How do YOU Fighter/Mage?

Ah the Fighter/Mage. We know it, some of us love it, a few of us even consider it the canon class for CHARNAME.
What is your favorite way to combine these two classes? For this poll, I am excluding triple classes.
Mine is the Gnome Fighter/Illusionist. Shorty saves, specialist, HLAs from both classes, loss of Necromancy spells somewhat mitigated by Fighter abilities.
But I want to know what you all think!