Always Brawler/Monk/whatever flavor of punchmans is available.
If your game doesn't have viable unarmed, it's shit. If it lets me punch things to death, I'll give it the time of the day regardless of anything else.
I'll even sit through the utter slog that is melee combat in Fallout 1&2 just to punch supermutants and power armored grunts to death.
I have never rolled a mage in my life.