as a front line fighter. When the newly born mage regains his Kensai abilities, he moves back to the front again and becomes a finely tuned instrument of death and destruction.
Glycerine