It depends wether your F2p or P2P. I agree with you in a P2P's prospective, but as an F2P there are only so many different spell you can cast until youve reached the highest which isn't close to how much melee can hit at the maximum. Same with ranged, you can only use up to adamant arrows and maple bow (then again it is really fast). I think in F2P for higher levels, mages are behind, lower levels, mages control the wild. For P2P i'd say they all have their own strengths and weeknesses.