Pole or meele for mages with battlemage trait?

[Languorous_Maiar]

I'm asking because I don't know what items are in A2.

So it's better to take some tier1 pole weapon, and then use battlemage trait for some tier1 armour (if there's more than one) or it's better to use battlemage trait for tier1 sword and shield, while wearing some tier1 robe?

In Avernum 1 there was Robe of Magi (tier1), Mercuric Leather (additional PA) or First Expedition Vest (tier1 for pure second line priest). And here's go Crystaline Breasplate (tier1) with Blessed being something like beetwen tier1 and tier2.

So it was more useful to use robes (with 1 exception for Crystaline) and go with no minus to hit armours... but...

 

Concerning addional PA:

 

In A2 I cant craft some low vest for additional PA in Formello, but it will be only usefull mid-game before AR for having 2 attacks if combined with some other PA giving item, because with Adrenaline Rush i have always 3 attack, no matter if i have AP armour or not. (they comes in handy if combined with haste, but it's still pretty random to get ability to cast 4 or even 5 spells in one shot). Going for min-max I shouldn't care for random and should get away with additional PA item if I have something better on hand.

 

But now take into account that my first character will get best armour, best weapon and best shield, so everything besides it is left for 3 mages. Ideas? Thanks!

[Lilith]

Get multiple ranks of Swordmage and use a shield and body armour. It's worth it; there's only one decent robe for spellcasters, and it's available very late in the game and still a significant step down in protection from a breastplate. (Or just get the Runed Plate from Angarahad's quest in Fort Remote, which gives as much protection as a Blessed Breastplate but doesn't encumber you at all.)

[Mechalibur]

Casters can use the Runed Breastplate (34% armor, and magic damage bonus) without needing the battlemage trait.