My late game plan is Summoning and Pyro and I never used venom coating.The plan is simple - get a strong fire or air staff,burst magi armor,then charm to finish them off.
As a backup plan I have a cleric that can make blood surfaces with very high geo and hydro powers and elemental arrowheads on my wayfarer.
But to return to toppic....mages (not summoners) can match the damage of a 2h physical melee.
I think Salvage Sortilege+Torture with 10 points in Scoundrel is the strongest choice,because in my opinion it is easier to crit,than to set up your mage on high ground,while the opponent is stuck on low ground.
If you can expand on the above with a hulking huge suit of plate armour and a magical staff overchared with great elemental power,even better...you are tanky mage than can fight head to head with a knight,but you traded valuable CC for Dots if you went fire or have to assume huge risks with Lighting (you can shock yourself by accident if you are not carefull) or Poison (if you run into undead you are screwed)
