Don't feel down about these mages. Just remember: they cheat. Some of them are level fifteen and have spells like horrid wilting, time stop and wail of the banshee. Usually they cast (instantly) up to four protection spells as soon as you see them without any sort of contingency, as well. I don't often fight a mage with spells, except disabling spells like emotion or hold person/monster. Just breach them and start bashing away. Oft-times as soon as you breach they'll just cast another stoneskin and/or protection from magical weapons or mantle (in some sort of stupid non-existant spell trigger like a Magic Tattoo). Most mages don't have any spells memorized more than twice, though (except magic missile and often melf's acid arrow), so you don't have to worry about wasting TOO many breaches. Mantle, protection from magic weapons and all those type of spells all only last for about half a minute, so if you run out of breaches, you can just wait in the fog of war before going up to kill them.
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