History Main / MilitaryMage

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* Knight-Enchanters in the ''Franchise/DragonAge'' series are mages who serve in the military (mainly the [[TheEmpire Orlesian]] armed forces), often without [[MageKiller Templar]] supervision. This is very rare, however, because mages are distrusted by the general population, and it takes a lot of dedication and effort to receive that rank for a mage. Vivienne, a companion in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'', has received Knight-Enchanter training, although it is unknown where, if at all, she had served before.

* The world of ''WebComic/StandStillStaySilent'' has two things: a disease that changes a small portion of its victims, both human and animal, into extremely dangerous monsters and an unexplained TheMagicComesBack episode. The amies of the nations that survived the initial outbreak are hence very interested in having a few spellcasters to help fight the monsters in question. Actual ones are seen in the form of Onni and Lalli, though the latter is a night scout by profession.

* In ''Manga/FullMetalAlchemist'', Amestrian State Alchemists are desirable recruits, automatically granted the rank of Major and able to rise much higher. They tend to act as human artillery units in wartime and government-sponsored researchers (often bordering on MadScientist levels) in peacetime. In exchange, they gain access to branches of the National Central Library closed to the public, which hold a wealth of information about high-level alchemy.

* ''TabletopGame/GURPSTechnomancer''. After several atomic detonations brought magic to the Earth, many national militaries have taken magic users into their ranks and use their skills in combat. The term for a combat wizard is "warlock", presumably as a pun on the "war" part, and there's usually one per company in high-magic militaries like the United States. (There are also low level grunts who have no combat spells, but enough Magery to point a want or use a scrying tool; they aren't considered warlocks.) Mage-only divisions of the US Army include the 101st Spellborne, originally an air division that moved from planes to carpets and dragons, and the 13th Special Operations Group (Magical Operations), a "black ops" squad that used to have "Necromantic" in its name.

* ''TabletopGame/GURPSTechnomancer''. After several atomic detonations brought magic to the Earth, many national militaries have taken magic users into their ranks and use their skills in combat. The term for a combat wizard is "warlock", presumably as a pun on the "war" part. The most notable magic unit is the US 101st Spellborne, originally an air division that moved from planes to carpets and dragons.

* ''TabletopGame/GURPSTechnomancer''. After several atomic detonations brought magic to the Earth, many national militaries have taken magic users into their ranks and use their skills in combat.

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** The Yellow Ajah (and anyone else with the skill) use Healing. In fact, the only type of Healing they know was originally crude battlefield work.
** The rediscovery of [[{{Teleportation}} Traveling]] becomes extremely important to the siege of Tar Valon, so much so that the ability to open a Gateway becomes the new measure of an Aes Sedai's strength and authority.

** This is built into the structure of the [[WizardingSchool Black Tower]], which Rand founds to train male mages to help fight the Last Battle. Combat training, both with the One Power [[MagicKnight and swords]], is prioritized, and the first rank of initiates are called Soldiers.

* In ''Series/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'', Bastila Shan has mastered a Force technique called battle meditation that raises the effectiveness of her allies; she works closely with the Republic Navy to coordinate fleets in battle.

*** Kefka is a PsychoPrototype who acts as TheEmperor's CourtMage and TheDragon ([[spoiler: Until usurping the role of BigBad in the game's latter half]]) and holds the rank of Commander. He acts as an officer and artillery, commanding small detachments of troops such as the one that attacks Narshe and the task force assigned to retrieve Terra after the game's intro.

* '''[[SupportPartyMember Support]]''': Support mages tend to stay out of the fighting proper. Instead, they make the {{Muggle}} soldiers around them ''better''. {{White Mage}}s may act as [[TheMedic medics]] to get the wounded back in fighting shape more quickly than conventional medicine could, often back on the field before the battle has even ended. They may cast {{Status Buff}}s or beneficial auras that make their allies faster, stronger, and more resilient. [[UltimateBlacksmith Magical artificers]] may keep an entire army supplied with enchanted arms and armor. Other mages work strictly in [[EasyLogistics logistics]], magically facilitating easy communication between units through {{Telepathy}}, obviating the need for supply lines [[TeleportersAndTransporters by teleporting in food and supplies, or even transporting whole armies where they need to be]].

** Taken to its logical extreme in the Last Battle itself, which has just about every known magic-user in existence fighting on one side or the other. While many mages are used as artillery, the fact that [[TransportersAndTeleporters Traveling]] has become widespread means they're at least as useful for logistics. Among other flashier uses, [[MundaneUtility a portal with one end high above the battlefield and the other in a general's tent]] makes for easy intelligence-gathering.

* '''Artillery:''' Mages capable of flinging {{fireball}}s or other destructive spells may be analogous to artillery: ranged damage-dealers who must be properly placed and protected in order to be used to maximum effect. Common for {{Squishy Wizard}}s who fit the GlassCannon and/or MightyGlacier archetypes. Their effect can range from as relatively small and mundane as a unit of {{Long Range Fighter}}s who just happen to use spells as opposed to bullets or arrows, but to much the same effect, all the way up to a PersonOfMassDestruction whose use is akin to a FantasticNuke, obliterating armies and fortifications at a stroke.

** While he is largely preoccupied with being a SorcerousOverlord, Emperor Palpatine in the original trilogy uses his own Force powers largely for military intelligence, basing his military strategies on what he has foreseen with his Force clairvoyance.

* In ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'', the Kushan military employs sorcerers as {{Mook Maker}}s for their ability to spawn fanatically loyal {{Super Soldier}}s from a special {{Magitek}} "Man-Made [[ArtifactOfDoom Behelit]]," and as ''de facto'' officers for their ability to possess animals (usually tigers, crocodiles, and elephants, but occasionally also whales and large pterodactyl-like creatures) and give them supernatural strength and loyalty. Ganishka, [[AuthorityEqualsAsskicking the Kushan Emperor]], is himself a OneManArmy capable of assuming a NighInvulnerable mist form and wielding powerful lightning magic.

* ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}} Technomancer''. After several atomic detonations brought magic to the Earth, many national militaries have taken magic users into their ranks and use their skills in combat.

* In ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' fanfic, Creator/AAPessimal explores the idea of a major army having its own support corps of wizards, normally allocated as one per unit to seek and nullify magic users deployed by the enemy. Fun is had with the name: the RHEME, the Rimwards Howondalandian Esoteric and Magical Echelon. (Note: The British Army has a support and logistics unit called the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, REME for short).

* In ''Literature/ShadowOps'', any person who "manifests" (i.e. gains magic powers) is required by law to join the SOC, a branch of the United States military. Those that manifest in a forbidden school of magic end up as military contractors.