When available, Magic Fighter for sure. It's a somewhat niche combination in most mainstream games, though. Where it's not, it tends to be overpowered because it combines so many positive aspects while beautifully negating the traditional downsides (fighter: dumb, tough; mage: smart, fragile).
But honestly, to me it is simply the most logical course for a setting where magic and personal combat actually exist. You would be quite silly indeed not to train your martial prowess when death could be a missed reflex away, and similarly negligent if you did not study powers that easily defy the laws of nature as we know them.
I like exploring the possibilities of strong characters that don't fall under the obviously overpowered category. In BG terms, my fave is probably the offensive cleric. They're actually very deadly when not used as a walking band-aid.
My playstyle is really dictated by the game's system. If I'm playing a game with a mana system I can quickly regen (like Skyrim) then I'm basically a pure arcanist maelstrom of destruction. If it's a system where I need to frequently rest to recover my spells, like BG, then I'm an arcane fighter. Load me up with performance enhancing and defensive magics and watch me whirlwind through the opposition.
My preferred playstyle is the pure arcanist though. There's a certain appeal to coming in like a hurricane and destroying your enemies with a gesture. In Skyrim I ended up going with enchanted swords because of the damage disparity between magic and weapons. =/ But usually I like to roleplay primalists who are in tune with the natural world. I really liked World of Warcraft's druids for that reason. The magic is more intuitive and less based on study and memorization.
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But honestly, to me it is simply the most logical course for a setting where magic and personal combat actually exist. You would be quite silly indeed not to train your martial prowess when death could be a missed reflex away, and similarly negligent if you did not study powers that easily defy the laws of nature as we know them.
Kill it with fire, and if that doesn't work?.....TRY MORE FIRE!
And for everything else: There's always good old fashioned stabbing it until it stops moving.
My preferred playstyle is the pure arcanist though. There's a certain appeal to coming in like a hurricane and destroying your enemies with a gesture. In Skyrim I ended up going with enchanted swords because of the damage disparity between magic and weapons. =/ But usually I like to roleplay primalists who are in tune with the natural world. I really liked World of Warcraft's druids for that reason. The magic is more intuitive and less based on study and memorization.