Too many mages?

[thejeff]

Most mages stay at home and research for most of the game. Or take on forging/blood hunting/ritual casting duties. Those get nothing but research boosters or boosters to help with whatever they're doing that turn.

Other than that, it depends on the nation and what you're trying to do with those mages. For most of the game, most mages go out to battle unequipped. Some will get boosters/communion or slave matrices/penetration gear if they need it for a particular purpose. Late game, if you're fielding lots of fragile mages (say for communions) you may want to give them defensive items to protect from turn 1 battlefield wide attacks or from ritual attacks.
Likewise most mages don't get gems to cast spells with and nobody gets them to play with. Gems are doled out for specific scripted uses. Backup gems are carried on scouts.

Obviously, mages you're using as thugs or SCs are a different category, but you're not likely to be producing as many of those.