I am starting out on 'tactical' and I just ran into 4 Skeleton Mages, they are tough for my two guys, (died almost 10 times) so I'm exploring the battlefields right now <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />
If you are talking about those level 8 skeleton mages, indeed, they are quite tough. But if you manage to lure one (or maybe two) at a time, and have enough potions, this is perfectly doable.