Playing as a mage, there are going to be two hard parts to the game. Just after the start, and the last 3 fights. Everything else should be pretty much a walkover if you play intelligently. So if you're looking to make your game easier, those are the two sections you care about.
To that end - you can finish the start fairly easily if you don't mind spending a few hours kiting first. It's quite possible to hit level 22+ before your first fight, in which case you'll crush everything in your path for a long time. If you don't like kiting, can't kite, think it's not in the spirit of the game to do that, or want the challenge of doing it the hard way, you're going to be looking for items you can reach early on which will give more leadership and for ways of getting level-5 units early on. Song of the Wind, Death Call, and Call Collosus are the three big ones you're looking for there, or a store which sells a level-5 unit. Certain spells will also be important - trap is a big one, as are heal, target, and stoneskin.
To make the last 3 fights easier, you'll want anything that can increase your intelligence and/or leadership, and especially anything that can increase your magic resistance and/or physical resistance.
If, instead of making the game easier, you're looking for a high-score or high-level run, you're probably interested most in any items which give bonuses to experience.
To my mind, the most valuable items for a mage to find in a game to make things easier late-game are Slippery Cuirass, Twinkling Boots, Magician's Cowl, and Novice's Dress. If you're gunning for high-score, you're going to want 2 Hand of the Necropolis, Memoirs of the Marshal, Shark's Tooth (which is guaranteed), and as many Ancient Knowledge scrolls as possible (4+ is good).
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