Hell sword vs Wraith sword vs Blood thorn

[sushiboat]

I usually don't give non-melee mages any combat equipment at all. If I have mages sitting around the lab with nothing better to do, I might forge offensive equipment for regular commanders. They can't cast spells, and I don't want them to die in melee combat, so I might give them a bow, a summoning item, or a ranged spell item so that they can be useful. Generally, however, I forge for SC's, the Pretender, maybe the Prophet, and maybe some high HP summons who won't die easily. Mage lab time and gems are limited, so why give fulll equipment to some 10-HP national mage who could die any time?

[Saber Cherry]

Crystal Shield: I avoid it, as it has high encumbrance. Very useful for a Holy or Unholy priest to let them cast level-4 or level-5 spells, but otherwise not great...

I rarely use Dragon Helmets except for assassins or thugs. They do not grant immunity, and are worth 75 gold plus 1 forge-turn... half a good mage.

My choices (in order of importance)

Boots of the Messenger (except for Earth mages who get Earth Boots)
Girdle of Might
Lucky Coin
Amulet of Resilience... only for heroic / national hero / pretender / empowered mages, since it costs 10 gems
Rune Smasher, when appropriate

Boosters - Bag of Wind, Winged Helm, Thistle Mace, Skull Staff, Earth Boots, Blood Stone, etc.

[Turin]

If you have really awesome mages, who you need for crucial spells it makes sense to equip them.
for example a caelum high seraph with air 4 water 2, equipped with:
staff of elemental mastery(fire resistance),
dragon helmet,
100% lighning resist armor
boots of the messenger
bag of winds
amulet of antimagic

is pretty hard to kill, so you can be sure that your army gets that fog warriors buff.

[CUnknown]

I always thought the flambeau was the best weapon out there, far better than lifedrain swords in most cases. Before you say: "Wait, flambeaus are specialized anti-undead and demon weapons, not useful in most cases"--notice how many undead and demon troops/SCs there are out there in most games. Um...like all of them except AQs?? If people fielded a more balanced group of SCs, and/or an actual army on occasion, then the flambeau would only be so/so, but this just isn't the case. You see Bane Lords, Wraith Lords, Vampires, Devils, Tartarians, Ice Devils, Arch Devils galore. All of these, no matter how well equipped, will die in 1-3 hits of a flambeau, easy. Lifedrain is meaningless in this case.

Of course the flambeau is very expensive, as it should be. I'm not saying lifedrain weapons don't have their place.

[Taqwus]

I could see giving battlefield mages Boots of Stone or Rainbow Armor; the former gives Stoneskin at no encumberance penalty, and the latter has light encumberance plus reinvigoration and magic resistance. Some protection would be handy if you're getting smacked with something of moderately low damage like Rain of Stones or Blade Wind. Air-shield robes or talismans can also make sense.