From my point of view the concept of a "battlemage" is a spellcaster or hybrid fighter/mage who can perform equally well in melee combat. So it sounds reasonable enough to me if the "default" weapon of a battlemage is an axe, for example. Of course, his skill set should support that particular combat style, as well.
That's correct, unfortunately, the attribute system in D:OS 2 is designed so that functioning equally well as a physical fighter and a caster means you are fighting half as well as someone specializing in either field. I guess the closest you come to a functional Battlemage is by going Lone Wolf.
